The statewide average cost for regular gasoline rose to a record $2.601 a gallon, according to today's AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The statewide average was boosted by a record $2.517 for regular in Honolulu. In Hilo on the Big Island, it hit a record $2.638 a gallon, while in Wailuku, Maui, regular gas averaged $2.794 a gallon, which was 10 cents below a record hit on April 29.

Unemployment claims hold steady for week of July 2

A total of 1,000 Hawai'i residents filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending July 2, virtually unchanged from the previous week, but down from 1,200 a year earlier. The state's unemployment rate of 2.7 percent for May remains the lowest in the nation.