Gas prices across the country have dropped sharply in recent weeks and are down nearly 89 percent from a year ago nationwide. Some areas have reported prices at the pump as low as $1.50 per gallon. The same cannot be said in Chenango County.

While prices in the county’s outlying areas have kept pace with the national trend, stations in Norwich have been notably slower to drop prices. This has been a source of consternation for not only local residents, but also other area businesses.

For months, drivers in the Norwich vicinity have complained that prices at their local stations have remained higher than in other parts of Chenango County.

A user from The Evening Sun’s online forum (www.evesun.com) related their personal experience commuting between Hamilton and Greene. In the past, he said, gas was always cheaper in Norwich than stations in other communities along his route.

“In the last few months the roles have been reversed. Sherburne, Earlville, and Hamilton all have been 15 cents or more cheaper than Norwich, and today, Greene was 19 cents cheaper than Norwich,” he wrote.

The price shift has caused this driver to change his behavior, and other area businesses may be feeling the crunch because of it. “Other businesses are paying for it because people can now justify trips to places like Utica and Binghamton. I know we do.”