U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan presses for post office in Wheeler

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, is pressing further the effort to bring a post office back to Wheeler.

As reported in the Post-Tribune, most recently on Feb. 25, the Wheeler branch of the Post Office closed in July 2023 and a pocket of up to 75 homeowners must travel to the Hobart Post Office branch to collect their mail. The unserved pocket is limited to a small area south of Ind. 130 and north of County Road 450 North.

The 4.8 miles may not seem like a lot to some, but the nine-minute drive is a far cry from the quick jaunt across Ind. 130 they used to make to collect their mail at the Wheeler branch. Mrvan’s office sent out a news release Monday announcing he had sent a letter on the matter asking for a resolution.

Mrvan’s letter, dated March 26, to Postmaster General David Steiner reads, “I am deeply concerned that the prolonged closure of the Wheeler Post Office has made it exceedingly difficult for my constituents to access convenient, reliable, and efficient postal services. I urge USPS to promptly restore postal services for the residents of Wheeler and provide a detailed update on the status of USPS efforts related to Wheeler mail services.”

Union Township Trustee George Topoll said he and all the members of the township board signed a contract last November to lease land to the postal service for a drop-in-place post office in Union Township Community Park at the northwest corner of County Road 625 West and Ind. 130 on the site of the old Wheeler High School grounds. “I thought we were going to have a post office in place for the 250th anniversary (of the nation),” he said. “I’ve been working on this for three years.”

As of the first of the year, Topoll was told all significant projects were being reevaluated and the postal service never signed the contract. “They don’t really have anyone locally I can talk to,” he said. “I haven’t had much luck with the Hobart Post Office.”

Despite help from State Representative Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, State Senator Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, then-State Senator, now Governor Mike Braun, and the Porter County Council and Board of Commissioners, he has no updates.

Mrvan said he’s heard from many residents and local officials in the past two years.

His letter to Steiner states that he has submitted several casework inquiries on behalf of constituents and met with USPS liaisons in December, which has led to nothing more than assurances without a concrete timeline for the restoration of mail service to Wheeler.

“The USPS universal service obligation dictates that all Americans receive reliable, affordable, and consistent mail service regardless of location. To fulfill this promise to Wheeler residents, I urge USPS to expeditiously restore services in Wheeler and publicly provide transparent information on the status of these efforts. I look forward to your prompt response and stand ready to work together to ensure continued access to essential postal services in Indiana’s First Congressional District,” Mrvan closed his letter.