Gas for 99 cents a gallon?

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Gas prices are continuing to spike downward and Crawford County is seeing the benefits.

According to GasBuddy, current prices are the cheapest in over 12 years.

GasBuddy reports that nine states in the nation have the lowest average gasoline prices since early 2004: Oklahoma ($1.37), Indiana ($1.46), Kansas ($1.46), Ohio ($1.48), Michigan ($1.49), Minnesota ($1.52), Wisconsin ($1.54), Illinois ($1.57) and North Dakota ($1.63).

Officials there say the trend is due to oil refiners offering low prices to sell winter-spec gas before a pending shift to cleaner burning fuel.

“As gasoline supply continues to bulge, prices continue to shrink,” says Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. “Wholesale gasoline prices in the Midwest have lost more than half of their value since the beginning of the year and prices at the pump haven’t fully reflec ted that yet. Incredible as it sounds, we wouldn’t be shocked to see a few stations in these states as low as 99 cents a gallon.”

In Galion, MotoMart, Speedway and Duchess gas stations were advertising gas at $1.37 a gallon on Tuesday morning.

Prices here were lower than the state average of $1.47 per gallon.

“Isn’t it nice?” smiled MotoMart manager Celeste Amato. “We try to stay competitive (with other stations).”

But while gas is cheaper, Amato says her store is seeing a big benefit from low prices.

“It does help our bottom line,” she said. “People see the low gas prices and come in and buy other things.”

At Duchess, the low gas prices have attracted the attention of customers there.

“People come in all of the time and ask if the prices will get lower,” said Lucas Stinehour, a cashier at the business.

Customers say they are also seeing the benefit of lower prices.

“The less money I have to put in the gas tank, it allows me to spend more other places,” said Duchess store customer Robert Rosebrough of Galion. “Every little bit matters.”

Over at MotoMart, Mount Gilead resident Ed Hetrick agreed as he filled up his vehicle.

“It definitely helps,” he said. “In the past, you had to give up going out for lunch (due to high gas prices).

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Information from GasBuddy was used in this story.

Mount Gilead resident Ed Hetrick pumps gas Tuesday morning at Moto Mart in Galion
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2016/02/web1_20160209_111958.jpgMount Gilead resident Ed Hetrick pumps gas Tuesday morning at Moto Mart in Galion

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2016/02/web1_chart.jpg

Moto Mart was advertising gas at $1.37 a gallon Tuesday morning.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2016/02/web1_20160209_112205.jpgMoto Mart was advertising gas at $1.37 a gallon Tuesday morning.
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By Chris Pugh

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