Daily printout: Oct. 21

The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, enables a person to access federal agency records, but certain information is exempt from disclosure.

The Postal Service has a special exemption that allows the organization to withhold commercial information if it would not be good business practice to publicly disclose that information.

This exemption can apply to information that originates within USPS or from third parties, such as vendors and suppliers.

Information is considered commercial if it relates to commerce, trade, profit or the Postal Service’s ability to conduct itself in a businesslike manner. Examples include service performance data and negotiated contract terms.

An extensive list of commercial information can be found in the online Code of Federal Regulations.

For more information or guidance, email the USPS Privacy and Records Management Office or call 202-268-2608.

The Postal Inspection Service has released a documentary about the agency’s investigation into the tragic death of a USPS employee in 2019.

The 28-minute film, “Ambush in Andrews,” tells the story of Irene Pressley, an Andrews, SC, rural carrier who was shot and killed while delivering mail.

The Inspection Service’s investigation showed that a drug dealer killed Pressley to recover a package that contained 2 pounds of marijuana and that had been marked undeliverable.

“Protecting postal employees is our highest priority,” said Dan Mihalko, a retired postal inspector and the documentary’s director.

The documentary shows how postal inspectors used multiple tools and resources to get justice for Pressley, a beloved figure at the Andrews Post Office who was known as “Miss Irene.” Interviews with her co-workers are also included.

“An assault on a postal employee brings the whole postal family together — everyone in the Inspection Service and the Postal Service — in wanting to get those responsible. When it involves the murder of an employee, the Inspection Service puts everything we have into the investigation, and we don’t stop until we have the criminals in custody. And then, postal inspectors work tirelessly with prosecutors to get a conviction,” Mihalko said.

Mihalko and Jonathan Young, a video production specialist for the Inspection Service, worked together for two years on the film, which is the agency’s first in-house documentary.

“Ambush in Andrews” is available on YouTube and the Inspection Service’s website.

Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.