LONGVIEW (KYTX) -- Ten mail processing centers in Texas are among 252 nationwide that will close in a $3 billion money-saving move by the government. People in one East Texas town are already dealing with the aftermath of their post office shutting down. The U.S. Postal service shut down the Easton post office at the end of October. As CBS 19's Abby Broyles shows us, it's causing a lot of confusion for people there.
When we met 86-year old Annie ward in July, she still had her daily routine.
"I haven't walked to the post office in about 2 months," Ward said.
Ward is one of nearly 200 people who lost their P.O. Boxes when the U.S. Postal Service shut down the Easton Post Office.
Most people put up a mailbox at their own expense, but some people say it takes longer than it used to.
"If it doesn't come 2 or 3 days after it should get here you have to go to the post office in Tatum and run it down because the cycle hasn't been set where we're getting our mail on a regular basis," Wayne Ward said.
It's a problem that could get worse as the mail picks up through December.
If you live in Easton and you're mailing packages this Christmas, you have a couple of options -- the Tatum post office or the post office in downtown Longview, more than 15 miles away. You also need to call the post office to verify your mailing address. Several people we spoke to today tell us their zip code has changed more than once since the Easton post office shut down.
They're hoping the problems get straightened out soon after what people call a major to loss to their city.
But those with the postal service say they're working on sorting out the zip codes, placing some customers in Tatum and others in Longview. They say that will take care of delays.
Those with the postal service aren't sure when they will have all those zip codes sorted out. But they say all the changes are saving about $30,000 a year.
Former Easton customers should call the Longview Post Office with any questions about mail delivery.
