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ByJimSuhr and Jim Salter The Associated Press FERGUSON, MO. Ayearhas passed since parts of Fer- guson burned in the rage that followed a grand ju- ry's decision not to prose- cute the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown. In that time, signs of hope have emerged. Some of the nearly two dozen businesses destroyed in the Nov. 24, 2014, riots have reopened. Concrete barricades that protected the police station are gone. The majority-black St. Louis suburb once led almost ex- clusively by whites now has a black city manager, mu- nicipal judge and two new African-American council members. It's not exactly a return to normal, but for many of those who endured last year's unrest, it's an im- provement. "We've got a ways to go," said Ron Johnson, the black Missouri State High- way Patrol captain who led the law enforcement effort in Ferguson. "We didn't get in this place in Amer- ica overnight, so it's going to take time. So we have to keep trying." Brown, who was black, was 18 and unarmed when he was shot to death in Au- gust 2014 by white Fergu- son police officer Darren Wilson during a confron- tation in a street. Brown's death helped spawn the national "Black Lives Mat- ter" movement rebuking police treatment of mi- norities. The Justice Department later cleared Wilson, con- cluding that evidence backed his claim that he shot Brown in self-defense after Brown first tried to grab the officer's gun dur- ing a struggle through the window of Wilson's police vehicle, then came toward him threateningly after briefly running away. On that cold Novem- ber night, after months of sporadic unrest, St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch called an eve- ning news conference to announce the grand ju- ry's ruling: No indictment. At that moment, Mi- chael Brown's mother, Les- ley McSpadden, and his stepfather, Louis Head, were sitting atop a car in a sea of people in the middle of the street outside Fergu- son police headquarters. As the car speakers blared the announcement, she began to wail and sob. Head consoled her, then yelled, "Burn this bitch down!" to angry protesters gathered around them. Chaos followed. Win- dows were smashed at City Hall. A police car was set on fire. Police responded in armored vehicles, shooting tear gas. TENSION Ayeara ergrandjuryannouncement, Ferguson sees signs of progress PHOTOSBYCHARLIERIEDEL—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Louis Head, center front, Michael Brown's stepfather, yells to a large, angry crowd in St. Louis with Brown's mother Lesley McSpadden, wearing sunglasses, as they listen to the announcement of the grand jury decision not to prosecute the police officer who fatally shot Brown. The Associated Press WASHINGTON Americans should be alert to the pos- sible travel risks, especially during the holidays, fol- lowing increased terrorist threats around the world, the State Department warned on Monday. A travel alert, which is to be in effect until Feb. 24, said current information suggeststhatmilitantswith the Islamic State, al-Qaida, Boko Haram and other ter- rorist groups continue to plan attacks in multiple re- gions. U.S. authorities said the likelihood of terror at- tackswillcontinueasmem- bers of IS return from Syria andIraq,andotherindivid- uals not affiliated with ter- ror groups engage in vio- lence on their own. Extremistshavetargeted sporting events, theaters, open markets and aviation targets. In the past year, there have been multiple attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Lebanon, Turkey andMali.IShasclaimedre- sponsibility for the Oct. 31 bombing of a Russian air- liner in Egypt, killing 224 people. "U.S.citizensshouldexer- cise vigilance when in pub- licplaces orusingtranspor- tation," the alert said. "Be aware of immediate sur- roundings and avoid large crowds or crowded places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events." The State Department said the U.S. is exchang- ing information with al- lies about threats of inter- national terrorism. STATE DEPARTMENT US i ss ue s tr av el warning in wake of terror attacks By Scott Mayerowitz The Associated Press NEW YORK On a recent morning, Delta Air Lines Flight 435 pushed back early from the gate at New York's John F. Ken- nedy International Air- port. Passengers watched the safety video and set- tled in for a six-hour trip. Then they waited. And waited. Still within sight of the gate, their jet sat motion- less due to airport con- gestion. It wasn't until 30 minutes after passengers buckled in that they were finally in the sky. It's a scene playing out across the country. Ac- cording to an Associ- ated Press analysis, air- planes spent 23 minutes and 32 seconds, on av- erage, taxiing between gates and runways dur- ing the first nine months of the year. That's the lon- gest it has been since the Bureau of Transportation Statistics started tracking taxi times in 1995 and a 50-second increase over last year's average. For passengers, the ris- ing delays add to the frus- trations of travel. A plane might land early but then sit waiting for a gate to open up. Flights are still arriving "on time" but only because airlines have increased scheduled flying times to account for the added taxi times. AIR TRAVEL Stuck waiting: Ground delays at US airports on the rise By Janet Mcconnaughey and Rebecca Santana The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS Police on Monday sought to deter- mine what touched off a wild shootout in a crowd of hundreds of people at a New Orleans playground, where an evening of fun at a block party swiftly turned into a nightmare. The shootout, combined with the recent shooting of a good Samaritan who tried tohelpawomanwhowasbe- ingdraggedtowardavehicle, putacitythathaslongstrug- gled with violence on edge. "No one feels safe," said Peter Scharf, a Louisiana State University professor who studies crime. The Sunday night shoot- outhappenedashundredsof people—possiblyasmanyas 500—gatheredattheBunny Friend Playground in what police described as a block party. A music video was also being filmed there. Po- lice said neither event had a permit. Officers werenearby over- seeing a neighborhood pa- rade when they received re- ports of a large crowd at the park.Theshootinghappened while they were on their way over to disperse the gather- ing. Two groups pulled out weapons and started firing, police said. Local media reported a mad scramble as terrified people ran from the play- ground, leaving behind cell- phonesandIDs.Thegunmen escaped. Seventeen people were wounded, including 11 who were under the age of 21, au- thorities said Monday. Damien Gaines said he, his two sons, ages 10 and 13, and their 10-year-old cousin had just come home from an athletic awards cer- emony. He decided to go to the park with the boys when heheardmusic.Butlessthan 10 minutes later, he said, an acquaintance he knew only asPeanutstrodeby,warning him to go home because of the shootout. Then he heard gunfire — two to three minutes of con- tinuous shooting. He and the boys ran. Then his younger son said: "'Daddy, I'm shot, I'm shot.'" His blue jeans had turned red. Gaines put the boy on his back, picked up the cousin and ran home, where his older son had already ar- rived. The wounded boy was treated at a hospital and re- leased. Authorities asked wit- nesses or anyone with video of the incident to come for- ward. They also planned a community meeting for Monday evening in the park to discuss the shooting. Considering the number of people at the park, it's "pretty clear that people do know" who the shooters are, Mayor Mitch Landrieu told a news conference Monday. 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