Columbia gas prices hit a new mark

From staff reports

Columbia set a new record Friday -- an all-time average gas price when adjusted for inflation.

The $3.23 a gallon mark set soon after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 equals $3.53 in current dollars.

Columbia hit the $3.53 mark Friday, according to AAA data released today.

Averages nationwide and statewide as well as in South Carolina’s other metro areas passed their inflation-adjusted highs during the past few weeks.

The U.S. average stands at a record $3.67 a gallon -- 16 cents higher than the current S.C. norm.

And pump prices will likely keep rising as oil on Friday passed $126 a barrel for the first time.