Mellette, South Dakota Post Office
The U.S. Postal Service has suspended operations at the Mellette post office, saying the building has deteriorated to the point where it isn’t safe for customers or employees.
As a result, many Mellette customers are picking up their mail in Northville, which is 4 miles away. The Mellette post office ceased operation the afternoon of May 22.
“They don’t seem to be too willing to give up any information as to what their plans are, and that’s frustrating. We feel like we should have a post office in Mellette, with the school there and the businesses,” said Bauer, explaining that many Mellette residents fear the facility may not reopen. “It looks like their plans are to leave it that way. That’s what’s scaring everybody.”
The terminology the post office uses is that the Mellette post office has been “emergency suspended,” said Pete Nowacki, a Postal Service spokesman who works in Minneapolis.
When such an event happens, the post office’s “continuity of operations plan” is invoked, Nowacki said. Every post office has such a plan.
“In this case, we moved the operations to Northville, which is not quite 41/2 miles away,” he said.
At first I want to say thank you for all the great news this site shares with us. I think it’s a shame how USPS makes customers literally beg to keep a post office open.