Postal Service announces permanent closure for eight Alabama offices

The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it will permanently close two southwest Alabama post offices where service had already stopped.
Among the post offices that will permanently close Nov. 19 are Megargel, in southern Monroe County, and Brooklyn in southeastern Conecuh County. They were among eight Alabama offices that got the ax Monday. Three others will stay open after review -- Bellwood in Geneva County, Pine Level in Autauga County and Spring Garden in Cherokee County.
Service was suspended Feb. 9 in Megargel, with the Postal Service citing an unsafe building. Boxes and other equipment have already been removed. The Brooklyn office stopped operating last year after a fire, postal officials have said.
Other offices that will close include Belk, Clopton, Cook Springs, Delmar, Mathews and Millerville.
The U.S. Postal Service, burdened by falling mail volume and huge congressionally mandated charges for retirement benefits, is losing billions. However, it's not supposed to close a post office just for economic reasons. Closure decisions consider effects on a community and post office employees, as well as possible savings and the need to serve everyone, said Debra Fetterly, a postal spokeswoman.

A total of 19 post offices in southwest Alabama were listed as possibilities for closing in a July 26 announcement, among 52 statewide and 3,700 nationwide. Included is Baldwin County's Little River, as well as Mobile's Towne West station on Moffett Road and its Bayside Station off Dauphin Island Parkway.
Megargel and Brooklyn and eight other southwest Alabama post offices were already under consideration for closing before the July announcement. A station in the Eight Mile section of Prichard closed June 18.
Fetterly could not immediately say when decisions will be made on the other offices. Closure studies typically take months.