New postmaster takes reigns in Hartley

There's a new face greeting customers at the Hartley Post Office.

Belinda Eppling, of Le Mars, took over the postmaster position on Dec. 4. She previously served the same role in Sanborn for four years and has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 23 years overall.

So far, she's liked what she's seen in the City With a Heart.

"I am enjoying meeting the residents of Hartley and helping them with their delivery, mailing and shipping needs," she said. "There are very friendly people here."

Eppling is the 23rd postmaster in Hartley's history. She succeeds Darla Meyer, who retired in 2020. Jonathan Hibbing served as officer-in-charge before Eppling's arrival.

Eppling has held a variety of roles throughout her career with USPS ranging from letter carrier to sales and service associate. Prior to her head gigs in Hartley and Sanborn, she was postmaster in Inwood.

Learning the ropes in Hartley hasn't been too hard – Eppling credited the local employees with knowing their jobs well and running the office efficiently. On the other hand, learning new routes is taking some time.

"Knowing streets, addresses and the routes the mail is going to each day is always an adjustment during sorting," she said. "It's just a matter of studying the scheme and learning over time."

Eppling was interested in the postmaster position here because Hartley still has city delivery service. She believed everything has gone relatively smoothly so far during her first three weeks on the job despite it being the busiest time of year for mail.

"It hasn't been too overwhelming," she said. "I'm excited to be your postmaster and I hope you will call or stop in if you have any concerns."

Eppling plans to continue commuting to and from Le Mars each day. Her husband, Brad, works as a public facilities supervisor for the City of Le Mars and is required to live there. The couple has two daughters: Amanda, 27, and Crystal, 24.