Donna Turuc, Tampa, FL
I loved the “Santa Sean” article about Herndon, VA, Rural Carrier Sean Fleming, who dresses as Santa Claus to make his Christmas Eve deliveries. It’s so fantastic that he’s spreading good cheer. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.58 percent during the week ending Dec. 17, down 0.21 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 22. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.17 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 95.88 percent rating. […]
Peak interest
Shawna Kitt recently brought out one of her favorite holiday displays: a table. “I placed [it in] the retail lobby to optimize the number of customers stopping for information,” said Kitt, a USPS customer services supervisor who works at Fenkell Station in Detroit. In addition to festive decorations, she decked the table out with information […]
That’s a wrap
Across America this week, in communities large and small, Postal Service workers are bringing home the holidays for a nation that could use a little cheer. USPS expects to deliver 12 billion mailpieces — including 850-950 million packages — during the 38-day stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The organization is going the extra […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.52 percent during the week ending Dec. 10, down 0.13 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 15. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.13 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 95.95 percent rating. […]
Greeting, gift cards
USPS is offering savings on Hallmark greeting and Visa gift card purchases at select Post Offices this month. Customers and employees will receive $1 off the purchase of two Hallmark cards through Dec. 24. A coupon, available at greeting card retail locations, is required. From Dec. 18-31, customers and employees will receive $3.95 off the […]
LiteBlue Christmas
There’s a new way to send co-workers a little cheer this holiday season. Hollygrams, featuring Holly, the USPS Operation Santa elf, are now available on LiteBlue, the recently redesigned postal employee portal. Hollygrams were created by the Postal Service’s holiday team. There are six templates that employees can use to send messages to each other. […]
Wish list assists
As anyone who has ever intended to write a thank-you note or birthday card knows, the spirit may be willing but the follow-through can be weak. And so it is with USPS Operation Santa — children may be bursting with wishes, but a helping hand or gentle nudge may be needed to get those wishes […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.35 percent during the week ending Dec. 3, down 0.56 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 8. Central led the four areas with a rating of 96.91 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 95.85 percent rating. […]
Grab your Checkbook
The Postal Service is reminding employees they can use Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees to compare their options during this year’s open season. The online tool has information about all plans available through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This includes information on copays, deductibles, prescription drug costs and whether dental and vision […]
Telework and taxes
The Postal Service wants employees to know about a matter that could affect their state tax bill. Employees who opted to telework in a different state than their assigned duty station finance number because of the coronavirus pandemic could be subject to different tax requirements this year. These employees should contact a qualified tax professional […]
New sorters
The Postal Service has added 60 new robotic systems at 40 processing and distribution plants across the nation to help boost efficiency, especially during this year’s busy holiday peak season. Guided by strategically placed sensors, the flex rover sorters are autonomous robots that resemble utility carts. Each rover is powered by a rechargeable, 18-hour battery […]
Holiday hours
The Postal Service has announced holiday hours for Post Offices and blue collection boxes: • Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Some Post Office locations may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, while others may have limited hours on Friday, Dec. 24. There are currently no plans for limited hours on Friday, Dec. […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.79 percent during the week ending Nov. 26, down 0.02 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Dec. 1. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.21 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.48 percent rating. […]
Fleet manager reminder
The Postal Service wants fleet site managers to brush up on the Voyager card program’s PIN management process as part of the preparations for peak delivery season. Specifically, USPS wants managers to follow the process used to create, terminate and manage personal identification numbers (PINs) for the Voyager payment cards that postal fleet drivers use […]
Green light
Calling all elves: USPS Operation Santa is open for business. Since Nov. 1, children and others in need have been sending letters to Santa containing their wish lists for the holiday season. (The deadline to send letters is Dec. 10; refer to the instructions on writing and sending letters.) And since Nov. 15, generous people […]
CISO appointment
Heather L. Dyer has been named acting chief information security officer and vice president. A 23-year postal veteran, Dyer currently serves as retail director, where she is responsible for 30,000 retail locations with a combined annual revenue exceeding $13 billion. Dyer previously served as the Chief Information Security Office’s Identity and Access Management director, where […]
Suddenly, Seymour
Letter Carrier Robert Dillon was recently delivering mail in Seymour, CT, when he came upon a town employee experiencing a medical crisis: The man had collapsed in the intersection where he’d been directing traffic. Dillon rushed to check on the worker, found that he wasn’t breathing, called 911 and performed CPR on him until paramedics […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.71 percent during the week ending Nov. 19, down 0.36 percent from one week earlier. The data was collected Nov. 24. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.07 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.47 percent rating. […]
Share your thoughts
The Postal Service is seeking feedback on National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which the organization observed in October. The annual campaign aims to help employees and contractors learn how to be vigilant and stay safe whenever they are online. Employees and contractors can complete a brief survey on Blue that will help the CyberSafe at USPS […]
National Update
The Postal Service has published National Update’s latest issue and mailed it to employees’ homes. The publication is a national edition of Area Update, the organization’s print newsletter for employees. The latest edition includes stories about new package sorting machines in Michigan and Massachusetts, a Kentucky manager who discovered a family connection to the Postal […]
Classroom connection
Raise your hand if you know a student who’d like a pen pal. The Postal Service is working with WeAreTeachers — an online media organization that offers daily articles, videos and giveaways for educators — to introduce the USPS Pen Pal Project, a free program for students in grades three to five, during the 2021-22 […]
Red letter day
Angela Hampton isn’t sure why she was approached to be the face of the Postal Service in a new episode of “Sesame Street,” but if she had to guess, “it’s because I’m passionate about what I do,” she said. That postal pride is evident in “Elmo Mails a Letter,” the second episode of the 52nd […]
Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
It was motivating to read “Semper Fidelis,” the article about fellow Marine veteran Chal Kim, a Los Angeles Postal Police officer. It’s always interesting to learn how someone’s military service shaped their life. […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.98 percent during the week ending Nov. 12, unchanged from one week earlier. The data was collected Nov. 17. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.31 percent, while Atlantic ranked last with a 96.74 percent rating. Among the […]
Elder fraud
The Postal Service wants employees to be aware of scams that target seniors, whom online criminals often view as easy marks. Adults 60 and older are particularly susceptible to elder fraud because they often “have financial savings, own a home and have good credit,” according to an FBI report. Of the approximately 800,000 complaints of […]
Gifts from the heart
Registration has opened for USPS Operation Santa, the annual program that allows people to “adopt” letters to help Santa Claus grant holiday wishes for people experiencing hardship. Beginning Nov. 15, anyone wanting to adopt a letter can go to USPSOperationSanta.com, select the registration link and follow the prompts. For security reasons, all prospective adopters must […]
Danny Smith, Kansas City, MO
“Semper Fidelis,” the profile of Chal Kim, the Los Angeles Postal Police officer and Marine veteran, was very good. I’m a veteran, too, and the story touched a spot that other military people will understand. […]
Lott spots trouble
Washington, DC, Acting Strategic Communications Specialist Felicia Lott was off duty one day in April when she noticed something unusual in a large retail parking lot. She spotted a parked car with the driver’s door open. Seeing no sign of anyone approaching the vehicle, Lott decided to take a closer look. She found the driver […]
New prices
The Postal Service has announced Shipping Services price changes for next year. If reviewed favorably by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the changes would take effect Jan. 9. Here’s a list of current and planned prices: • Priority Mail small flat-rate box: $8.45 (current), $9.45 (planned) • Priority Mail medium flat-rate box: $15.50 (current), $16.10 […]