Friday, January 25, 2013
First-class postal rates are going up for the second time in two years.
While the volume of first-class mail has dropped sharply—from an all-time high of 213 billion pieces in 2006 to only 168 billion in 2011, according to a New York Times story—the U.S. Postal Service is struggling, showing a loss of $36 million per day. The most prominent way for the Postal Service to recover revenue is to raise postage and mailing rates. Since 1885, when the price for the first ounce of a first-class letter was $0.02, rates have increased 24 times and will jump to $0.46, effective Sunday. According to a press release from the USPS, the price of a "Forever" stamp—which allows a customer to send a one-ounce letter anywhere in the United States—will go up one penny to $0.46. Each additional ounce of a first-class letter will…
Monday, November 26, 2012
Want those cards and packages to arrive in time for Christmas? Find out the drop-dead dates from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS.
If you want Santa Claus to arrive on time with holiday packages to military, international or U.S. destinations, the U.S. Postal Service has announced the dates those packages must be in the mail. So has FedEx and UPS. Here's what you need to know to get your packages to their destinations on time. Post Office Locations In the Creve Coeur and Olivette area, there are U.S. Post Offices at 331 N. New Ballas Road, and at 9621 Olive Boulevard. Postal Service Shipping Deadlines Military Shipping Deadlines* Parcel Post service to all APO/FPO/DPO addresses was Nov. 13. Priority and First Class Mail must be sent by Dec. 3 to APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093, and Dec. 10 to all other military addresses. *The deadline for Dec. 25 delivery to Africa and …
Friday, June 1, 2012
If you receive an email about a package delivery or online postage charges, do not open it. It appears to be from the post office, but it is a scam than can infect your computer.
The U.S. Postal Service and St. Louis area law enforcement authorities are warning residents about an email scam making the rounds. The experts' simple advice: delete. The post office sent out the alert in an email stating that some postal customers are receiving bogus e-mails about a package delivery or online postage charges. Customers should not open the email. It contains a link or attachment that will install a virus on your computer once opened. The virus can steal your personal information. This warning applies to anyone who receives the email, not just local residents. For more details on the scam, read the following email alert posted by the U.S. Postal Service. Some postal customers are receiving bogus e-mails about a package …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt each won passage of amendments to slow the down the process of closing post office branches.
Patch recently reported on efforts by Missouri's U.S. senators aimed at forestalling closures at rural post offices. This week, versions of both amendments made it onto a broader bill aimed at restructuring the United States Postal Service. That broader piece of legislation passed Wednesday by a 62-37 margin, and puts off the potential for ending Saturday delivery for another two years. The bill now goes back to the U.S. House. Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-MO) amendment, modified from the original version, would essentially place a yearlong moratorium on closing rural post offices, unless there is not “significant opposition” from a particular community. Once that moratorium expires, the USPS will have to follow a specific criterion before …
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Congressional lawmakers hope to put up legislative barriers to postal closings while the agency seeks ways to compete in the digital age.
This week, lawmakers from across the country have introduced measures to prevent the shuttering of various United States Postal Service offices. Last summer, the agency announced it would evaluate the operations at more than 3,000 offices nationwide, including a handful in St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis. Click here for a list of all Missouri branches of the U.S. Postal Service under evaluation. Maplewood-Brentwood Patch recently reported that any decision on closures under the current round of "rightsizing" would not come until next month at the earliest. But both of Missouri's U.S. senators have introduced measures to prevent post office closings. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced a plan that would place a moratorium on …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Here's the place to find out about deadlines and last-minute opportunities.
Welcome to Last Chance, the column on Creve Coeur Patch designed to serve as a reminder for important deadlines coming up this week in town. You can post your own events and announcements on Patch. They could be featured in this item next week. Income Taxes are Due: The federal income tax filing deadline is Tuesday. The IRS extended the deadline due to the April 15 deadline falling on a Sunday and the Washington D.C. holiday on Monday. FOX 2 reports that Post Offices in St. Louis will not have extended hours except for the Main Post Office on Market Street.
Christopher Davis
9:25 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Great idea...let's delay the inevitable even longer and keep throwing money down that black hole. If there is a need to be filled by stopping Saturday delivery and closing inefficient locations, i have no doubt that someone in the private sector will pick up the slack. more ›