GASOLINE PRICES PLUNGE IN CAPE; REGULAR UNLEADED $1.03 AT SOME PLACES

A gas war is under way in Cape Girardeau.

Gasoline prices have tumbled more than a dime -- 12 to 13 cents a gallon -- at service stations this week, leaving prices at a few cents over a dollar.

Prices plummeted at three stations along the Williams Street corridor in the city Monday, to lows of $1.02 to $1.03 for self-service, regular unleaded fuel.

At least two other stations joined in the "war" Wednesday, although some still held firm at $1.15 to $1.16.

Rhodes 101 Stop, which has a number of stations in Southeast Missouri, including Cape Girardeau, held its prices firm through Wednesday.

"But we'll be at the lower level Thursday morning," said Paul Dirnberger, a Rhodes 101 Stop spokesman.

"We've been seeing the lower regular unleaded prices at a few stations here the past couple of days," said Bob Blank of Bi-States Oil in Cape Girardeau Wednesday. "We waited to see what would happen, but we had to lower prices Wednesday to join the competition."

Meanwhile, super unleaded prices remained unchanged, mostly ranging from $1.23.9 to $1.27.9, with a couple of stations at $1.35 for the super premium.

The regular unleaded gas prices puts Cape Girardeau into competition with Jackson stations, which lowered prices before the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Gasoline prices in Jackson remain under the dollar mark at Basic Fuel, which features 99.9-cent self-serve regular unleaded.

Other Jackson stations fluctuate between the $1.02 and $1.03 mark.

Blank and Dirnberger are at a loss to explain the 12- to 13-cent a gallon decrease in Cape Girardeau.

"This comes at a time when wholesale gasoline prices are actually going up," said Blank.

Some gasoline retailers refused to discuss prices. One operator simply remarked that "what you're seeing now is a product of somebody being mad. It's a feud thing."

The price decrease comes at a time of heavy summer traffic in the U.S.

Travel by auto, light truck and recreation vehicles rose over the Fourth of July holiday when gasoline prices were down, nationally, about a nickel a gallon from last year.

Heavy travel is expected to continue through the Labor Day weekend.

The average price of gasoline in Missouri is $1.18, same as a year ago.

In survey of the St. Louis and Kansas City area, the AAA-Auto Club of Missouri found the average price of self-service regular unleaded ranging from $1.14 at St. Louis, to $1.17 at Kansas City, with Cape Girardeau prices in between, at $1.14 and $1.15.

Missourians traveling to other parts of the country, however, are paying much higher prices, as much as 20 cents more in California and Nevada, where prices average around $1.36 for unleaded self-service.

Other regional prices, according to AAA, are: New England, $1.27;, Great Lakes, $1.23; Mid-Atlantic, $1.22; Midwest, $1.24; Southwest, $1.23; and Southeast, $1.17.

Nationwide, the average price of self-service unleaded gasoline was $1.25 a gallon, about five cents lower than at the same time a year ago. The AAA Auto Club in St. Louis keeps tabs on gasoline prices throughout the state and nationally.