单项选择题

A department store ran an advertisement in the paper, stating that 17% of the cost of a provided grocery bag of items would be deducted at the cash register. If an individual placed $180 worth of merchandise in the bag, what would be the discounted price of the items, before taxes (rounded to the nearest dollar)

A. $144
B. $149
C. $156
D. $163
E. $168