USPS Is Suspending Services in These States, Effective Immediately
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The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) does more than you think on a daily basis, not only ensuring that you get your mail , but also running and maintaining over 31,000 retail post offices across the country. With so many locations in the mix, it’s inevitable that post offices run into problems from time to time, whether that’s because of emergencies, bad weather, or damage to the building. Now, the Postal Service has confirmed multiple issues prompting service disruptions at post offices in three states. Read on to find out where the USPS is suspending services, effective immediately.
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Earlier this week , the USPS was forced to temporarily shutter post offices in several California towns due to the impact of Tropical Storm Hilary . This didn’t last long, as full operations resumed at five post offices in Shoshone, Morongo Valley, North Palm Springs, Forest Falls, and Keeler on Tuesday.
The post office in Trona, California, also reopened yesterday, with an Aug. 23 press release provided to Best Life confirming that “mail will be delivered where it is deemed safe to do so.” The Postal Service added, “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
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While it seems that postal service in California is almost back to normal, according to the agency’s Service Alerts, two post offices remain closed.
The Darwin Post Office, located at 251 Reddy St., was also shuttered due to Tropical Storm Hilary, and the La Tijera Post Office, located at 5472 Crenshaw Blvd, was temporarily closed due to the need for “emergency repairs.”
In a press release provided to Best Life , the USPS explained, “A water incursion from the recent storm damaged the La Tijera facility. Out of an abundance of caution, the building cannot be occupied during repairs.”
According to the alert, during the La Tijera closure, mail and retail services have been temporarily moved to the Hawthorne Post Office, at 12700 Inglewood Ave.
“We apologize for this inconvenience,” the Aug. 24 press release reads. “This is only a temporary measure, and we will reopen the Post Office as soon as the repairs are made, and it is safe.”
RELATED: See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says .
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According to an Aug. 23 press release, the USPS is temporarily suspending services at the Lascassas Post Office , at 4682 E Jefferson Pike in Lascassas, Tennessee.
The press release cites building damage that occurred on Tuesday. In a statement provided to Best Life , Evelina Ramirez of USPS Corporate Communications explained that the area of concern is being assessed, and that damage was not caused by storms or mechanical issues.
“The Postal Service is working with the lessor, who is responsible for making repairs,” Ramirez said. “At this time, there is no firm timeline for completion of repairs, but the goal is to resume postal operations in Lascassas as quickly as possible.”
During the closure, Lascassas customers can head to the Murfreesboro Main Post Office, at 2255 Memorial Blvd., to conduct retail transactions. Mail delivery service for Lascassas customers “is not affected and will continue uninterrupted,” the release states.
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Yesterday, the USPS also announced that the Chambers Post Office, at 800 Highway 191, in Chambers, Arizona, has been temporarily closed.
According to USPS Service Alerts, the closure is related to “ water damage .” While the Chambers Post Office is closed, customers can pick up their mail and access retail services at the Sanders Post Office, at 100 Highway 191 S.
In a statement provided to Best Life , Sherry Patterson of USPS Strategic Communications clarified that the water damage was the result of “recent rain and flooding.”
Currently, the Postal Service does not have a date for reopening, Patterson said, reassuring customers that they “will be notified as soon as the Chambers Post Office reopens.”
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ca/2023/0821-storm-prompts-closure-of-four-inland-empire-inyo-pos.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ca/2023/0822-tropical-storm-hilary-prompts-closure-of-three-pos.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ca/2023/0822-storm-impacted-pos-reopen-for-business.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ca/2023/0823-trona-post-office-reopens.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/residential/california.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/tn/2023/0823-lascassas-po-temporarily-suspends-operations.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/residential/arizona.htm
See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says
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Your mailbox serves a very simple purpose: receiving mail and leaving outgoing mail for a carrier to pick up. Still, some of us enjoy sprucing up our mailboxes, adding personal flair, color, or even decals to help an otherwise standard mailbox stand out. But if you notice a paw print sticker on your mailbox that you didn’t add, don’t start peeling it off just yet—it’s likely part of a program run by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to help keep carriers safe. Read on to find out what these stickers mean and why you shouldn’t remove them.
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In 2023, more than 5,800 Postal Service workers were attacked by dogs while delivering mail, up from 5,300 in 2022, according to a USPS press release.
Larger cities had the highest numbers of attacks, with Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland claiming the top five spots.
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder . “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”
To her point, the USPS writes that “all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive.” In fact, many of the attacks that letter carriers report are by dogs whose owners told them, “My dog won’t bite.”
Such an attack can result in consequences for the homeowner, too. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555, the USPS states.
“When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee,” they explain.
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To combat dog bites, the Postal Service shared tips on how pet owners can “support safe mail delivery.” These include keeping dogs inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room, or on a leash.
“Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child,” they state.
Mail carriers also follow protocol to keep them aware of areas where dogs might be present, and they’re equipped with scanners to remind them of possible dog hazards, as well as dog warning cards that are added during mail sorting.
In 2020, the USPS added another preventive measure: the PAWS Program . First introduced in Pennsylvania, the program uses mailbox stickers to keep carriers safe.
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The PAWS Program uses color-coded stickers affixed to mailboxes to inform mail carriers about dogs in the area. An orange sticker with a black paw print tells carriers that there is a dog at this home, while a yellow sticker with a black paw print tells them there is a dog at the next house.
Citizens are informed ahead of time that the stickers may appear on their mailboxes. In a notice sent to Lakewood, Ohio, residents, the Postal Service wrote, “Carriers will soon be placing a paw sticker on mailboxes to indicate that a dog or dogs live in the area —yellow indicates dog nearby/orange indicates dog at residence. The sticker will act as a reminder to the carrier that they should proceed with caution, especially when delivering packages to the door.”
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Removing these stickers may do more harm than good, as your mail service can be halted if your carrier feels unsafe. Not only does this affect the home of the dog owner, but it also applies to the entire neighborhood, the USPS said in a previous press release . Service isn’t restored in these instances “until the aggressive dog is properly restrained.”
At the end of the day, these stickers are put in place to “reduce the risk of dog bites and attacks that occur while delivering mail,” which is just another reason you should leave the sticker on your mailbox.
“We all love our dogs,” Kimberly Tilley , acting postmaster for Winston-Salem, told WGHP. “We love our animals, but we … have to take responsibility to protect the carrier and the people around us as well from our animals.”
Tilley added that dog bites are more common than you think, and they can be traumatic for carriers. “Once a carrier has been bit, it sets some fear in them long term for the rest of their life,” she told the outlet.
However, although these stickers are strongly recommended, if you object to having a sticker placed on your mailbox, you can opt out , Kyle Stevens , Southwest Carrier Annex station manager in South Dakota, told KELO in 2021. To do so, the first step would be to contact your local post office.
This story has been updated to include additional entries, fact-checking, and copy-editing.
