Postal hours may be cut

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Postal Service is recommending cutting service hours at post offices in Danbury, Culbertson, Stratton and the Frontier County seat of Stockville, Nebraska.

Postal service officials plan meetings in these communities to discuss these proposed reductions:

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m., Stockville Community Hall, from four hours daily to two hours daily.

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m., Danbury Community Center, from eight hours to two hours.

Monday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m., Stratton Post Office. from seven hours to four hours.

Monday, Oct. 29, 5 p.m., Culbertson Post Office, from seven hours to six hours.

The U.S. Postal Services expects to lose $16 billion this year, and has missed two payments totaling $11.1 billion for future retiree benefits. While officials blame much of the losses on these retirement benefits, mail volume is also down.

Congress would not agree to Postal Service recommendation to close several thousand rural offices and reduce deliveries to five days a week. Congress did approve closing about 200 mail processing centers starting next year, a move that is expected to save $2.1 billion through late 2014.

Postal officials plan to complete hour reductions at rural offices by September 2014.