Teresa Navarette, San Diego
It’s amazing how often lives are saved by Postal Service employees like Floydada, TX, Letter Carrier Ofelia McCown, who helped a customer who was seriously injured while operating a power saw. […]
Katie Howard
Posts by Katie Howard
Plus one
Want to know more about leap years? Here are a few things that, uh, leap to mind. 1. Julius Caesar helped create leap years. A leap year occurs every four years and contains an extra day — Feb. 29 — to keep the calendar and the seasons in sync. The concept was pioneered thousands of […]
Right track
Scanning is a vital part of the Postal Service’s efforts to deliver excellent customer experiences, one of the organization’s core strategies. Scanning allows consumers to track their packages and mail. Many mailpieces receive multiple scans as they move through the postal network, and this information is fed to usps.com, the Informed Delivery feature and other […]
Good start
The Postal Service is making sure the Lunar New Year gets off to a good start. In addition to holding last month’s dedication ceremony in Monterey Park, CA, for the Year of the Rat stamp, USPS employees are participating in special events in communities across the nation. For example, in Chicago, the Chinatown Chamber of […]
On your own
If you’re a Postal Service employee, the organization wants you to remember the rules on engaging in activities outside USPS. These activities can include working for other employers while still holding a postal job, serving on an outside board or volunteering for a group. Federal ethics regulations don’t prohibit you from engaging in any outside […]
Down in Upland
Upland, CA, Letter Carrier Danny Marcrum was recently delivering mail at a cluster box in a senior-oriented community when he heard a sound that concerned him. At first, Marcrum thought it was a cat in distress, but as it persisted, he decided to investigate. The Postal Service employee followed the sound to a nearby residence, […]
Rhonda Schmidt, Kansas City, MO
I enjoyed reading “Man of letters,” the article about Kirk Douglas’s appreciation for handwritten correspondence. Who knew he wrote so many letters? […]
Election connections
The Postal Service has released a guide to Election Mail and Political Mail for the 2020 primary season that began this month and the general election season in the fall. In addition to the presidential race, there will be congressional, gubernatorial, state and local races. The guide, which was published in last week’s edition of […]
Safety record
The Postal Service is reminding facility managers that they must compile and display work-related injuries that occurred during the 2019 calendar year in order to comply with OSHA requirements. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, requires postal facilities to complete manual or automated versions of OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. […]
Managing mail
USPS offers multiple products and services to help today’s busy customers manage their mail and package deliveries. For example, Informed Delivery allows consumers to preview images of their incoming mail and manage their packages on smartphones, tablets and other devices. Informed Delivery users can also sign up for text and email notifications, schedule delivery alerts, […]
Founder’s day
George Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732. To mark the occasion, here are eight facts about the nation’s founding father and first president, courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. 1. President Washington never lived in Washington, DC. George and his wife Martha lived in New York and later Philadelphia, where they received members of […]
Crash and collapse
Rural Carrier Brenda Lumley was recently delivering mail in Parker, PA, when she spotted a customer in trouble. The man had suffered a medical emergency while driving near his home and crashed into a tree. He had managed to escape from the smoking vehicle, and he had collapsed in the middle of the road when […]
Derest Brown, Dallas
Ann Mailloux and Michael Saint, the USPS couple profiled in “Post marriage,” are absolutely adorable. This was a perfect story for Valentine’s Day. […]
Coronavirus update
The Postal Service is sharing updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the novel coronavirus outbreak that recently began in Wuhan, China. According to CDC, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus and to follow these recommendations to help prevent the spread of […]
Strictly business
The Postal Service is reminding employees not to perform work for an outside employer or for a side business while on duty. Doing so violates the standards of ethical conduct for employees of the executive branch, which applies to postal employees. USPS employees also cannot use postal equipment to perform outside work. “Our customers expect […]
Direct contact
Small businesses offer big opportunities for the Postal Service. The United States is home to about 30 million small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. USPS offers a variety of products and services to help these businesses grow — and one of the most valuable is Every Door Direct Mail. Since its launch […]
Post productions
Grab some popcorn, a box of tissues and a few sheets of stationery. Here are 14 movies about love letters to help you get ready for the most romantic day of the year on Feb. 14. 1. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018). In this Netflix production, a shy high school student (Lana […]
Road risk
Letter Carrier Darnell Roulhac was recently delivering mail in a Buffalo, NY, neighborhood when he spotted a toddler in trouble. The girl, around 18 months old, was wandering by herself alongside a road. Roulhac stopped to assist the child, whom he recognized, and walked her home. The Postal Service employee reunited the girl with her […]
Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
The “All hands on deck” article offered great news that an aircraft carrier will be named for Doris “Dorie” Miller, the World War II-era sailor who saved lives at Pearl Harbor. […]
All the write moves
Valentine’s Day is next week and you want to let your sweetheart know how much you care. Why not do it through the U.S. Mail? “There’s nothing more treasured and sacred than a love letter. Unlike the spoken word, it’s in print and can be read and reread over and over,” said Jane Greer, a […]
New capabilities
The Postal Service will add several capabilities to its Informed Mobility Safety Observation Tool (IMSOT) on Feb. 9. The tool, which USPS introduced last summer, automates the employee safety observation process for managers and supervisors. IMSOT notifies managers and supervisors when an observation is due and allows them to complete the process electronically using an […]
In good hands
Mail handlers don’t serve the public directly, but they play a vital role in customer service. The Postal Service has about 36,000 mail handlers and 6,300 mail handler assistants. These employees work in USPS plants and other facilities, where they load, unload, prepare, sort and separate mail and packages before they’re routed to distribution areas […]
Breaking news — and barriers
To help mark the release of the Black Heritage stamp honoring Gwen Ifill, here are five facts about the trailblazing journalist. 1. She was a born reporter. Ifill was the daughter of an African Methodist Episcopal minister whose natural curiosity led her into journalism. It wasn’t always easy: While serving as an intern at The […]
Lost and found
Letter Carrier Nathan Klopotek was recently delivering mail in a Wausau, WI, neighborhood when he heard a customer frantically yelling her 2-year-old son’s name. Klopotek checked on the woman, who explained that the boy had vanished while she was in the bathroom. The Postal Service employee told the customer he’d heard crying in the vicinity […]
Nancy Hoerner-Ronek, Dubuque, IA
“Birthday boss,” the article about the Belfor Holdings chief executive officer who writes personalized birthday cards for every employee in his company, is a great story to share on social media. […]
Better billing
The Postal Service has introduced an accounting platform to automate the invoicing of Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM) postcards, letters and flats. The platform, Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting (IMbA), allows the organization to make better use of its digital technology, according to Mail Entry and Payment Technology Vice President Marc McCrery. “Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting […]
Help wanted
The Postal Service’s Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) is asking USPS stakeholders to submit policy updates or changes for the next edition of Handbook AS-805, Information Security Policy. The handbook provides a framework for information security policies and updates on evolving online threats that could directly affect the postal network as well as the organization’s […]
Love story
In honor of the newly released Made of Hearts stamp, here are eight facts about the Postal Service’s long-running Love stamp series. 1. Love is all around. The first Love stamp was released in 1973. It was illustrated by pop artist Robert Indiana, incorporating a design he’d also famously depicted in painting and sculpture. The […]
Toward tomorrow
Throughout the Postal Service’s history, its leaders have always looked toward tomorrow. USPS has continually invested in equipment, workforce development and other critical areas that allow the organization to effectively serve its customers. This is why investing in the future is one of the Postal Service’s core strategies, along with innovating to deliver value; engaging, […]
Teresa Navarette, San Diego
The video highlighted in the “Proud to protect” article does a fantastic job depicting Postal Inspector Carroll Harris’s dedication to his family, the military and his career. […]