COUNTY LIFE
Tips to secure packages you mail this holiday season
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the federal law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), is working around the clock to keep the more than 15 billion mail pieces expected to be mailed this holiday season safe. Package senders and recipients can help, too! The Inspection Service advises everyone mailing gifts this season to be aware and alert, and follow the six tips below:
- Don’t leave delivered mail and packages unattended. Just
as wallets and purses shouldn’t be left on the front seat of an
unlocked car unattended, mail and packages shouldn’t be left uncollected
in mailboxes or on front porches for any length of time.
- Going out of town? Hold mail at the local post office. Instead
of risking leaving a package unattended for an extended period of time,
customers planning on being away from home for a few days are
encouraged to take advantage of the USPS Hold Mailservice located on USPS.com. Letters and packages will be held securely at the local post office until the customer returns.
- Plan ahead. Ship using Hold for Pickup. When shipping packages, customers can choose the Hold for Pickupoption,
and the recipients can collect the packages at their local post office.
For customers receiving packages, they can redirect incoming packages
to their local post office by selecting Hold for Pickupusing USPS Package Intercept on USPS.com.
- Customize the delivery. If the package doesn’t fit in the mailbox and the customer won’t be home to receive it, the receiving customer can provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit www.usps.com, enter the tracking number and select Delivery Instructions.
- Secure the shipment using USPSSpecial Services. Signature Confirmationhelps
ensure the package is placed in the right hands by requiring a
signature at the time of delivery. For the most valuable packages,
customers can opt for Registered Mail service. A Registered Mail piece
receives special handling from the time it’s mailed until it’s
delivered, documenting the chain of custody.
- Monitor your front door. If you have a home security camera system and/or doorbell camera, ensure it captures and saves activity at your front door and mailbox. If you catch any mail thieves in the act, save the video and alert your local Postal Inspectors.
Additionally, if you notice an unfamiliar vehicle following a USPS truck or unknown persons loitering around mailboxes, report the activity to your local police department immediately, and then call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. If you feel that you are a victim of a crime involving the mail, you may submit an online complaint by visiting www.USPIS.gov and selecting Report at the top of the page.
Members of the Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on April 28 in the courthouse annex.
Items on the agenda are as follows:
Discuss moving May 26 meeting to May 27 due to the Memorial Day holiday; consider approving engagement letter with Edgin, Parkman, Fleming an Fleming to do the outside audit; request unclaimed property capitol credits from the Texas Comptroller; discuss the tax collector refunding $20,000 to Bowman 2021 Irrevocable Trust for overpayment of taxes; consider waiving penalty and interest for Pumped Equipment; consider disaster declaration; discuss service agreement with Waste Connections Lone Star for waste bin at animal shelter; line-item transfer from contingency to non-departmental machinery and equipment of $100,000 to complete the animal shelter; line-item budget adjustment in precinct two of $100,000 and consider precinct two trading in a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 to NTX Trucks; discuss Smyrna Meadows Subdivision lots 1-12 29.44 acres in precinct two; consider petition to vacate Jay Gaston Road in precinct four; and open bids for emulsified asphalt and prime oil.
As severe weather season approaches, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds Texans they can purchase certain items tax free during the state’s sales tax holiday for emergency preparation supplies, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 28.
“While we can’t know in advance when the next fire, flood, tornado or hurricane may occur, we can make sure our families, homes and businesses have the supplies they need to face these and other emergencies,” Hegar said. “Don’t wait for disaster to strike. I’m encouraging Texans to take advantage of this tax holiday to save money while stocking up for emergency situations.”
The Comptroller’s office estimates shoppers will save about $2.3 million in state and local sales taxes during the tax holiday, which was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2015.
There’s no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase. These include:
- household batteries, fuel containers and flashlights priced less than $75;
- hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced less than $300; and
- portable generators priced less than $3,000.
For purchases made online, note that delivery, shipping, handling and transportation charges are part of the sales price. If the emergency preparation supply being purchased is taxable, the delivery charge is also taxable. Consider these charges when determining whether an item can be purchased tax free during the holiday.
For example, if you purchase an emergency ladder online for $299 with a $10 delivery charge, the total sales price is $309. Because the total sales price of the emergency ladder is more than $300, tax is due on the $309 sales price.
Purchases that do not qualify include:
- batteries for automobiles, boats and other motorized vehicles;
- camping stoves and camping supplies;
- chainsaws;
- plywood;
- extension ladders and stepladders; and
- tents.
A complete list of emergency preparation supplies that may be purchased tax free can be found on the Comptroller’s website.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Springtime in Texas came to Montague County Saturday bringing tornado warnings, heavy flooding and 6 to 10 inches of rain across the county.
Due to significant damage Montague County Judge Kevin Benton signed a disaster declaration for incidents on April 19-20 stemming from severe weather conditions. This will make the county prepared for any assistance if the governor does a similar declaration.
Benton said he is still waiting on the repair estimates from the commissioners for road repairs, but that will take a while. He said the team from the National Weather Service was here Monday surveying everything and they saw evidence between Lake Amon Carter and Fruitland of an EF-0 tornado and a similar one on Upper Montague Road.
Read the full story on the storm and related damage in the Thursday Bowie News.
Top photo – Black Road in northern Montague County looked like a gully washer after the Saturday storms. Only one road remains closed, Tage Cemetery Road, due to a damaged bridge. The other roads are “passable,” according to the county commissioner, but still are pretty rough caution is urged by drivers and please report them to the precincts or county judge. (Courtesy photos)
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