Word comes from Arkansas today that a dozen post offices, as well as a couple of others we'd heard about previously, have been removed from the list of those in the state being studied for closure under the Retail Access Optimization Initiative. That's brings to nearly a hundred the number of post offices removed from the RAOI (most of them in Alaska).
There were 179 Arkansas post offices on the RAOI list, so over 90% remain in jeopardy. Plus, there are 29 Arkansas post offices on the "non-RAOI" list of 727 offices under closure study (released the day after the RAOI). Of those, at least 16 have closed or received final determination notices.
Information continues to trickle in about closings and final determination notices, but it remains difficult to produce complete lists. As October comes to an end, several more non-RAOI post offices have closed, but no post office on the RAOI list has received a final determination notice yet. That could change over the coming weeks, since many closure studies got started in early August and they should be completing the 60-day comment period soon. Final decisions may take only a few days more.
In the meantime, appeals keep coming in at the Postal Regulatory Commission. They're up to about 150 for the year — about 65 through August, plus 43 in September and 42 in October. With nearly 600 closings (including final determinations) so far this year, that's a rate of about 25%, which would mean hundreds of appeals over the coming months. The PRC has posted a "Help Wanted" notice for ten attorneys to help process the "influx" of appeals.
If you have information about a closing or a post office being removed from consideration, please let us know.
ARKANSAS POST OFFICES OFF THE RAOI LIST AS OF OCT. 31, 2011
| CARTHAGE | 112 W OAK ST | CARTHAGE | AR | 71725-9998 |
| CASSCOE | 1040 HIGHWAY 33 | CASSCOE | AR | 72026-9998 |
| COLUMBUS | 2803 HIGHWAY 73 W | COLUMBUS | AR | 71831-9998 |
| EVANSVILLE | 20905 S HWY 59 | EVANSVILLE | AR | 72729-9998 |
| HOT SPRINGS NATL PK | 620 CENTRAL AVE STE 1A | HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK | AR | 71901-5302 |
| KNOBEL | 260 MAPLE ST | KNOBEL | AR | 72435-9998 |
| LITTLE ROCK | 4700 E MCCAIN BLVD | LITTLE ROCK | AR | 72231-9112 |
| LITTLE ROCK | 13501 OTTER CREEK PKWY | LITTLE ROCK | AR | 72210-9997 |
| MONTROSE | 1400 HIGHWAY 165 N | MONTROSE | AR | 71658-9998 |
| NEW HOPE | 5638 HIGHWAY 70 W | NEWHOPE | AR | 71959-9998 |
| ROSSTON | 4463 US HIGHWAY 371 | ROSSTON | AR | 71858-9998 |
| ST PAUL | 190 5TH ST | SAINT PAUL | AR | 72760-9998 |
| WASHINGTON | 211 FRANKLIN ST | WASHINGTON | AR | 71862-9998 |
| WITTS SPRINGS | 387 W HIGHWAY 16 | WITTS SPRINGS | AR | 72686-9998 |
ARKANSAS POST OFFICES AS OF OCT. 31, 2011
[black = closed; brown = final determination posted; green = no longer under closure study] [view:closed_po_map=panel_pane_3]
(Photo credit: Witts Springs post office)
