The U.S. Postal Service is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery and -- for the first time in 40 years -- eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day.

Rallies will be held across the country next week. The move comes just days after President Barack Obama proposed reducing mail delivery to five-days-a-week.

The Arden Hills company is facing allegations that it conspired with other dairy producers to slaughter herds to reduce supply and drive up prices.

On the list are mail processing centers in Duluth, Rochester, Bemidji and Waite Park. The Postal Service lost about $8.5 million last year -- and could be even deeper in the red this year -- as more mail moves online and the stagnant economy cuts into advertising mail.

The Postal Service says the closing of mail processing centers in Duluth, Rochester, Waite Park, and Mankato is a recommendation. Initial news reports had the centers closing next spring as part of a nation-wide downsizing of the Postal Service.

Spring Lake Park police caught the suspects due to a report from an observant resident who saw the pair take mail from her mailbox. Police are now investigating how many people were victimized by the thefts.

Mail carriers suspended delivery service about three weeks ago because of safety concerns. The Post Bulletin reports residents were told to control their dogs and clean up their property. More than 40 animal incidents were reported in the neighborhood last year alone.

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service will increase postage rates by a penny to 45 cents for first-class mail next year. The increase is an attempt to recoup some of the $8 billion the agency lost last year.