Natalie Potell is a firefighter, but she does more than save lives. Potell is also the poet laureate for Prince William County, VA, where she lives and works. She writes poems and mails them to county residents that she chooses at random, aiming to lift spirits one envelope at a time. “I try to send […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.8 percent during the week ending March 22, up from one week earlier. The top three areas were Western (98.05 percent), Eastern (97.98 percent) and Pacific (97.76 percent). The top three districts were Dakotas (99.21 percent), Central Plains (98.5 percent) and Western Pennsylvania (98.47 percent). Scanning […]
USPS has updated Postal Facts, a digital and print publication that features impressive data about operations, stamps and other topics. New additions include “Postal Is …,” a section that emphasizes the organization’s values, such as its focus on employees, customers and providing trusted, affordable service. Other additions include a section on USPS innovations, such as […]
Three more Postal Service employees have each received a complimentary registration to this year’s National Postal Forum (NPF). Stefanie Tintera, an Indianapolis field account representative; Peggy Osborne, a Baltimore business alliances specialist; and Charles Walker Jr., a Great Lakes Area senior business development specialist, each recruited five new business customers to attend NPF. Tintera, Osborne […]
Letter Carrier Kimberly Pryor was delivering mail on a 12-degree day last month in Chanute, KS, when she spotted a toddler standing in the middle of an icy street. Pryor rushed to check on the girl, who was wearing only a T-shirt and diaper, and immediately wrapped her in a coat while calling the local […]
The Postal Service has changed its mailing standards to better protect mail from leaks and spills. The changes clarify Domestic Mail Manual language that specifies packaging and markings for mailpieces that contain liquids. USPS proposed the changes last summer and invited mailers to provide feedback. The organization decided to move forward with some of the […]
Appalachian District Manager Leeann Theriault was taking an operations training class last year when she found inspiration for a new safety awards program. “Someone from Los Angeles gave us cards to give to our classmates who were doing well,” she says. From that sprang the Caught in the Act of Safety Awards. The program aims […]
If your department is being audited by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) or the Government Accountability Office (GAO), you should contact the USPS Corporate Audit and Response Management (CARM) team. The Postal Service cooperates with OIG and GAO, two independent agencies that review federal spending and performance. However, CARM must coordinate the postal response […]
Are you mobile? The Postal Service wants managers, supervisors and others to tell craft employees about Link mobile, the Link site’s mobile-friendly version. Link mobile offers the same content available on Link’s desktop version — including benefits information, news reports and feature stories — but in a format that’s easy to read on smartphones, tablets […]
Letter Carrier James Barr was recently delivering mail in DeWitt, IA, when he heard from a co-worker who was assigned to Barr’s regular route that day. The colleague had noticed unusual noises coming from a residence, and Barr — knowing that an older customer lived there alone — rushed to the scene to check on […]
The Postal Service will mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing with new stamps. The 1969: First Moon Landing stamps will feature two designs that commemorate the historic milestone. One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon. The photo was taken […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.73 percent during the week ending March 15, up from one week earlier. The top three areas were Western (97.95 percent), Eastern (97.94 percent) and Pacific (97.76 percent). The top three districts were Dakotas (99.18 percent), Western Pennsylvania (98.56 percent) and Central Plains (98.46 percent). Scanning […]
The Postal Service has improved the messaging that customers see when they go online to track packages moving through the USPS network. Previously, customers who use usps.com to track packages saw the following message when a package was in transit: “In-transit to the next facility.” Customers now see this message when a package is in […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember that individually billed travel cards are exempt from hotel taxes in some states and territories. You can go to the U.S. General Service Administration site’s SmartPay section to find out if you’re traveling to a location that allows a hotel tax exemption. If you’re going to stay in […]
Rural Carrier Associate Thomas Kelly was making deliveries last November in Fairfield, IA, when he spotted a customer in trouble. Connie Singer had parked her truck at the end of her driveway and gotten out to retrieve her mail when she tumbled into a five-foot-deep ditch obscured by a snowdrift. Later describing her ordeal in […]
Tax season is here, and that means cyberattacks and scams are in full force. Because vast amounts of valuable personal and financial information are shared online during tax season, this time of year is a cybercriminal’s dream come true. To protect yourself, here are five easy-to-follow tips to avoid scams and file securely this year: […]
Thomas Elias knows where to turn when he encounters a workplace ethical dilemma. Elias, the human resources manager for Dakotas District, contacts the Ethics Helpline, a service offered by the USPS Ethics Office. “I have contacted the helpline hundreds of times for everything from dealing with the use of government vehicles to gifts for supervisors, […]
The Postal Service is testing delivery vehicles in California that produce no emissions, part of a statewide program to cut pollution and strengthen the environment. USPS will use 15 zero-emissions delivery step vans and charging stations in Fresno and Stockton. The electric vans will cover routes of up to 75 miles per day during a […]
Rural Carrier Associate John Bondy was delivering mail on a wet November day last year in Clark, MO, when he spotted a pregnant customer collapsed on muddy ground near her front porch. Bondy rushed to aid the woman, who was unconscious but breathing. He immediately called 911, carried her inside, covered her with a blanket […]
“Dynamic duo,” the “Heroes’ Corner” article about the overturned tractor-trailer, stopped me in my tracks. I am so grateful that Belgrade, ME, Rural Carrier Joseph Arsenault Jr. and Rural Carrier Associate Nicholas Claudel were able to save the driver before the vehicle exploded. […]
Cathy Doran likes to keep a few four-leaf clovers with her at work. The retail associate at the Oceanport, NJ, Post Office is a bit famous now for her clover collection ever since the local newspaper published a story about her last March. Doran found her first four-leaf clover back in the 1980s, when she […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.7 percent during the week ending March 8, down from one week earlier. The top three areas were Eastern (97.89 percent), Western (97.85 percent) and Southern (97.67 percent). The top three districts were Dakotas (99.12 percent), Western Pennsylvania (98.52 percent) and Appalachian (98.37 percent). Scanning allows […]
Postmasters and station managers will soon receive a Business Connect kit to help them host Grow Your Business Day events. These events allow Post Offices to showcase products and services to help local businesses grow and to bring in more revenue for USPS. The kit includes information on ordering Grow Your Business Day invitations and […]
Employees who use USPS-issued mobile devices will soon be required to complete a new cybersecurity training course. The course, ISEC Mobile Devices, will address the proper security measures for smartphones, tablets and similar devices. The course also will cover policy information, best practices and tools to assist in securing the devices. The course became available […]
Letter Carrier Bryan Burton was recently delivering a package to a store in Dayton, OH. At first, no one appeared to be around, but Burton soon discovered a man unconscious on the floor with blood pooling around his head. Burton, a military veteran who trained as a combat medic, immediately rendered first aid to slow […]
Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale’s background, highlighted in the recent article about his appointment, is very impressive. […]
The Postal Service has again been recognized as the top government agency for multicultural business opportunities. This is the eighth consecutive year USPS has received the top Omni50 Award from Omnikal, a social media and networking organization with 2.1 million members. The annual award recognizes agencies that offer opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The […]
Adam Sarmanian is a welcome sight to young students in Revere, MA. The letter carrier visits local elementary schools to educate both children and staffers on how the Post Office works. “The most important thing you can do is sacrifice some of your time for the good of your community,” says Sarmanian, a 19-year employee. […]
The Postal Service showcases the recent Alabama Statehood stamp dedication ceremony in a new video. “Today, we are celebrating the writing of the constitution for the state of Alabama,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle says in the video. “That constitution led to the formation of a state. That state led to great things.” The stamp, the […]
I enjoyed the article about “The Postman,” the children’s book that was returned to a library after being overdue for more than 70 years. […]