WESTERN KENTUCKY - Gas prices in West Central Kentucky are a penny higher this week at $1.99, according to AAA East Central's Gas Price Report. 

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Paducah was $1.96. The national average is $2.18, one cent more than last month and 56 cents cheaper than last year. 

This week's average price in western central Kentucky is lower than the $2.52 average during this week in 2019. 

After a one-week build, stocks declined by 600,000 barrels to push total levels back to 50 million barrels. Since May, when many states started to re-open, regional stocks have declined by 5 million barrels, according to Energy Information Administration data.