"...WYTHEVILLE, Va. -- State police say a daylong standoff at a small-town Virginia post office has ended with three hostages being released and a suspect in custody...."
This Article is From: wvgazette.com
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Postal news for those interested in the mailing industry, postal employees, stamp collecting, etc...
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"...WYTHEVILLE, Va. -- State police say a daylong standoff at a small-town Virginia post office has ended with three hostages being released and a suspect in custody...."
"...There also are reports that the man has a "device" and it appears the man's car, parked outside the office, is equipped with some type of device, Crewe said. He did not elaborate on what the device could be...."
"...Chief Postal Inspector William R. Galligan, notifies the recipient that a “parcel from DHL courier service has been stopped for security reasons” and “Our scanning system has detected that your parcel contains a confirmable ATM card to the tune of $1.5 million dollars.” ..."
"...“Santa Claus is accepting mail again,” Sylvia informed me.
“I didn’t know that Santa wasn’t accepting mail. After all, that’s his job,” I said. “Kids write to him asking for Christmas presents and, if they’ve been good, Santa brings them what they want on Christmas Eve. That is, if their requests are reasonable and have been properly processed with the correct postage.”..."
"...Customers searching for reliable overnight delivery of holiday gifts can look to Express Mail from the U.S. Postal Service to get it under the tree in time.
Express Mail service offers reliable, affordable next-day delivery to most locations, plus free tracking and proof of delivery. The last recommended day for mailing holiday gifts by Express Mail is Dec. 23...."
"...Post Offices will be open on Christmas Eve, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, December 31, however, many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at 12:00 noon. Regular mail delivery will take place though Collection Box pickup times scheduled after noon on these days will be moved to 12:00 noon.
Customers needing service after 12:00 noon on either December 24 or December 31 should contact their local post office for information on locations of post offices that will maintain normal retail hours and lobby collections on these days. Post Office phone numbers can be obtained from our Find a Post Office tool or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS.
Post Offices will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, and New Year’s Day, January 1, 2010. No delivery service (except for Sunday and Holiday Premium Express Mail) is scheduled for these holidays. Regular retail service and mail delivery will resume on the days following the holidays, December 26, 2009 and January 2, 2010...."
"...cheaper usually pays off when it comes to sending Christmas parcels with Canada Post. On Dec. 10, the Star sent eight identical..."
"...Postal employees who retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) will receive credit for their unused sick leave when they retire. The new provision — which became effective Oct. 28 with the president’s signing of the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act — will be phased in over four years.
FERS employees who retire between now and Dec. 31, 2013, will receive a 50-percent ..."
"...the reputation of the Postal Service -- traditionally one of the most reliable and trustworthy institutions in the land -- continues to come under fire from critics who are unhappy with allegedly sluggish, hit-or-miss service bordering on indifference. ..."
"...He was there to open a post office box, Bethes said, and after he'd finished his paperwork, he asked about the package...."
"...if it fits, it ships for one rate to any state in the country. But are you really saving money with the boxes? When Carole Willisch heard about the Flat Rate boxes, she thought she could save some money sending her Christmas gifts...."
"...The Monday two weeks prior to Christmas is the busiest mailing day each year, as people finish their cards and packages over the weekend and drop them in the mail to make sure they arrive before the holiday...."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Postal Service will have lost 98,000 jobs by the year 2018. That is a decline of 13%! The data is from the National Employment Matrix.
"...“This tax would result in huge benefit cuts, and increased co-pays and deductibles for federal and postal employees,” Burrus said. “It is absolutely the wrong way to pay for this legislation. Health insurance reform simply should not be financed by burdening workers and the middle class with an excise tax.”
The two reports conclude that the “average” plans would try to avoid the excise tax, and would shift costs to employees...."
"...USPS debt increased at the end of fiscal year 2009 by the annual statutory limit of $3 billion, bringing outstanding debt to $10.2 billion. At this rate, USPS will reach its total $15 billion statutory debt limit in fiscal year 2011. (4) USPS projects annual deficits over $7 billion in fiscal years 2010 and 2011, and continuing large cash shortfalls. PAEA and implementing regulations gave USPS more flexibility to set prices, test new postal products, and retain earnings. USPS has broad latitude to set rates that take effect unless the Postal Regulatory Commission finds the rates would violate legal requirements, such as a price cap that generally limits rate increases for most mail to the rate of inflation. Except for annual rate increases, USPS revenue-generation actions since PAEA was enacted have generally achieved limited results compared to USPS's deficits...."
"...A spokesman for the Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal Service said a mail carrier in Duncan will likely face federal charges for crimes committed on the job...."
"...United States Postal Service returned the letter, Written in red ink was the word”deceased”. Najbar, who lives Duluth, Minnesota, ended up learning through the Red Cross that her son Sam Eininger was in fact ..."
"...It’s Open Season — the time of year when employees can sign up for benefit programs, change enrollments or cancel their participation in Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Vision and Dental insurance plans, (FEDVIP) Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and the Annual Leave Exchange (ALE) program. Most FEHB plans will include premium and benefit changes for 2010. Check your current health plan to see if your premiums are increasing. ..."