Saturday, September 27, 2008

Creativity in Reno

"...Judy Goza, T-2 Expediter at the Reno P&DC, won First Place for her 16” x 21” individual wall hanging at the Nevada State Fair in Reno, NV on August 20, 2008. The hand-embroidered, machine quilted wall hanging of the Reno MSC area (in 1994) for ZIP Codes 894, 895, 897, and 961, (representing the largest land area of any SCF),..."    



This Article is From: yourpostalblog.blogspot.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)


"...Vision plans will provide comprehensive eye examinations and coverage for lenses, frames and contact lenses. There are no deductibles or waiting periods. Other benefits such as discounts on lasik surgery may also be available...."    



This Article is From: www.opm.gov/insure

Read our latest posts!

.

Ohio postal driver named nation's safest


"...COLUMBUS, Ohio—A man who drives a mail truck in Columbus has come to California for a special pickup: an award naming him the Postal Service's top driver. Herb Sharfenaker has never had an accident making mail runs for 43 years, going more than a million miles. He was honored Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif...."    



This Article is From: www.mercurynews.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Feds charge postmasters


"...Postmasters from communities around rural Alaska have been charged with embezzling funds over several years totaling several thousand dollars.

The crimes, involving postal employees from Noatak, Selawik, New Stuyahok, Minto, Stebbins and Hooper Bay, occurred over a period of several years, dating back to 2003, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage. ..."    



This Article is From: thetundradrums.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Open Season for Health Benefits, Dental and Vision Insurance, and Flexible Spending Accounts


"...Enrollees with self-only coverage will pay, on average, $4.83 more each pay period (about $125 per year) next year. Family coverage will cost an average $11.12 more per pay period. FEHB enrollees pay - on average - 30 percent of the total cost of a plan's premium, while the government pays 70 percent.

This year's Open Season begins November 10 and runs through December 8, 2008, giving employees the opportunity to change or add to their portfolio of health- and family-care insurance products.

In 2009, 10 fee-for-service plans and a number of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) will expand coverage of hearing benefits for adults. This enhancement follows OPM's challenge last year to health carriers - which a number accepted - to improve the coverage of diagnostic tests and hearing aids for children in 2008.

Often cited as a model health-care system, the FEHB Program is not immune to external factors that influence the cost of medical care. In fact, two private studies predict medical costs next year will rise between 9.6 percent and 10.6 percent, with the aging population, the rise of prescription drug costs and patient demand for services fueling much of the increase.

Next year's rise in the average FEHB premium is significantly less than rate hikes some are predicting for large, employer-sponsored private-sector programs.

Premiums, including the government share and the enrollee share, will increase an average 7.0 percent next year. Overall, the average enrollee share of the premium will increase 7.9 percent. Twenty percent of FEHB enrollees would see their share of premiums rise by less than 5.0 percent, based on 2008 enrollment data.

Enrollees in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard Option, the most popular FEHB plan choice, would see their share of the premium increase 12.9 percent for self-only coverage and 13.4 percent for self and family coverage...."    



This Article is From: www.opm.gov

Read our latest posts!

.

Postal Service freezes hiring, promotions


"...The U.S. Postal Service has indefinitely frozen all hiring, promotions and other personnel changes in its latest response to a worsening financial position.

"A freeze on all organizational structure changes is effective immediately," USPS Chief Human Resources Officer Anthony Vegliante wrote in a Wednesday memorandum to agency officials. "The freeze includes position upgrades, additions to complement, position neutral exchanges, and requests for new positions."..."    



This Article is From: www.govexec.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Chambersburg postal worker injured in accident is recovering at home


"...a bizarre accident while he was delivering mail Saturday afternoon on Highland Avenue. Diller was flown to York Hospital's shock trauma unit after being hit by a car and pushed into a bay window by a vehicle..."    



This Article is From: www.publicopiniononline.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Fort Scott post office makes changes to mail sorting system


"...This agreement provides steps that are to be taken in such an instance occurs. Those employees who's jobs may be eliminated will be moved to another opportunity within the Fort Scott Post Office or will be given a job at a different post office within a 50 mile radius. Some of the employees in the afternoon/evening shift made the decision to accept early retirement before the changes were announced. Others have been offered early retirement and were given to the end of September to make their decision. ..."    



This Article is From: www.fstribune.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

The doggy-dog world of a postal carrier


"...Just why dogs hate carriers so much remains a mystery. Some carriers have a theory that it has something to do with smell, while others feel it’s more territorial. “Dogs bark and the carrier leaves, or maybe it’s the smell of the mail that’s been touched by so many people,” Gowans said...."    



This Article is From: sunpost.net

Read our latest posts!

.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Federal and USPS Retirement Annuity

Retirement Information & Services

"...As a current or former employee of the Federal Government, you can find general and personal information about retirement benefits and make changes concerning your annuity payment. ..."    



This Article is From: www.opm.gov

Read our latest posts!

.

2009 COLA for Federal, Military and Social Security Retiree

COLA Still Up

"...on track for a 6.0 percent cost of living adjustment in January, 2009. Last month the COLA, which is based on the rise (and sometimes fall) of the Consumer Price Index, indicated a 6.2 percent retiree increase for 2009. ..."    



This Article is From: www.federalnewsradio.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

United States Postal Service (USPS) - History 101


"...The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent establishment of the executive branch of the United States government (see 39 U.S.C. § 201) responsible for providing postal service in the US. Within the United States, it is ordinarily referred to as the "Post Office", "Postal Service", "U.S. Mail" or "USPS"...."    



This Article is From: en.wikipedia.org

Read our latest posts!

.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Disability Benefits Under CSRS and FERS

How Much Will Federal Employee Disability Benefits Be?

"...FERS uses a different benefit formula that takes into account any Social Security disability benefits for which you may be eligible.

During your first year of disability, FERS will pay you 60% of your high-3 average salary minus 100% of an approximation of any Social Security benefit for which you qualify. No COLA's will be paid during this year.

(Note that Social Security disability payments and the reduction in your FERS benefit will not begin until 5 months after you qualify for Social Security disability. You will receive full FERS benefits during this period.)

During your second and any future years until age 62, your basic FERS benefit will amount to 40% of your high-3 salary. If you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits, your FERS annuity will be reduced by 60% of the approximate amount of your Social Security benefit. COLA's match the inflation rate if it is 2% or less. If the inflation rate is more than 3%, the COLA will be 1% less than the inflation rate.

The total FERS and Social Security benefit you receive will be equal to at least 40% of your high-3 salary plus 40% of your Social Security disability benefits. You may also get your Thrift Savings Plan account when you become disabled.

Your basic FERS disability benefit will be recomputed at age 62. At that time, you will receive your accrued FERS retirement benefit. In this case your accrued FERS benefit would be based on years of service that include the time you were receiving disability benefits. Also, the average salary used would be based on what you were earning at the time you became disabled, increased by all cost-of-living adjustments under FERS during that period. ..."    



This Article is From: www.opm.gov

Read our latest posts!

.

Disability Retirement Under the Civil Service Retirement System CSRS

Computation of Benefits

"...The "earned annuity" is simply the sum of 1.5 percent of the highest 3 years' average salary (high-3) times the first 5 years of service, plus 1.75 percent of the high-3 times the next 5 years, plus 2 percent of the high-3 times service over 10 years. ..."    
This is a non-technical summary of the laws and regulations on the subject. It should not be relied upon as a sole source of information.



This Article is From: www.opm.gov (RI-83-4)

Read our latest posts!

.

Friday, September 12, 2008

House moves to stop black market sales of tobacco


"...require Internet and other remote sellers to verify the age and identity of purchasers to cut down on sales to minors. Delivery of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco through the U.S. Postal Service would be ended...."    



This Article is From: ap.google.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Mark of the Eagle final episode launches


"...total upheaval of society as we know it is a ragtag band of office workers and one dedicated letter carrier. The final episode of Mark of the Eagle premieres today on USPS TV On Demand and it’s a climax like never before seen in the annals of man-vs.-machine-with-a-postal-hero-lore. It’s like “The Office meets The Terminator” — with a dash of Lord of the Rings thrown in...."    



This Article is From: www.markoftheeagle.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Marijuana Stamp

Marijuana defendants receive tax bill from state for plants

"..."In the entire history of the program, I think all of the stamps we have sold as far as we know have gone to stamp collectors..."    



This Article is From: www.myrtlebeachonline.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Mail carrier under investigation for identity, mail theft


"...Do you suspect theft? Postal customers in the Carey area who suspect they may have been a victim of identity theft or mail theft are encouraged to review their credit history at www.annualcreditreport.com and to contact the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General at 1-888-877-7644 or to visit www.uspsoig.gov...."    



This Article is From: www.theprogressortimes.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Beach police seek man who tried to steal postal truck


"...man took the purse, ran toward a mail carrier’s truck and demanded the vehicle, Long said. The carrier fled...."    



This Article is From: hamptonroads.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

USPS Pounds Own Coffin Nails


"...Seattlest, Seattle - We hear that--in addition to uprooting friendly neighborhood mailboxes--the USPS is saving money by removing stamp vending machines from post offices across..."    



This Article is From: seattlest.com

Read our latest posts!

.

TSP August 2008 Rates of Return


"...These returns are net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. The performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate, so that investors' shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost...."    



This Article is From: www.tsp.gov

Read our latest posts!

.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Flags of Our Nation

Second Set of Three-Year Multi-Stamp Series Issued

"...In addition to the stamps, there is an impressive Flags of Our Nation Collector’s Folder available for purchase, Item #786575 for $29.95. The special folder is specifically designed to preserve and display all 60 stamps in the Flags of Nation series. The Collector’s Folder comes with a coil of 50 stamps from Set 1 (the first 10 designs) and mounts for all 60 stamps in the series. You may purchase separately a coil of 50 stamps only from Set 2 (the second 10 designs) to add to the folder...."    



This Article is From: www.usps.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Postal Strike of 1970


"...Only once before has there been a national postal strike. During a crippling two-week walkout in 1970, President Nixon called in federal troops, and discovered that soldiers could protect the mail but not deliver very much of it. Avoiding a similar calamity this week became the No. 1 item on the Government agenda...."    



This Article is From: www.time.com

Read our latest posts!

.

Pneumatic Mail


"...image, showing the pneumatic mail department in the basement of an American post office. The practice of loading mail into canisters and shooting them through tubes with compressed air dates back to the nineteenth century. A pneumatic message line linked the London Stock Exchange and a telegraph company in 1853, and there was a pneumatic telegraph and mail system in London soon after...."    



This Article is From: Post Office Postcards

Read our latest posts!

.