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Shipping giant UPS has filed a Metaverse-related trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

According to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, UPS’s Metaverse offering will be part of a gaming experience that involves sending a package. Gerben pointed to Roblox’s virtual brand activations, suggesting that UPS could be next in line.

The online game platform connects developers with brand partners in order to create Metaverse-brand activations. Brands can also interact directly with devs without the middleman. Roblox announced a plan to build a Metaverse around its players last November.

Crews are responding to an explosion at a UPS facility in Lancaster Monday morning.

According to fire officials, a call first came in reporting the explosion just before 9 a.m. at the facility on 290 W. Avenue.

Video posted to Citizen App shows large, dark plumes of smoke visible in the area.

Multiple big rigs are on fire, officials added.

A Kenner elementary school is partnering with UPS volunteers to make sure people are prepared for a natural disaster.

The staff and students at Washington Elementary STEM School, along with volunteers, made disaster hygiene kits for those in the community who are in need.

“We have toothpaste, [a] toothbrush, body wash, towels, and facewash, so that you can use those if you’re in need,” explained Jiyah Dyson, a student at Washington Elementary STEM School.

Saturday’s activity was part of Washington Elementary’s Community Day. Students were eager to assist because they know the impact something like a hurricane can have.

UPS Inc.’s fuel surcharges are closing in on those of rival FedEx Corp., and that’s bad news for UPS customers.

Effective Monday, users of UPS’ (NYSE: UPS) U.S. ground delivery services will pay a 16.75% fuel surcharge that will apply to the base rate of each shipment as well as most of the add-on services known as accessorial charges. That is up from 15.25% for the week just ending and 15% for the week before.

That increase is chicken feed compared to the gut punch that UPS’ air shippers have taken over the past two weeks. On March 28, the day that UPS said it would increase its surcharge levels by 1.75%, the domestic air levy was 16.75%. It spiked to 20% effective April 4, and it will hit 21.75% on Monday.

Earlier this month, international shipping provider UPS announced its continued support of Global Volunteer Month, calling on its employees to reach out to UPS community relations managers and its business resource groups to give their time to local volunteer and charity efforts.

The initiative started as a weeklong celebration of volunteerism by the Nixon administration in 1974 and was extended into Global Volunteer Month in 1991 when President George H.W. Bush launched his 1000 Points of Light campaign.

According to Points of Light, 87% of people would like to make time for volunteer opportunities, 44% of people are unsure of how or where to volunteer.

To make volunteerism easy for its U.S. employees, UPS recently released its Community Connections platform for employees to search for available volunteer opportunities.