(Radio Iowa) — A few Iowa counties are now seeing gasoline prices averaging a dollar-10 a gallon, the lowest prices we’ve seen in many years. Rose White, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says prices have been falling during the coronavirus pandemic on a state and national level, with the country’s average gas price now at a dollar-77. “But in Iowa, it’s 30-cents lower at $1.47, in fact, it’s down about 36-cents in Iowa just during the past month alone,” White says. “If we compare it to a year ago, it’s down $1.27, meaning, every time a motorist fills their tank, they’re saving about $19.”

Last week, crude oil trading was actually in negative numbers, though it’s rebounded some since then. “Crude is currently trading at about $12.89 a barrel, but that is still very far below profit levels,” White says, “and so we are hearing about the shutdown of some operations.”  Some refineries are also shutting down because there’s no place left to store the fuel they’d be making. While some businesses in 77 Iowa counties are reopening on Friday, White predicts gas prices will remain low for a while. “We’re actually anticipating further erosion of prices at the pumps,” White says. “We’re expecting the national average to fall to probably about $1.65 before they start rebounding any because of the production cuts.”

Gas prices in Iowa’s metro areas range from the cheapest, at a dollar-25 in Davenport, to the most expensive, a dollar-68 in Council Bluffs. Iowa’s gas prices are among the ten cheapest in the U-S.

Carroll County Public Health today (Wednesday), announced the County’s second positive case of COVID-19. The virus was found following test results for a resident living in Carroll County. The case will not be on the IDPH map today, but should be there by tomorrow (Thursday). Officials say contact tracing is occurring at this time regarding the affected patient, who is 41-to 60 years of age.

Carroll County Public Health Director Nicole Schwering said “We continue to remind residents to take preventive measures to slow the spread of this virus. It is important for everyone to stay home as much as possible and to practice social distancing – this simply means to stay away from groups of people, keep a six-foot distance from other individuals, and wear a mask while in public settings.”

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — Iowa-based furniture maker Flexsteel Industries has announced it will permanently close its Dubuque manufacturing facility. The Telegraph Herald reports that the company announced the closure this (Wednesday) morning, minutes before a conference call to discuss its latest quarterly earnings. The Dubuque plant employs about 150 people. The company announced its facility in Starkville, Mississippi, also will close, and blamed a drop in demand of some products that has been exacerbated by the new coronavirus pandemic.

The closure follows the company’s two-week shutdown of the Dubuque plant last month and its announcement that it would lay off about 100 in Dubuque, including about 40 people at its corporate headquarters.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ Wednesday press conference on COVID-19. We plan on having live audio of the presser on KJAN as well. The press conference is set to begin at approximately 11:00 a.m.