Friday, March 14, 2008

Independence School District officials to close admin building

Independence Public Schools Superintendent Jim Hinson is expected to announce this afternoon that the district will be closing its main administrative offices due to hazardous health conditions.

The offices, which are located in the former Palmer Junior High School building near the Independence Square, were deemed unsafe by health officials after Hinson and other district employees began feeling ill. Administrators are planning to move the offices to an empty building near Truman High School off South Noland Road.

Hinson is expected to make the announcement at a press conference at 3:30 p.m. today.

Moving vans arrive at Hardesty Post Office

UPDATED - 3 p.m: U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Terri Penland says the post office still has not made a final decision on whether to close the Hardesty sub-station.

Rather, she said, the low-key announcement to close this week was a miscommunication by postal officials and employees at the sub-station.

The moving vans? Penland said that by getting all the old equipment, furniture, wall hangings and other itemts out, engineers can get a better look at the building to determine if it is safe for customers and employees.

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Earlier today: U.S. Postal Service officials are wasting no time in their secretive plans to shut down the Hardesty Post Office.

This morning moving vans with U.S. Postal Service logos were backed up to the sub-station and postal employees from downtown were hauling desks, file cabinets and other items out of the post office.

On Wednesday, postal officials arrived unannounced at the Hardesty Post Office and told employees there they had to be out by March 31. Neighborhood associations, who were also taken by surprise by the announcement, are now scrambling to find out what they can do to save the post office that has served Northeast residents for decades.

Already some neighborhoods are organizing to contact their local, state and national representatives to voice their concern.

To contact your representatives click to be directed to their individual Web sites.

U.S. Rep Emanuel Cleaver's office

U.S. Sen. Clair McCaskill

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond

State Rep. John Burnett

Mayor Mark Funkhouser