Are you waiting on some last-minute orders to come through for your Halloween costume? Or are you looking to get a head start on sending out holiday party invites? Whatever the case may be, most of us rely heavily on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and the last thing we need is for our deliveries to be delayed or our local post office to be closed unexpectedly. Unfortunately, a few different parts of the country are currently dealing with these issues, with the USPS adjusting operations in several states. Read on to learn more about the latest temporary service suspensions.
RELATED: USPS Is Making These Changes to Your Mail, Starting Now.
The USPS just shut down a post office because of a chemical spill.
iStockOn Oct. 27, the USPS updated its Service Alerts website to warn about a new service disruption in De Soto, Missouri. According to the new alert, the De Soto Post Office is "temporarily closed due to a chemical spill."
Tony Ochoa, the town's fire chief, told Leader Publications that the facility was shut down after "maybe an ounce of mercury" spilled out from a box, and a post office employee was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Ochoa said the Postal Service's chemical response team led the cleanup, and noted that the post office would probably be reopened before the weekend.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to get an update on the De Soto Post Office closure, and we will update this story with their response. But in the meantime, the agency noted in its alert that delivery and retail operations for the facility have been relocated to the nearby Hillsboro Post Office.
RELATED: USPS Warns "Mail Service Could Be Halted"—Even If You're Following the Rules.
Two facilities were recently shuttered for safety concerns.
iStockAccording to the Service Alerts website, the agency also recently suspended services at facilities in two states "due to safety concerns." The USPS announced the temporary closure of the Orlando Pine Hills Branch Post Office in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 19, and the temporary closure of the Clarkrange Post Office in Clarkrange, Tennessee, on Oct. 26.
The agency has not elaborated on the safety concerns at these two facilities. Best Life reached out to the USPS to get more information, and we will update this story with their response.
There are currently no news reports about the Clarkrange Post Office closure, but a report from local NBC-outlet WESH revealed that signs posted at the Orlando Pine Hills Branch Post Office indicate the facility has been shuttered for building maintenance and repairs.
The USPS has provided alternate locations for both post offices. As of Oct. 26, Clarkrange customers can use retail services and pick up P.O. Box mail at the Grimsley Post Office, the agency stated in a local press release. For the impacted Orlando customers, the Postal Service has set up a Mobile Retail Unit (MRU) in the parking lot of the Orlando Pine Hills Branch, according to a separate local press release.
RELATED: USPS Postal Inspector Reveals How to Mail Checks to Avoid Theft.
Another post office has also been closed for repairs.
Shutterstock / Ken WolterThe Orlando Pine Hills Branch may not be the only post office getting work done right now. In an Oct. 16 local press release, the USPS revealed that it had temporarily closed the David City Post Office in David City, Nebraska, "due to needed repairs to the facility."
Best Life reached out to the Postal Service to get more insight on what repairs are needed, and we will update this story with their response. The Columbus Telegramreported that the David City Post Office had to be closed because of structural issues within the building that posed a concern for customer and employee safety.
"All delivery and retail services are temporarily located at the Rising City Post Office," the USPS stated in its release.
The agency also suspended services at several post offices in Maine.
iStockIn an Oct. 26 update to its Service Alerts website, the USPS announced that it had temporarily suspended all operations at seven post offices in Maine.
This includes two facilities in Auburn—one on Rodman Road and the other in the Great Falls Plaza—as well as the Bowdionham Post Office, Lewiston Post Office, South Lewiston Post Office, Lisbon Falls Post Office, and Lisbon Post Office.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to get more information on the closures in Maine, and we will update this story with their response. But these last-minute closures are likely a response to the recent mass shooting in Lewiston, as the Portland Press Herald reported that several buildings across the state are still closed, with officials on the hunt for the suspected shooter.
