Cuts Affect 5 Postal Processing Centers

     SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Five mail centers in the Dakotas are
slated to close as the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service looks to
cut costs and avert seeking bankruptcy protection.
     The facilities are located in Rapid City and Huron in South
Dakota, and Devils Lake, Grand Forks and Minot in North Dakota.
     The postal service said Monday it is seeking to move quickly to
close 252 mail processing centers and slow first-class delivery
next spring, citing steadily declining mail volume.
     The cuts, which are still being finalized, are part of $3
billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy
next year. It would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped
letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery
standards that have been in place since 1971.