Highs and lows

The price of gasoline in Hawaii, while still the highest in the nation, dropped going into a weekend for the first time since December, AAA Hawaii reported Thursday.

The statewide average for a gallon of regular gas was down about a half-cent from last week, to $4.61 a gallon. The weekend price had increased every week since Dec. 31 and set a rec­ord high April 11, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.

The statewide average is 12 cents more than a month ago and 9 cents more than a year ago, said the report issued each Thursday.

Mainland pump prices have dropped by 4.5 cents over the last two weeks to $3.89 a gallon as crude oil supplies grew significantly and demand for gasoline fell 2.8 percent compared with a year ago.

The weekly price of gas in Hono­lulu has leveled off since the beginning of the month to about $4.47 a gallon for regular, roughly a penny shy of the rec­ord high set in May 2008. It’s still 11 cents higher than last month and 15 cents higher than at this time last year.

In Hilo the average price was $4.75 a gallon, a penny more than last week, 10 cents more than last month and 25 cents higher than this time last year. Hilo’s price was four-tenths of a cent from the rec­ord set March 31. Wai­luku’s average was $4.88 a gallon, 2 cents more than last week, 27 cents more than last month and 2 cents higher than on this date last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.