By Maria Recio

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service, under pressure from lawmakers, including Mississippi’s U.S. senators, is proposing cutting back retail hours at post offices instead of closing them altogether -- a boon to more than 200 post offices in the Magnolia State including three communities in Coastal counties, McHenry, McNeill, and Nicholson.

The U.S. Postal Service projects losses of $14 billion this year and is asking Congress for the go-ahead for a comprehensive overhaul law. But while the bill is still being considered on Capitol Hill, the Postal Service wanted to close 3,700 little-used post offices by May 15.

Lawmakers balked, with 43 senators, including GOP Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, writing the postmaster general asking for a moratorium.

The Postal Service offered an alternative plan Thursday to reduce the hours the post offices are open, from eight hours to six hours a day or as little as two hours a day,  thereby saving $500 million. Under the proposal, the McHenry, zip code 39561 and McNeill, zip code 39457 post offices would be open for six hours a day and the Nicholson post office, zip code 39463, for four hours a day.

Before the Postal Service decided to reduce the hours, the senators said the Postal Service needed to give lawmakers time to finish the overhaul legislation.

“Many rural residents in Mississippi are concerned about losing their local postal services. It makes sense for the Postal Service to give Congress more time to complete postal reform legislation before taking action to close rural post offices,” said Cochran.