web1_web1_handcuffs-3.jpg

Cops: Man robs gas station, caught after he runs out of gas

web1_new-police.jpg

Girl, 12, dies after being hit by car after she got ice cream with siblings

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The national gas price average has dropped for 16 straight days and AAA Mid-Atlantic says they will continue to go down, but not as quickly as they rose following Hurricane Harvey&#8217;s landfall last month.</p><p>In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, refineries were shut down and gasoline supplies were drained, serving drivers with a one-two punch at the pump. AAA reports that Gulf Coast refineries are slowly coming back online and operating at reduced rates, but it will likely be a few more weeks before those regions are back to normal operations.</p><p>According to AAA, typically the drop in demand at the end of the summer driving season brings a decline in fuel prices in September. The switch over to a winter-blend of gasoline on Sept. 15 has also added to the decrease in prices.</p><p>The current national average is $2.58 per gallon, a drop of five cents in the last week and the cheapest price in 16 days, yet 23 cents higher than one month ago and 37 cents higher than one year ago.</p><p>In the Wilkes-Barre area, AAA reports the average price per gallon at Wilkes-Barre $2.80 &#8212; it was $2.85 a week ago and $2.34 one year ago. In Pennsylvania, the average price is $2.81, down from $2.87 last week. It was $2.35 a year ago.</p><p>At the close of trading Friday, AAA reports that crude oil settled at $50.66 per barrel, 77 cents higher than the previous week&#8217;s closing price. Oil prices have not spiked like gasoline prices have, following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.</p><p>Shale oil production in the United States is reaching record highs, putting a damper on OPEC&#8217;s attempts to reduce the glut of oil in world markets. As refineries shut by storm damage work to reach pre-storm capacity levels, oil inventories may decline in the coming weeks as refineries turn to storage tanks to meet demand needs.</p><p>&#8220;Mid-Atlantic drivers will be paying less to fill up in the coming days and weeks as the situation with refineries, pipelines and gasoline deliveries improves,&#8221; said Jana L. Tidwell, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. &#8220;Consumers may not be impressed with the speed at which prices are dropping, but they should feel confident that they will see lower prices moving into the fall.&#8221;</p><p><strong>The week ahead</strong></p><p>As the Gulf Coast and Florida slowly recover from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, AAA says many Americans are turning their attention to Hurricane Maria. Long-range weather models show Hurricane Maria heading northward over the western Atlantic next week, with little to no threat to the U.S. east coast. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.</p><p>Members from OPEC and its allies will meet in Vienna on Sept. 28 to reportedly consider further extending output cuts in an attempt to reduce a glut in oil supplies. Some analysts don&#8217;t expect a final decision until OPEC&#8217;s next official gathering in November.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_AAA-Mid-Atlantic-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">AAA Mid-Atlantic Logo.jpg</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_AAA-Mid-Atlantic-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>AAA Mid-Atlantic Logo.jpg</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle .</p></shirttailMeta></div>

AAA Mid-Atlantic: Cost to fill up is slowly going down