Category: UPS News

A UPS warehouse in Rochester, Minnesota caught fire Saturday night after several vehicles were burning nearby, the city’s fire department says.

The initial call of the fire came in around 10:48 p.m. Saturday. When the first fire engine arrived, firefighters found “multiple trucks parked at a loading dock on the north end of the building that were on fire with smoke coming from the building,” the news release states.

The Rochester Fire Department says crews were able to quickly stop the fire from spreading damage into the UPS Customer Center by 11:42 p.m. The fire was contained except for some hot spots in trucks from packages that were still smoldering, according to Rochester Fire Captain Ben Davis. The last fire unit left the scene just after 2 a.m. Sunday.

A 33,000-square-foot United Parcel Service distribution center expected to employ about 100 people is under construction in Pevely.

The construction site is at 8921 Weier Road near the Mr. Fuel Travel Center south of Hwy. Z.

“At this time, the facility is scheduled to open around the end of 2022, beginning of 2023,” UPS spokeswoman Karen Tomaszewski Hill said Tuesday in a written statement. She said the location was chosen because of growth in the region.

UPS drivers across the country are signing a petition to have the organization declare Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day a paid holiday by next year.

Hector Medina has walked into the same job for 25 years but this Monday is different.

“We want UPS to recognize the importance of MLK,” Medina told Spectrum Bay News 9’s Katya Guillaume.

With his partner Sue and other volunteers, he’s joining the national fight to make that happen

Greeting other UPS employees as they walk into work, he said, “Good morning. We are collecting signatures to make Martin Luther King Jr. a paid holiday at UPS.”

Several UPS employees are accused of stealing shipments of jewelry worth nearly $12,000, and police believe when the investigation is done, the total theft may far exceed that.

According to court documents, investigators determined that seven employees were working together to steal Swarovski jewelry during their shifts. Police said some would conceal the jewelry while others made sure to block the view of other employees and dispose of the empty boxes to avoid detection.

The thefts were recorded on surveillance video, according to police.

Police said the value of the stolen jewelry is $11,805, but the actual total “is expected to exceed far beyond that.”

It is a well-known stereotype that dogs hate mail and newspaper delivery people. Apparently, this doesn’t extend to UPS delivery drivers!

We’re not quite sure what the company is doing differently, but their employees appear to have such a good relationship with the dogs they meet on the job that they started a Facebook page to share pictures of their new canine friends. We’ve chosen some of our favorite pictures for you to enjoy!