The Poplarville community will have to wait a little longer for an answered regarding the USPS Postal Services decision on Poplaville’s Post Office. The Item was recently informed on the U.S. Postal Service recent actions to add tents at the Poplarville location.

Recap: On Sunday, Jan. 2 the Poplarville Post Office rooftop collapsed due to termites and water damage. According to previous coverage, the U.S. Postal Service issued a letter to Poplarville Mayor Louise Smith, indicating a decision would be made within 120 days regarding the Post Offices future.

This was the statement issued on September 15, 2022:

“The Postal Service has an active project to replace the Poplarville Post Office. We expect a decision within the next 120 days.”

Also from previous coverage, a petition was started on Oct. 7 to keep the historical Poplarville building safe from being demolished or taken down. As of that day, over 375 people signed the petition, entitled ‘Save Our Post Office’.

Here’s the latest on the Poplarville Post Office. They added a tent to accommodate the anticipated increase in holiday package volume. At the end of the day, any packages in the tent are moved and are locked in the carrier trailer or retail van.

“The Postal Service has maintained retail service — including transactions such as stamp purchases, mailing letters and shipping packages — at a mobile van in the parking lot of the facility, which is still onsite and operating. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Post Office Box customers who present proper identification, also may pick up their mail and packages at this location. Service is not available on Sundays. Customers may choose to conduct retail transactions at the Hattiesburg Main Post Office, located at 220 S. 40th Ave. Hours of operation for that location are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This location is closed on Sunday. In preparing for the holiday season, a tent was added to accommodate an anticipated increase in holiday package volume. We appreciate the patience of our customers and our employees as we move forward to reach a solution regarding the Poplarville Post Office. A final decision is still pending at this time,” said Debra Jean Fetterly, USPS Spokesperson, Alabama-Mississippi District.

The Item will continue to report any further updates.