
USPS Sonic Eagle meets the Detroit Red Wings
Postal Service-branded Zamboni takes the ice at NHL arena
NHL fans attending Detroit Red Wings home games this season will see Postal Service branding on hockey’s most iconic vehicle: the Zamboni.
The ice-resurfacing vehicle has been emblazoned with the Postal Service’s Sonic Eagle and red and blue stripes.
This branding initiative follows the 2025-2026 NHL season, during which USPS served as the league’s official shipping sponsor. The focus this season, which began in September, is on local team markets.
“The Postal Service is embedded in our local communities, so we wanted to reflect that in our NHL sponsorship and align our branding with individual NHL teams,” said Sheila Holman, USPS marketing vice president. “We’re going deeper with specific teams in our sponsorship deals rather than the entire league.”
In addition to the Zamboni, which runs before and after each game as well as between periods, there is Postal Service signage throughout Little Caesars Arena and on the dasher boards that surround the ice.
“We hope to have similar in-venue signage at other NHL arenas as well,” said Al Gilbert, senior media marketing specialist. “And we plan on adding local TV advertising in Detroit to augment our NHL local sponsorship.”
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This employee follows the music
One employee pays respect to her role model, another helps a customer in need and a mayor gives his stamp of approval
Karen Laney recently had the opportunity to admire up close a tool of her trade that once belonged to an iconic photographer and her role model.
The Kidron, OH, retail associate, who is also a writer, photographer and a charter member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, visited the venue’s “Paul McCartney and Wings” exhibit.
One of the items on display was a Nikon camera that belonged to Linda McCartney, a member of the band and a pioneering photographer whose work is featured on a new set of USPS stamps.
“Witnessing Linda on tour with Paul when they landed in Cleveland in 1990 is a treasured memory,” Laney said.
Laney has had several photographs published during her decades taking photos and credits McCartney with inspiring her efforts — although Laney prefers her own Pentax 35 mm camera to a Nikon. She said she is especially impressed by the photographer’s mastery of candid shots.
A big fan of artists such as the Beatles, David Bowie, T. Rex and Iggy Pop, the USPS employee co-authored a book about frequent Bowie collaborator Mick Ronson.
One of her last deliveries turned out to be lifesaving
While making a recent delivery to one of the last stops on her route, Carrier Technician Sirita Johnson made a lifesaving call for one of her customers.
The North Chesterfield, VA, carrier was delivering to a local business and noticed some strange behavior from a shop employee.
“I was talking to her. I noticed that she was like moving kind of slow and usually she’s outside [sitting] on a little bench,” Johnson recently told a local news station.
The store employee, who was having trouble standing and slurring her speech, was in the middle of a medical emergency.
Johnson called 911 and waited with the customer for paramedics to arrive.
A second shop employee credits Johnson with saving her co-worker’s life and nominated the employee for a local citizen’s award.
Employee receives a mayoral proclamation of praise
Mantua, NJ, Retail Associate Alisha Hunt was recently lauded by the local mayor for her service to the community from behind her Post Office counter.
Mayor Bob Zimmerman often uses social media to spotlight local workers and township staff, and he recently shined that light on the 27-year USPS employee.
“She has been a familiar and friendly face in Mantua for over 25 years as a team member of the Mantua Township Post Office,” Zimmerman said. “She is a shining example for all to emulate.”
Post Office Operations Manager Larry Spera concurred.
“Alisha has been at the Mantua Post Office for nearly 30 years and takes pride in customer service and the office’s appearance,” Spera said. “She is truly a local celebrity.”
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The Inspection Service practices vigilance in protecting the vote
There are measures in place to safeguard Election Mail
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement organization assigned to protect the mail — including Election Mail.
On its website, the Inspection Service outlines its efforts to protect the integrity of election-related mail as it moves through the postal network.
These efforts include:
• Designating postal inspectors in each USPS district to coordinate Election Mail security efforts;
• Conducting on-site security reviews in USPS facilities;
• Performing Election Mail inspections to ensure mailpieces move safely and securely through the USPS network; and
• Coordinating with other federal, state and local law enforcement and government agencies to protect the mail.
The site also offers mail safety tips to customers, such as picking up Election Mail as soon as it’s delivered to their mailbox and dropping off election-related mail inside a Post Office or handing it directly to a USPS employee.
To report law enforcement matters regarding election-related mail, customers and employees should call the Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 (select option 4) or submit a report online at uspis.gov/report.

‘Mailin’ It!’ is nailin’ it with listeners
What do you know about the Postal Service’s podcast?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. What was the main reason for launching the USPS “Mailin’ It!” podcast?
a) To be more proactive in telling the Postal Service’s story
b) To beat the Postal Service’s shipping competitors to the punch
c) To encourage more people to apply for USPS jobs
d) To give USPS marketing employees a creative outlet
2. What is the purpose of the Postal Service’s 2026 General Election Extraordinary Measures Memorandum and 2026 Guidance on Postmarking Ballots Memorandum?
a) To encourage employees to exercise their right to vote
b) To ensure the proper handling and timely delivery of Election Mail
c) To instruct employees on how to report suspicious incidents to the Postal Inspection Service
d) To remind employees of their need to follow Hatch Act guidance
3. How did the customer show her appreciation for Russells Point, OH, Rural Carrier Associate Brooke Sherwood, who rescued her after she fell from her riding lawn mower?
a) She bought the carrier flowers.
b) She commended the carrier in a newspaper ad.
c) She let the carrier stay in her cabin for a weekend.
d) She took the carrier to dinner.
4. If a hazardous material spill enters a stormwater drain or pond, or if it makes contact with soil or grass, how should the site installation head report the situation?
a) Complete a PS Form 8187, “Hazardous and Regulated Substance Release Notification”
b) Report the incident to the appropriate USPS environmental specialist and safety specialist
c) Work with the USPS specialists to notify the appropriate environmental agencies
d) All of the above
5. Where did the Postal Service dedicate its Know the Facts About Fentanyl stamp?
a) Illinois State Police headquarters in Springfield, IL
b) Merck Pharmaceuticals headquarters in Rahway, NJ
c) National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, MD
d) West lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC
Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) a. 4) d. 5) c.
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USPS Sonic Eagle meets the Detroit Red Wings
Postal Service-branded Zamboni takes the ice at NHL arena
-
PeopleThis employee follows the music
One employee pays respect to her role model, another helps a customer in need and a mayor gives his stamp of approval
-

The Inspection Service practices vigilance in protecting the vote
-
News Quiz‘Mailin’ It!’ is nailin’ it with listeners