WOODVILLE &045;&045; If the highest retail gasoline prices in nearly two decades have you grumbling at the pumps, Holger and Jessica Heine can make you feel better.

The Frankfurt, Germany couple stopped in Woodville Thursday to refuel their rented Oldsmobile Alero. They’ve been touring the southern United States, from Memphis to Key West and back.

&uot;You’re driving for much less over here. In U.S. dollars, gas in Germany is $5.05 per gallon,&uot; Jessica said.

In Germany, the Heines conserve fuel by driving a Honda Civic or a Ford Escort that burns deisel.

&uot;We also have to pay a tax on our cars according to the engine size. Only people with lots of money drive big SUVs and pickups,&uot; Jessica said.

The Mississippi average retail gas price on Thursday was $1.641, according to the American Automotive Association.

In the Wilk-Amite area, the highest prices were charged in Woodville, where the cost per gallon at three of the town’s four self-service stations was $1.719. One Woodville station charged $1.699.

&uot;It’s a little high here, but we saw prices as high as $1.90 in Florida,&uot; Jessica said.

Still, gas prices in Woodville were a penny lower than the national average retail price of $1.728.

Charles Whetstone, owner and operator of Three Way Seafood in Woodville, said high gas prices don’t translate to high profits for retailers.

&uot;I make the same profit off gas, whether it’s .99 cents per gallon or $1.99. We just handle a lot of cash flow each week, but we don’t make that much,&uot; Whetstone said.

With OPEC reducing its oil production by a million barrels last month &045;&045; and another cut of 1.5 million barrels expected next month &045;&045; gas prices will likely continue to climb in the United States.

Whetstone said the federal government should not allow overseas oil producers to control U.S. prices.

&uot;We should be increasing our production here and putting our people back to work,&uot; he said.

Gloster boasted the cheapest retail gas prices among Wilk-Amite area towns at $1.659 per gallon.

In Centreville, three retailers charged $1.699 per gallon, while one station’s rate was $1.689.

On average, state and federal taxes account for 40 to 50 cents of the cost of a gallon of gas at the pumps.

Several states have legislation pending to raise fuel taxes.