Blunt and McCaskill concerned over Post Office closings

The U.S. Postal Service is scrutinizing 3700 post offices for possible closure. 167 are in Missouri … and many are located in small, rural towns. This action concerns Missouri’s Senate delegation.

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill and Republican Senator Roy Blunt both say they do not fully understand the Postal Service’s process to determine which offices will close.

McCaskill said the Senators composed a letter requesting more details.

“We’re going to work very hard to make sure this is fair, and that it doesn’t harm these small communities,” McCaskill said.

Senator Blunt said that a post office provides small towns with a civic focal point.

“Many of those communities, the post office is the last identity they have,” Blunt said.

The U.S. Postal Service is examining several Southeast Missouri post offices including Blodgett, Brownwood, Daisy, Dutchtown, Gipsy, Old Appleton, Perkins, Sturdivant, Vanduser and Whitewater.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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U.S. Postal Service looks at closing 167 Missouri offices

The U.S. Postal Service released a list Tuesday of nearly 3,700 post offices across the nation that will be studied to determine whether they should be closed. 167 Missouri offices are on the chopping block. Most are offices in small towns.

Spokeswoman for the postal service's St. Louis District Valerie Welsch says the move aims to help the Postal Service grow and adapt to the changing times.

"The postal service wants to be everywhere so our customers can be anywhere," Welsch said. "With technology today customers have a variety of choices and the postal services wants to be there, be one of those choices, so we can continue to provide service to Americans."

Welsch says the study will, among other things, examine revenues and impact to communities. She says the communities that lose their post offices will likely have the option of getting a “village post office,” at a grocery store or other business, where stamps could be sold and mail could be dropped off.

In the meantime, postmasters at some of the local offices on the list, whose jobs may be at stake, directed all comments to Welsch.

Southeast Missouri post offices under examination are Blodgett, Brownwood, Daisy, Dutchtown, Gipsy, Old Appleton, Perkins, Sturdivant, Vanduser and Whitewater.

Ryan Famuliner, KBIA and Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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