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8 Aug 2024

Child neglect charge against West St. Paul mother dismissed despite fentanyl pills found on kitchen floor

by admin | posted in: News | 0

Prosecutors have dismissed a case against a West St. Paul woman who was charged with child neglect after police responded to a report of shots fired inside her apartment building and found fentanyl pills on her kitchen floor.

The Dakota County Attorney’s office dropped the gross misdemeanor charge against 24-year-old Jazzlynn Jonell Humphrey last month, citing insufficient evidence. In a July 31 court filing, assistant county attorney Amy Schaffer said that upon a review of additional investigation after the criminal complaint was filed, “the State cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the children were present at the residence at a time when the alleged controlled substances and ammunition were present and accessible.”

Humphrey’s attorney did not immediately return a call Thursday for comment.

Police responded to the shots fired call at the apartment building in the 1070 block of Waterloo Avenue just after 7 p.m. Jan. 30. Officers spoke with a man who said he was in his second-floor apartment and heard a loud bang. He said he looked at his ceiling and noticed a small hole. He then saw a bullet lodged in his kitchen floor.

He told officers he believed the bullet was shot from the apartment directly above his, and that he has had noise issues with the person who lives there, the complaint said. He believed a woman, her two young children and a man live in the apartment.

Officers were unable to make contact with anyone in the third-floor apartment. They obtained a search warrant and summoned the SWAT team to assist “due to the serious nature of the call,” the complaint said.

While awaiting to execute the search warrant, Humphrey drove up to the apartment building. She “was not cooperative with officers and provided limited information,” the complaint said.

She said she left her apartment earlier in the afternoon and was just arriving back. She said she lives there with her 3-year-old child and her 2-month-old infant. She denied that a man lives with them.

During the search, officers found a plastic bag of pink pills on the kitchen counter. Blue pills were “scattered across the kitchen floor,” the complaint said. The pink and blue pills both tested positive for fentanyl. A Glock handgun case was on the kitchen table and unspent bullets were found in different areas of the apartment.

“Fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug, especially in close proximity to children,” the complaint said. “Small amounts of fentanyl could cause harm or death to children.”

Humphrey was charged Feb. 1 and released from the Dakota County Jail the same day with no bond amount and several conditions, including no use or possession of firearms or dangerous weapons, no use of alcohol or controlled substances, and random testing.

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8 Aug 2024

Northbound I-35E closed this weekend at I-694; southbound closed next weekend

by admin | posted in: News | 0

Sections of Interstate 35E north of St. Paul will be closed over the next two weekends, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Northbound I-35E will be closed beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and ending at 5 a.m. Monday between I-694 and the I-35E/I35W split. Motorists will be directed to northbound I-35W during the closure.

Southbound I-35E will be closed beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, and ending at 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, from the I35E/I35W split to I-694. Motorists will be detoured to southbound I-35W during the closure.

These closures are due to concrete repair work.

Construction and traffic are always weather dependent.

For the latest updates on road conditions, visit www.511mn.org or call 511.

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8 Aug 2024

When do airlines give vouchers for delays?

by admin | posted in: Politics | 0

Scott Laird | TravelPulse (TNS)

If you travel by air enough, delays are inevitable. However, how airlines handle delays can vary depending on the circumstances of the delay, including the reason, city and even the passenger’s frequent flier status.

In Europe, the question of passenger compensation for delays and cancellations is straightforward: the European Union has consumer protection laws that require airlines to compensate passengers in cash for delays within the airline’s control.

Unlike in the European Union, the U.S. has no standard for what airlines must provide passengers in case of a delay or cancellation. In the United States, each carrier decides how to accommodate passengers affected by what the airlines call “irregular operations,” and the Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees its efforts.

That virtually never includes cash compensation, although some airlines, like Alaska, will issue travel credit for delays over three hours for circumstances within their control. The DOT has said airlines should cover passenger expenses for lengthy delays within the airlines’ control, but each airline has its own criteria for handling such requests.

Types of delays

The first consideration for airlines deciding whether to offer a voucher for meals or hotels will be what caused the delay. Most airlines do not provide vouchers or expense reimbursements for delays they term uncontrollable, such as those related to weather, air traffic control, or catastrophic events like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Another uncontrollable delay cause is what’s known as force majeure, which could be like a general strike, riot or coup that would compromise safe airline operations.

Airlines have, in the past, unsuccessfully argued that some situations, like the most recent IT outages that affected many U.S. airlines, were force majeure, but regulators have largely disagreed and considered those controllable delays, which also include reasons such as crew scheduling, aircraft availability, unscheduled maintenance and other things within an airline’s control.

Some airlines will list the reason for a delay on their app or website, while others will make announcements. It’s worth noting that not all carriers are forthcoming on the reasons for delays. American Airlines, for example, doesn’t give reasons for delays in their app or on their website, while United typically explains on their flight status page.

When to ask for a voucher

U.S. carriers vary on the circumstances under which they’ll issue a voucher to cover a meal or a hotel overnight stay. In a delay situation, the first place to look would be the airline’s Customer Service Commitment, which is normally posted on its website. That document typically outlines the situations under which an airline will issue a voucher.

Generally speaking, a delay must be significant — several hours or more — and controllable for an airline to issue a voucher. Some, like United, will automatically send vouchers to passengers via text or through their mobile app if their reservation contains an eligible flight delay. Other times, passengers may need to inquire if a voucher applies to their situation — American’s Customer Service Commitment states that these accommodations are available “on request.”

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