Nevada
USPS moves ahead on plan to move Nevada mail to CA, despite opposition
The United States Postal Service announced on Tuesday it is moving forward with a plan to downsize and relocate its outgoing mail processing operations from Reno to Sacramento, much to the ire of Nevada elected officials.
Nevada elected officials on both sides of the aisle pushed back and fought to block the plan when it was introduced last month. Officials said they worry could delay Northern Nevadans from receiving important mail, including prescriptions, as well as impact Nevada’s election process that rely heavily on on-time mail service.
Sen. Jacky Rosen said she is outraged by the decision.
“Let me be absolutely clear: This fight is not over,” the Democratic senator said in a Tuesday statement. “As a member of the committee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, I will continue to fight against this ill-advised decision and explore all available options to prevent it from being implemented.”
‘Faster and more reliable delivery’
The Postal Service said in its Tuesday announcement that the decision follows a thorough business review and solicitation of public feedback.
Southern Nevada mail is handled in Las Vegas and will not be impacted by the change in Reno, according to Rod Spurgeon, strategic communications specialist for the Postal Service.
As part of a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve mail processing, the Reno facility will remain open as a local processing center, but outgoing operations will be transferred to a processing and distribution center in West Sacramento, according to the Postal Service.
The Postal Service will invest up to $13.4 million into the Reno facility for expanded and streamlined mail processing and distribution capabilities as part of the Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America plan that aims to make the Postal Service more efficient.
Consolidating operations will allow the Reno processing center to be “co-located” with a sorting and delivery center, which will allow the Postal Service to provide faster and more reliable delivery over a larger area, according to the Postal Service.
Funds will be used to update workplace amenities like new lighting and renovated restrooms, according to the Postal Service.
The Postal Service’s Delivering for America plan also aims to achieve a break-even in operating performance over a 10-year period. In fiscal 2023, the Postal Service reported a $6.5 billion loss.
Election concerns
Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said in March that the Postal Service is one of the critical pieces of the puzzle in Nevada’s elections systems, since mail ballots are sent out to every voter unless they opt out of them, and it’s become an increasingly more popular way to vote in the Silver State.
In Washoe, Nevada’s second-largest county, more than 85 percent of voters participated in the February presidential primary with a mail ballot.
Officials and political candidates on both sides of the aisle worry that sending mail ballots from Nevada to California before they are sent back to Northern Nevada — which can face inclement weather in the fall and especially winter — could cause delays in results and could lead to ballots not being counted.
Nevada state law allows for mail ballots to be postmarked on Election Day and must be received by election departments by 5 p.m. on the fourth day after Election Day.
“It’s unfortunate when federal decision makers don’t understand or acknowledge the unique challenges of a local community,” Aguilar said in a statement Tuesday.
The federal government gives the states the responsibility to manage its elections, but it interferes with functions vital to the process, Aguilar said. He hopes the USPS will reconsider its decision and invest into existing Northern Nevada operations.
“The Secretary of State’s Office will continue to focus on running some of the most secure, accessible and safe elections in the country,” Aguilar said.
Another concern from officials were layoffs of Northern Nevadans who work at the facility, however the Postal Service also announced on Tuesday there will be no “career layoffs” as part of the initiative.
Any reduction in the number of pre-career employees will be made in accordance with collective bargaining agreements, according to the Postal Service.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
A man serving time at the Southern Desert Correctional Center for felony reckless driving died last month, the Nevada Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
Shiloh Walker, 28, died at the Indian Springs facility on Nov. 24, a news release said. Cause of death was not listed.
Walker was serving a sentence of up to six years after a plea agreement was reached in 2022 following a DUI crash that happened May 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, according to online court records.
An autopsy was requested following Walker’s death, though results were not available as of Monday evening. Attempts to reach Walker’s family members have been unsuccessful, according to the department.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
After widespread condemnation last year, the U.S. Postal Service backed away from plans to move its Reno mail-processing operations to Sacramento — but did it stay true to what it told the public?
The question arose recently after letters sent from one Carson City address to another in Carson City were both postmarked in Sacramento.
Northern Nevadans did not want first class mail sent from one Northern Nevada address to another going first to California. They sent a unified message to the USPS all the way up to the postmaster general.
Critics of the USPS plan were especially worried about delays from mail having to go back and forth over the Sierra during winter.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s office filed a lawsuit over the plan, the Washoe County Commission voted to oppose the plan, public comment was universally opposed, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across the state joined to stop it.
Could it possibly have happened anyway? The answer is yes, temporarily, for a brief time.
How letters sent in Carson City came to be processed at Sacramento USPS facility
A reader told the Reno Gazette Journal they’d twice had letters internal to Carson City postmarked in Sacramento, so we asked USPS if the policy had changed.
“Mail processing for First Class mail that originates in Northern Nevada and is destined to Northern Nevada has not changed,” USPS spokesperson Sherry Patterson responded by email.
“However,” she added, “without the specific mail piece and class of mail, we cannot determined if there is an issue.”
The reader then supplied a photo of the two envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 in Sacramento, and this was shared with USPS.
“Our processing machine in Reno was temporarily out of service while we awaited a replacement part,” Patterson said after viewing the postmarks to nail down the specific date the letters went through Sacramento.
“To ensure that mail was not delayed during this time, we implemented a contingency plan that involved routing certain mail to our Sacramento facility for cancellation and processing. This measure allows us to maintain service continuity and minimize disruptions for our customers. We understand that this may cause some confusion, and we are committed to ensuring that all mail is processed efficiently and accurately.”
Bottom line: Regarding first class mail that’s being sent to and from Northern Nevada addresses, it’s still USPS policy to process that in Reno at its Vassar Street facility, she said.
The path these particular letters took, Patterson added, “is indeed an unusual occurrence.”
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Loneliness has become a significant health issue for people everywhere, and the holiday season sometimes intensifies those feelings. For many, December looks like family gatherings, matching pajamas and bustling homes. But this time of year can also be very difficult for those who may be battling distance, work commitments or recent life changes.
Marc Valli, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, has lived in Las Vegas since 1988. He moved to Nevada to join a ministry and be closer to his wife’s parents.
WATCH| Shellye Leggett talks to an army vet who’s recently moved into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility
Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones
“I wanted to come and join ministry here. Also my wife’s parents lived here,” Valli said.
Valli’s wife Barbara, known to friends and family as Bobby, passed away in 2018 after 54 years of marriage.
“I’m still counting the years. We’ve been married 54 years,” he said.
His children moved him into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility in June, making this his first holiday season in his new home.
“People are very nice, they treat you good,” Valli said.
Come Christmas Day, the facility’s common room will be filled with residents ready for holiday activities, but Valli hopes to get outside these walls to see his family that still lives nearby.
“I have grandkids. One goes to Cal Poly. He’s here right now, but he’s on vacation, and then I have two little granddaughters, one’s 11, one’s 7,” Valli said. “I don’t know if they’re gonna come for Christmas or I’m going there.”
Gus Farias, the executive director of Escalante at the Lakes Assisted Living, says many of his residents don’t have family nearby. Keeping their spirits high throughout the holidays is an important task.
“We can tell when our residents are feeling down. There’s a lot of pressure during the holidays because some of our residents don’t have families that are nearby, but they have us,” Farias said.
The organisation A Mission for Michael released a study showing just how many people are expected to spend the holidays alone this year. Nevada ranked 43rd on the list of loneliest states, with more than 212,000 people expected to spend Christmas by themselves.
“It’s pretty surprising that there’s so many Nevadans that are gonna spend the holidays by themselves,” Farias said.
He says combating loneliness will take a community effort.
“When you’re at the grocery store or whatever, reach, look back and ask them, you know, wish them a merry Christmas or happy holidays and ask them how they passed their holidays in the past because we, we as a younger generation than our seniors, we can learn a lot from that,” Farias said.
It’s an effort that Valli says makes the holidays a little brighter.
“Oh, it makes a big difference,” he said.
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