Glitches slow mail service in part of Ohio

COLUMBUS (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says it’s working through problems in central Ohio that have made traditional “snail mail” even slower.

Some letter carriers in the Columbus area now have more terrain to cover because the post office has been combining routes in response to a drop in mail volume and the arrival of new mail-sorting machines.

Columbus is the first city to get the equipment after a pilot program in Dulles, Va., and it’s supposed to be a time-saver for carriers. But officials are still gauging how long the routes can be if carriers don’t have to sort mail themselves.

In the meantime, some residents are complaining that mail that’s supposed to come by 5 p.m. isn’t delivered until 8 p.m., if it comes at all.