The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) takes safety seriously, and the winter season is filled with potential hazards. Freezing temperatures, icy roads, and snow storms can make it much dangerous for carriers to deliver mail and customers to retrieve it. But these are not the only safety concerns you need to be worried about: Unrelated safety issues have prompted new temporary closures from the Postal Service in two different states. Read on to find out more about the latest service suspensions.
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The USPS just closed a facility in Pennsylvania.
iStockOn Nov. 24, the USPS updated its Service Alerts website to inform customers that it had to shut down a facility in Pittsfield, Pennsylvania. The Pittsfield Post Office is now "temporarily closed due to structural damage," according to the alert.
In a separate local press release posted that same day, the Postal Service provided more information and explained that the facility's damage was caused by a vehicle driving into the building on Nov. 23.
"No one was in the building when the accident occurred," the agency added.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out when the Pittsfield Post Office is set to reopen, and we will update this story with its response.
In the meantime, postal customers are being directed to the nearby Youngsville Post Office for retail and P.O. Box services. This facility is less than four miles away, according to the agency's release.
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Services are also being suspended at another Pennsylvania post office.
ShutterstockThe Postal Service previously warned residents in Pennsylvania about a different closure.
On Nov. 20, the agency updated its Service Alerts website to announce that the Barnesville Post Office would be "temporarily closed" on three specific days during November and December. The first is today, Nov. 29, and customers will also be unable to access the facility on Dec. 13 and Dec. 27.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out why the Barnesville Post Office will be closed on these three days, and we will update this story with its response.
"During these closures, all retail services will be offered at the Tamaqua Post Office," the agency noted in its alert.
RELATED: USPS Issues New Warning About Delivery Delays and How to Avoid Them.
There's another temporary closure in Ohio.
Shutterstock / Ken WolterIn its most recent update to its Service Alerts website, the USPS revealed that it had shut down a facility in West Farmington, Ohio. The West Farmington Post Office is also "temporarily closed due to safety concerns," according to the update.
In a separate local press release, the Postal Service further explained that it suspended services at this facility "due to a gas leak." Operations have been moved to the Bristolville Post Office for the time being.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out when the West Farmington Post Office will reopen, and we will update this story with its response.
Another Ohio post office was previously closed for safety concerns.
iStockJust a few weeks earlier, the USPS issued a local press release about a different closure in Ohio. As with the Pittsfield suspension in Pennsylvania, the agency had to shut down a post office in Attica, Ohio, because of a recent vehicle incident.
"A customer crashed their vehicle into the Attica Post Office which caused significant damage to the structure of the building," the Postal Service stated in the release. "Due to safety reasons, retail and P.O. Box operations are temporarily suspended."
Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out if the Attica Post Office has been reopened yet, and we will update this story with its response.
While the facility is closed, services have been relocated to the New Washington Post Office. "The Postal Services apologizes for any inconvenience this might cause however the safety of our employees and customers is our top priority," the agency added in its release.
