The closure of Poplarville’s historic downtown post office in early 2022 set off a long and complicated process — one largely governed by federal procedures rather than local decision-making.

After severe termite damage forced the U.S. Postal Service to shut down the building, responsibility for evaluating repairs, selecting a replacement site and determining construction timelines remained with USPS. City officials say they advocated for solutions and updates, but had limited authority over how quickly decisions moved forward.

In this episode of Matter of Fact, we go behind the reporting of two Roy Howard Community Journalism Center stories: “Poplarville’s long-overdue wait for a city post office is over” and the follow-up, “USPS delivered Poplarville false promises on post office plans, residents say.”

Student reporter Alexa Hatten and reporter Morgan Gill join host Hilawe Tibebe to explain how their team tracked a multi-year federal process, verified what fell within USPS jurisdiction and documented how communication gaps affected residents and postal workers alike. The episode explores the challenges of navigating large federal systems — especially for small, rural communities seeking clarity and timelines.

Through the voices of residents, local officials and journalists, listeners hear how service disruptions can reshape daily life, even when no single decision-maker is acting alone.

Plus, in our What Is True? segment, Media Literacy Coordinator Walker Scott breaks down how to verify claims about federal projects, government timelines and public services — and why long stretches without official updates can lead to confusion or misinformation.

At its core, this episode looks at access, process and the realities of how public services move — slowly and carefully — through federal systems.