Much of the United States is experiencing widespread flu activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Jan. 26. The organization is reminding people that influenza is spread through social contact. Symptoms include high fever, chills, fatigue and nausea. Complications can lead to serious ailments. To prevent contracting or spreading the flu, take the […]
Forum turns 50. Organizers of the National Postal Forum (NPF) have announced the theme of this year’s conference: “Informed Customers — Customer Experience Delivered.” The annual meeting, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, will be held from May 6-9 in San Antonio. Workshops will address topics such as data analytics, emerging technologies, streamlining mail […]
USPS will remain open for business during the federal government shutdown. “Postal Service operations are not being interrupted during the current government shutdown, and all Post Offices remain open for business as usual,” the organization said in a statement. “Because we are an independent entity that is funded through the sale of our products and […]
I love reading Link. It keeps me informed about what my fellow Postal Service employees do every day across the nation. […]
Retail Associate Steven Jackson was recently helping a customer at the La Monte, MO, Post Office when the man suffered a seizure. Jackson called 911 and rushed to the customer’s side to comfort him while they awaited the arrival of an ambulance. Emergency responders took the man to a hospital. He recovered from the episode. […]
The Postal Service dedicated Love Flourishes, this year’s Love stamp, Jan. 18 in Phoenix. “When it comes to expressing appreciation for the people we love most, nothing matches the mail,” said Controller and Vice President Maura McDevitt, who led the dedication ceremony. “We hope the Love Flourishes stamp will help you send cards and letters […]
Phones aren’t the only things that are smart. Toys, watches, TVs, refrigerators, ovens and even lightbulbs with online connections fit into a product category referred to as the “internet of things.” While connected devices and appliances offer conveniences — such as controlling thermostats from smartphones or getting the weather forecasts from digital assistants — hackers […]
Fit for a King. A classic stamp honoring Martin Luther King Jr. recently made a special appearance in Arlington, TX, during an annual celebration of the civil rights leader’s life. The event, Advancing the Dream, concluded Jan. 15 with an awards banquet where Arlington Postmaster Robert Mack unveiled a 1999 Celebrate the Century stamp that […]
I enjoyed reading “Home again,” the story about the Postal Service employees who have connections to an exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. It was very interesting. […]
Letter Carrier Franklin Roberts was recently delivering mail in Amarillo, TX, when he encountered a customer in trouble. The man was pale and barely conscious after a fall, so Roberts immediately called 911 and rendered first aid until emergency responders arrived. The next day, a neighbor gave Roberts an update: The man, a diabetic, was […]
The Postal Service kicked off the Lunar New Year by dedicating the Year of the Dog stamp Jan. 11 in Honolulu. The stamp is the 11th of 12 entries in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Dog begins Feb. 16 and ends Feb. 4, 2019. “Today’s event is important, not only […]
Ange Lungunu isn’t afraid to go an extra mile — or 13 — for his job. The Columbia, MO, Processing and Distribution Center recently hired Lungunu as a postal support employee to help process mail. Lungunu, who was born in Africa and raised in Paris, has lived in the United States for only two years. […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to take precautions to avoid frostbite, hypothermia and other winter hazards. Here’s what you should know: • Frostbite is dangerous. Frostbite, damage to body tissue, creates a loss of feeling or pale appearance in the extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose. Symptoms […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to keep their mailing addresses updated with USPS. This allows the organization to communicate with you, including sending you information about health benefits and other important topics. To check your address or update it, go to LiteBlue and select the “Change of Address” option in the rotating carousel in […]
Sounds like a winner. Two USPS employees have received complimentary registrations for this year’s National Postal Forum, the mailing industry’s largest annual conference. District Marketing Manager Ramela Younekian and Acting Business Development Specialist Da Shiek Woodard each earned the registrations by successfully recruiting five new business customers to attend the event. Younekian and Woodard both […]
The “Heroes’ corner” story about Rural Carrier Associate Kimberly Huckabey helping to protect a home from fire brought tears to my eyes. She embodies the spirit of USPS employees nationwide. […]
Letter Carrier Jason Cousineau was delivering mail recently in a Rochester, NY, neighborhood when he saw an alarming sight. Twin toddlers were running down the middle of the street, straight toward an intersection. Cousineau ran after the two 2-year-olds and stopped them, but he saw no sign of a caregiver in the vicinity. The Postal […]
Every Post Office’s customer base is special, but the Upton, NY, office’s clientele includes some of the world’s top scientists and researchers. The office serves employees at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a Long Island facility that has almost 3,000 scientists, engineers and other employees, as well as more than 4,000 visiting researchers from around the […]
The Postal Service is providing employees with an overview of ethical workplace practices through “Delivering Ethics,” a series of instructional videos on Blue. The first segment, “Gifts,” addresses the rules surrounding gift giving, including exchanges between customers and employees and among co-workers. The video shows how the USPS Ethics Office in Washington, DC, provides guidance […]
This is it. The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season ends Jan. 12. You can submit a paper pledge form, donate online or volunteer your time to assist causes that matter to you. The CFC, the world’s largest charity drive, allows federal employees to contribute to more than 12,000 charitable organizations. The CFC Blue and LiteBlue […]
Link’s “Heroes’ corner” column is inspiring. I belong to an awesome postal family. […]
People on the move — in vehicles, in wheelchairs, on foot — ran into trouble in 2017, but Postal Service employees were there to make bad situations better. Rapid City, SD, City Carrier Assistant Kene Roberts helped free a handicapped driver trapped in a vehicle on fire. Kevin Boese, a Central Plains District statistical programs […]
Hurricane season arrived during the summer, bringing with it three devastating storms. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria battered the Gulf Coast and Caribbean, causing hardships for some employees, damaging some facilities and disrupting service. In a message after the storms, PMG Megan J. Brennan expressed her gratitude to employees. “Not only am I thankful for […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.44 percent during the week ending Dec. 22, down from one week earlier. Dakotas (98.8 percent) topped the districts, while Great Lakes (97.71 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail. It also helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To […]
USPS employees are often well-known figures in their communities, but some workers gained wider audiences in 2017. A photograph of New Bedford, MA, Letter Carrier John Gomes braving a snowstorm made the Wall Street Journal’s front page, while a shot of Rochester, NY, City Carrier Assistant Robert Franklin saluting the flag went viral on social media. […]
Children demonstrated the power of the mail throughout the year. Seven-year-old Will Erickson met George Springer, his favorite Houston Astros player, after he mailed a letter asking the team not to trade him. Elsewhere, Loren Smith, 9, got a big surprise when he wrote to the Oakland Athletics after his baseball memorabilia was lost in […]
Winter pulled no punches during the first three months of 2017, sending snow, sleet and tornado-strength winds across the nation. Employees in the South found themselves bundling up in the face of below-normal temperatures. Meanwhile, workers braved blizzards in California, Nevada and Oregon. Along the East Coast, snowstorms forced temporary service disruptions at some facilities, […]
Postal Service employees kept a watchful eye on some of the most vulnerable members of their communities — children — throughout 2017. Blair, WI, Rural Carrier Associate Michael Ressel was a hero to a shivering, half-dressed little girl walking around alone in a desperate search for her mother, who’d gone out for groceries the night […]
I enjoy reading Link’s stories about stamps that are being issued, as well as “The list.” […]
Postal Service workers spent time throughout 2017 helping to improve the lives of others. Employees offered foster care for children in need, provided military ceremonies for seriously ill kids, and came to the aid of youngsters with physical challenges. Elsewhere, residents in Pittsburg, KS, benefitted from the food donation boxes that Letter Carrier Richard Brooksher […]