The Sentinel

US Postal service proposals don't seem that great for mail customers

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

Reduced delivery days and "Forever" stamp price increases are just two of several strategies under consideration.

CHICAGO - Proposed changes to the U.S. Postal Service are causing concern for Illinoisans.

Reduced delivery days and "Forever" stamp price increases are just two of several strategies under consideration for 2025. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said his revisions for the nation's post offices would boost service reliability, curb excessive costs and improve overall productivity. One suggestion is to impose a one-day delay for any mail farther than 50 miles from a regional processing center.

Annie Norman, campaign manager for the Save the Post Office Coalition, said mail is a virtual lifeline, especially in outlying areas.

A postal worker delivers mail in Connecticutt. Proposed changes will negatively affect seniors and veterans who rely on the postal service to pay bills and receive monthly social security checks as well as other government services.

Photo: Clay LeConey/Unsplash

"Rural folks rely on the Post Office to deliver prescription medications, or live chicks for their farms," Norman pointed out. "We're talking about seniors and veterans, folks with disabilities, Indigenous communities, and they all need the Postal Service to pay bills and get their Social Security checks."

Adjusting mail pick-up and drop-off times between post offices and Illinois' five processing plants to lower transportation costs is another suggestion, which also could reduce carbon emissions from postal trucks. DeJoy said the changes would save the agency $3 billion annually. The Postal Service relies on postage and product sales and services to fund its operations.

The Postal Service has faced declining mail volume due to more technology-supported communication. Rising fuel costs for delivery trucks have hurt its bottom line, as well as keen competition from private delivery companies. The agency knows its traditional mail delivery model is outdated, so Norman argued Postal Service officials should find more revenue streams to stay afloat.

"No one in this country's asking for slower mail service at higher prices," Norman asserted. "One way that they can expand the revenue of the Postal Service and dig themselves out of a hole is to focus on new revenue, through services like postal banking, to places that really need it."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cited the average wage for an Illinois postal worker is nearly $60,000 dollars a year. The agency is embracing partnerships with other package transport companies, like Amazon, to offer new services in hopes of generating additional dollars.

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Erickson and Brooks duo lead SJO in loss at home to GCMS

ST. JOSEPH - Looking for the program's first victory of the new year, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team will have to wait a few days after their 58-33 loss to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley at home on Saturday.

Drilling three treys each, Katie Erickson and Addison Brooks led the Spartan effort with nine points. The duo were responsible for all of SJO's six first quarter points. Kaitlyn Beyers came off the bench in the second half to chip in six points, both made outside the arc.

GCMS (13-2) took control early in the contest, going up 35-14 at the break behind a 15-point first-half rampage from the Falcon's Lilyan Sizemore. The sophomore shooting star finished with 32 points. Teammates Lizzie Giroux and Sophia Ray also reached double figures with 12 points.

Hopefully the rough, 6-9 start behind them, the Spartan ladies open their Illini Prairie Conference season this Thursday at home against Pontiac (7-9). Four days later, SJO heads to Prairie Central to take on the Hawks, who have won just four out of the 15 games they played so far.

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Team effort fuels Unity's 15-point win over Paris

Coleton Langendorf dribbles down the baseline during Unity's home game against Paris. The junior scored 21 against the visiting Tigers. See more photos from the game here.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Less than 24 hours after beating the Tri-Valley Vikings by 19, Unity picks up a second victory by 15 over visiting Paris.

TOLONO - The Rockets (8-5) start 2025 with back-to-back wins, the latest coming on Saturday at home against Paris. It took a team effort, with nine members contributing to the victory, for Unity to reverse a first-half 13-point deficit in the 65-50 win over the Tigers.

Scoreless in the first quarter, Coleton Langendorf hit his stride in the last two frames to lead the Rockets' offensive effort with 21 points. Tre Hoggard reached double digits, dropping 15 points on the Tigers. Mason O'Neill rounded out the top three scorers for Unity with seven points.

Despite losing the opening tip, Paris took an early 6-0 and stretched it into a 20-7 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

"Give Paris credit. They played really good out of the gate," said Unity head coach Matt Franks. "We were just sluggish. I have to give credit where credit is due. They played really well."

Sluggish. Yeah, a less than 24-hour turnaround after a tough game the night before does that to young legs.

"We had a really hard-fought game at Tri-Valley," he explained. "You could see that in our legs early. We didn't make shots early and it kind of snowballed."

Unity knocked off the 10-4 Vikings on the road, 60-41.

Down by 13 at the start of the second quarter, Dane Eisenmenger started the Rocket comeback hitting two free throws. The junior delivered the next UHS bucket to cut the lead to nine. Making every trip to the free throw line count, Unity converted on six of nine attempts along with three shots from Langendorf and another from Hoggard. By halftime, Unity trailed by three, 26-23.

"Our guys settled down and settled into the game, and were able to make enough plays," Franks said. He credited Unity's brutal early season schedule for the comeback. "Our first 11 games, eight of them were either 3A or 4A opponents. We played a really tough schedule early. It's done a good job preparing us for this stretch."

The Rockets' momentum continued in the second half to a 31-30 advantage. The two teams exchanged leads briefly before Unity slid ahead by four after Hoggard banked a layup off the glass at the end of the third period to up 40-36.

Thanks to eight fourth-quarter points from Langendorf and six points from Brayden Henry, Unity racked up a 15-point lead while limiting Paris to just 11.

Jackson Rigdon scored 27 points for Paris, 15 of those coming in the first half. The 5'10" senior drained five treys and went 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Juniors Carter Eastham and Karic Vitale contributed eight points each in the non-conference loss.

Hoping for a packed house, the Unity is back in the Rocket Center on Tuesday at 7 PM, hosting Normal University High (9-6). Like the Rockets, the Pioneers started the season facing larger basketball programs. U-High, who enters the game 3-0 against Illini Prairie Conference teams, notched victories over Bloomington, Normal West, and Rochester.