EMBARRASS- The U.S. Postal Service, Wednesday, announced that service at the Embarrass Post Office is being suspended due to structural and safety issues with the building. The building was being leased from a private individual.

The decision took the community by surprise, but the condition of the post office building had been a concern for a while.

According to USPS media spokesperson Pete Nowacki, there are issues with the floor joists, ceiling tiles, and the foundation. The building’s well has failed. Employees had been working at the building for several weeks without any running water.

Nowacki said he has heard that repairs will be done in the spring.

“We have no plans to leave the facility permanently closed at this time,” he said.

Post office box customers must pick up their mail at the Tower Post Office. Current Embarrass Post Office rural route employees will be working out of the Tower Post Office.

There are currently about 40 active post office boxes in Embarrass. The remaining 600 or so rural residents will get their mail delivered as usual, but will need to come to Tower to pick up held mail, or mail that requires a signature. The Tower Post Office window is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 12 noon and 1 – 4 p.m.

The collection box outside of the Embarrass Post Office will remain in service, but the lobby collection drop will no longer be available. The hours at the Embarrass Post Office were cut back last year to 7-11 a.m. on weekdays and 7-9 a.m. on Saturdays.