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WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – That gasping noise you’re hearing is the sound of motorists as they watch their wallets empty out while they fill their gas tanks.
The Golden State’s average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $4.36, up 51 cents since last month’s AAA report on February 14. For perspective, that’s 40 cents higher than California’s average price on this date last year. Among all 50 states, California has the second highest state average price for regular, unleaded gasoline. Hawaii is first and Alaska is third.
The Golden State’s average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.36, up 51 cents since last month’s AAA report on Feb. 14.
For perspective, that’s 40 cents higher than California’s average price on this date last year. Among all 50 states, California has the second highest state average price for regular, unleaded gasoline. Hawaii is first and Alaska is third.
Northern California gas prices are now averaging $4.33, up 50 cents from last month.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $4.41, which is a 51-cent increase.
The national average price of $3.81 is up by 30 cents, which is 25 cents more than the national price on this date last year, when it was $3.56.
According to AAA, the biggest month-to-month price jump in Northern California metro areas tracked by the organization was in Salinas, which saw a 57 cent increase.
Over the past month, the pump prices have jumped by at least 41 cents in every single Northern California metro area tracked by AAA.
“Investors’ buying activity continues to be the dominate influence that is pushing prices higher,” said AAA Insurance spokesperson Matt Skryja. “Recent positive economic indicators in the United States and Europe have inspired investors to buy more oil and gas futures, which has helped to push up the price of oil and gas. However, there may be some relief in sight. Just yesterday, concerns over a slowing economy in China and easing tensions with Iran helped pull down the price of oil.”
That downward pull follows a steady stream of influences that have been causing oil prices to rise.
On Friday, reports surfaced that the European Union was nearing a positive resolution to the Greek sovereign debt crisis.
When this news was combined with positive U.S. jobs numbers, it inspired investor buying activity and propelled the price of crude back toward its high for the year.
All of this recent increased buying behavior comes at a time when demand for gasoline continues to be dismal.
A four-week average of Department of Energy figures last week showed that the United States was using a reported 8.355 million barrels per day.
To provide some context, five of the previous six years saw an average demand of 9 million barrels or more for the same period. This most recent report marked the lowest figure since March 2001.
The least expensive average price in Northern California can be found in Marysville and Ukiah where regular is $3.25 per gallon in both metro areas.
Of all the metro areas in Northern California where gas prices are tracked by AAA, Eureka has the highest average price at $4.47. This is also the highest price in the lower 48 states.
The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Casper, Wyoming.
The average price of gas in that metro area is $3.20. Hilo, Hawaii, holds the dubious crown for the highest average price in the nation, at $4.61 per gallon.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – IGA has announced that Ruth and Dennis Darling, owners of Clearlake-based Foods Etc. IGA, were named IGA 2012 USA International Retailers of the Year.
The Darlings were honored during the IGA Awards of Excellence Ceremony held Feb. 13 at the IGA Global Rally in Las Vegas.
Ruth and Dennis Darling were chosen as an International Retailer of the Year – the highest retailer award bestowed by IGA – after a lengthy selection process that began in the fall of last year.
At that time IGA’s Licensed Distribution Center partners were asked to submit for candidacy only those retailers who had achieved Five Star status under IGA’s Assessment Program.
From those submitted, the Darlings and six other candidates were chosen as IGA 2012 USA Retailer of the Year Finalists.
Following a visit from IGA executives to each of the finalists’ stores, in December of 2011 the Darlings and two other IGA USA retailers were named IGA 2012 IGA USA International Retailers of the Year for having achieved exemplary excellence in retailing and advancement of the IGA brand.
All three USA retailers were honored alongside IGA International Retailers of the Year from Australia and China during the Awards of Excellence Ceremony in Las Vegas.
Foods Etc. IGA is well-known throughout the area for offering not only an exceptional shopping experience, but also giving back to the community.
Foods Etc. IGA is a frequent sponsor of local community organization activities and a primary supporter of local food drives.
The Darlings and their Foods Etc. employees also are extremely active in community service, holding positions on the school board, the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and acting as youth league coaches and volunteer firefighters.
“Here at Foods Etc. IGA our employees work together as a family to serve all of our community’s needs,” Dennis Darling said. “That means we give the people of Clearlake a warm and inviting place to shop, while at the same time doing everything we can to make Clearlake a better place to live. We’re honored to be recognized for doing a job that we love so much.”
“Foods Etc. IGA is an integral part of the Clearlake community,” IGA USA CEO Mark Batenic said. “Dennis and Ruth’s extreme devotion to there customers, community and independent retailing made them stand out in our prestigious group of candidates, earning him IGA’s top honor of International Retailer of the Year.”
IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $31 billion per year.
The alliance includes nearly 5,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution centers and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items.
IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 30 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that USDA is seeking applications for loans and grants to help rural businesses create jobs and spur economic development.
The funding is being provided under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.
"Boosting access to capital sparks job creation and revitalizes the rural economy," said Vilsack. "USDA works in partnership with cooperatives and utilities across America, and we intend to utilize this program to leverage federal and private investments to put rural residents to work."
Eligible recipients are USDA rural utilities program borrowers. Those recipients pass the funds to local organizations.
The funding is leveraged to create projects that retain or create jobs and upgrade public infrastructure.
The maximum amount of funding for any one project is $1 million for loans and $300,000 for grants.
Organizations use REDLG funds to create jobs and improve services.
For example, the Utilities District of Western Indiana received a REDLG loan and grant in 2011 to construct an elevated water storage tank and supply lines. The project will serve a technology park and two communities, creating nearly 400 jobs.
USDA plans to award up to $79 million in loan and $10 million in grants through the program. The deadline for submitting applications is the last business day of each month through Sept. 30.
Applications must be submitted to the Rural Development state office where the project will be located.
A list of these offices is available on the USDA Rural Development Web site, http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html , or on page 12792 of the March 2 Federal Register, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-02/pdf/2012-5043.pdf .
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LAKEPORT – This month the Lake County Fairgrounds is sponsoring a free seminar for business owners and non profits on how to get the most from a booth or sponsorship.
Every year, Lake County hosts a single event that draws 40,000 people, by far the largest gathering in the county.
The Lake County Fair is a celebration of our local culture, and the numbers suggest that nearly everyone in the county makes an appearance at least once.
Booths pitch everything from cotton candy to real estate and most things in between. It's the only place a local business can reach that many Lake County residents all at once.
The seminar will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, March 27, at the fairgrounds in Lakeport, 401 Martin St..
Participants will be walked through the process of transforming a blank patch of ground into a compelling marketing opportunity that will help them reach their goals.
Even veteran booth purveyors can benefit from new marketing ideas and the exchange of information among participants.
The seminar will kick off with an exploration of setting realistic, measurable goals and how those goals determine the size, shape, layout and personality of a booth.
Participants will learn where to locate booths to reach a particular target market. They also will discuss the logistics of creating an effective display that is inviting to the public and presents a professional image.
Budgeting for booth space costs will be covered, and businesses will be given an opportunity to finance the cost of hosting a booth. This new initiative will help many organizations that were previously unable to host a booth.
“By facilitating the budgeting process, we hope to include as many business owners as possible into the opportunities afforded by the event,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons.
The seminar will also cover sponsorship opportunities and other ways to take advantage of the Lake County Fair to promote businesses and nonprofits.
Interested business owners and managers should RSVP for the seminar to the Lake County Fair office at 707-263-6181.