USPS Is Suspending Services in These Places, Effective Immediately
Certain customers are having to deal with the effects of postal disruptions.
At one point or another, most of us have faced the frustration of having our mail delivered a day later than expected, or arriving to the post office only to find it's already closed for the day. But as much as we've come to anticipate certain services from the United States Postal Service (USPS), that's never really guaranteed. As it turns out, the USPS can adjust its operations temporarily in any area for a number of different reasons, and some Americans are now experiencing just that. Read on to find out where the agency is suspending services now.
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The USPS alerts customers when its operations are disrupted.
As an independent federal agency, the USPS is responsible for providing regular mailing service to all Americans. But sometimes the situation is simply out of its hands. According to the Postal Service's website, operations at postal facilities can be disrupted for different reasons, including natural disasters such as floods or fires and quarantines. The agency strives to keep all Americans updated about any adjustments through up-to-date service alerts.
"Residential customers should check this Mail Service Disruptions website first for current, frequently-updated information about whether mail is being delivered to your neighborhood or if your local Post Office is open," the USPS advises. In fact, the website was just updated with alerts informing customers about a few new disruptions.
The agency is now suspending services in two different states.
In just the past week, new USPS service disruptions have impacted customers in two different states. The most recent alert is for certain residents in Iowa. According to the Oct. 11 update, the Postal Service has temporarily closed its post office in Grandview, Iowa. The agency said regular customers of this facility can retrieve their mail or access retail services at the post office in Wapello. Retail transactions can also be conducted at the neighboring Letts and Fruitland facilities.
A few days before the Grandview closure, a press release was issued for the state of Wisconsin. According to this Oct. 7 alert, the USPS has suspended retail operations at its post office in Mosinee, Wisconsin. Unlike the Iowa disruption, "P.O. Box customers [here] still have access to their mail, which they may retrieve at the rear entrance," the agency noted. For retail transactions, the Postal Service is advising customers to use neighboring post offices in either Rothschild, Schofield, Marathon, or Wausau.
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One of the post offices was destroyed.
A building fire prompted the suspension of post office services in Grandview, according to the USPS. The postal facility was one of four buildings destroyed by a nearby shed fire that spread quickly on the evening of Oct. 7, The Muscatine Journal reported. Shane White, postmaster of the Wapello Post Office, told the newspaper that there is already a plan in place to install temporary postal boxes so customers in the area can pick up their mail without having to travel to Wapello. But there is no word yet on whether or not the Grandview Post Office's building will be rebuilt.
"I've never dealt with a situation like this. I don't know about the time frame for a permanent solution to be established," White said. "I hope people will be patient with us. I can't make some decisions. I have to wait on the powers that be to tell me what to do, but we are working toward a solution as quickly as we can."
The facility in Wisconsin was also damaged.
At the Mosinee Post Office, retail operations were suspended because of damage to the building as well. But it wasn't in this case. Instead, the post office is dealing with "structural damage to the lobby caused by a vehicle impact," according to the USPS.
On Oct. 7, local radio station WSAU reported that there was splintered wood and shattered glass seen at the building's front entranceway. The Mosinee Post Office is expected to reopen for retail operations, but not until the damage can be repaired, according to a sign on the building. "We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers," the USPS said.
