Georgia gas prices rise

UNASSIGNED - The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in the state of Georgia was up four cents from a week ago. The price of crude oil closed $1.69 more than last week after the first named storm of the season, Alex, was announced and created concern among investors that it could disrupt oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. Crude oil closed Friday at $78.86 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The euro also gained in strength against the dollar late last week and helped give crude oil quick boost in price by making crude more appealing to foreign investors.

"When a named storm is announced that could possibly affect oil production, it's very common to see the price of crude oil increase as a response," said Jessica Brady, manager, AAA Public Relations. "Retail gas prices will increase slightly this week before the Independence Day weekend. Consumers can expect to see retail gas prices between $2.70 and $2.80 during the holiday weekend."

The national average price of unleaded regular gasoline is $2.75 per gallon, reflecting a two-cent increase from last week. Floridaâ