The national average price for a gallon of regular gas has gone up slightly in the past week, but has dropped in Illinois.  Harry Cooney of Growmark Energy talks about the prices at the pump saying that throughout the state, the price has been lower than if you brought in new gas today and he believes they should be firming up.  Prices in the Chicago area are well over $4 per gallon, while downstate is around $3.40 per gallon.  He expects to see those prices go up and believes the prices should be around $3.70 to $3.75 per gallon in the downstate area.  The national average price for a gallon of regular gas is at $3.68, up a penny from the week before.  A year ago, the average was at $3.54 per gallon as it was going down.  The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Illinois is at $3.87, down a nickel from the week before.