What we know today about Ferguson

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, all eyes remain on Ferguson, Mo. A St. Louis County grand jury made its decision Monday in the case of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen in August touched off weeks of sometimes violent protests. Michael Brown, 18, was shot Aug. 9 after leaving a convenience store with a friend.

As Ferguson residents wait, here's what we know as of Monday afternoon:

• An announcement is expected after 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET). Brown's family has been told the grand jury reached a decision and is expecting a news conference.

• St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar was in a meeting Monday afternoon with the prosecutor.

• Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was on his way to St. Louis ahead of the news conference.

• Will we ever know what took place in the grand jury room? KSDK-TV learned that the evidence the panel is hearing may not be released, even if no indictment is returned.

• Follow USA TODAY breaking-news reporter @Yamiche Alcindor and KSDK-TV in St. Louis for the latest from the ground. This Twitter list will also contain updates from Gannett news reporters.

• Some Ferguson schools are closed, and will stay closed through the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Gov. Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and activated the state's National Guard. That's among some of the preparations authorities have undertaken to avert the violent clashes that took place between police and protesters in the days after Brown's death.

In other Ferguson news:

• Michael Brown's dad spent Saturday morning handing out free turkeysnear the apartment complex where his son was killed. "This will be our first Thanksgiving without our son," Brown said Saturday. "The family just had to roll up our sleeves and help the community. We thought this was the best for us, to just help back out. We love the support, came to give back."

• Business is slow for shops near the courthouse in Clayton, Mo.

• Here's what civil rights activist Jesse Jackson wrote in USA TODAY about the extensive preparations: "I only know of one other time when such a plan was put in place and that was before the 1963 March on Washington. It was thought that if you brought that many Black people together in Washington to protest there would be violence. There wasn't!"

Compiled by Cara Richardson and Mary Nahorniak. Contributing: Yamiche Alcindor and John Bacon, USA TODAY; KSDK-TV in St. Louis.