UNDATED (WSAU) About 30 smaller post office locations in Central Wisconsin will have their hours cut in 2013. Nearly 14,000 rural locations around the country will be impacted by the cost-cutting plan, which comes after the U.S. Postal Service defaulted on a $5-billion payment to cover health insurance and retirement costs.

Last month the postal service began sending out notices to impacted communities. Postal leaders say the alternative is to shut down some post offices altogether.

Some post offices will have their service counters open only two hours a day. Others will be cut from 8 to 4 hours.

Impacted post offices in our area include: Almond, Amherst Junction, Arpin, Auburndale, Babcock, Brokaw, Edgar, Hatley, Junction City, Miladore, Nelsonville, Port Edwards, Ringle, Rosholt, Rothschild, Rudolph, Spencer, Stratford, and Vesper.