Postal Service delays action on closing area post offices

A five-month delay has been ordered on possible closure of three Callaway County post offices.

The U.S. Postal Service held public hearings this summer on possible closure of southern Callaway County post offices in Portland, Tebbetts and Steedman. It had been scheduled to decide whether to close them by the end of this year.

But the Postal Service this week announced it has agreed to a request from a Senate committee to delay any decision on closing post offices until at least May 15, 2012.

Terry Rehma, who owns a farm near Portland, has been active in circulating petitions asking the Postal Service to keep the Portland Post office open.

"I'm pleased the Postal Service has heeded a request from Congress to delay the possible closing of the post office in Portland," Rehma said.

Rehma said signed petitions opposing the possible post office closure in Portland were mailed to the Postal Service on Dec. 7. Rehma said various people mailed the petitions.

"Each page of the petition had 10 signed names. I mailed several pages of names and I know other Portland area people also mailed petitions with signatures," Rehma said.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.