<p>Los Angeles residents were on a mission Monday (October 08) - to find the cheapest gas in the city. Average California gasoline prices hit yet another record high - topping five dollars a gallon at many stations.<br /><br />The average California price rose by just over a penny from a day before to $4.668 per gallon for regular gasoline, up 50 cents from just a week ago and 86 cents higher than a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.<br /><br />A series of refinery mishaps constrained supply in the state, which is not linked to the national pipeline and refinery networks.<br /><br />The state's governor, Jerry Brown, ordered state smog regulators to allow winter-blend gasoline to be sold in California earlier than usual to help drive prices down - the gas typically isn't sold until after October 31.<br /><br />Despite the measure, it may be more than a week for that gas supply to reach consumers, who will likely continue to face price increases until then.<br /><br />The gas prices in California are the highest in the U.S., where the national average for regular gasoline was $3.818 on Monday.</p>
