OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is likely to get an earful when it holds public meetings on its plan for managing the Missouri River next year because  many people have criticized the way the agency handled this year’s record flooding. Several hundred thousand acres of land flooded along the Missouri River and hundreds of homes had to be evacuated. The fact that the flooding began this spring and continued into fall only made matters worse. The corps has said it had to release massive amounts of water from the dams along the river to deal with unexpectedly heavy spring rains and above-average snowpack. The corps will hold eight public meetings in cities along the river between Oct. 24 and Nov. 3.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Authorities spent hours searching a stretch of the Missouri River after reports of a man jumping from a pedestrian bridge linking Nebraska and Iowa. Omaha police say witnesses saw the man jump just before 8:30 p.m. Friday. Authorities from the Omaha area and Council Bluffs, Iowa, spent more than two hours searching for the man without success. Police say the man had contacted a family member and may have been suicidal.

The Montgomery County Sherrif’s office announced two seperate arrests on Friday.  The first occured at around Noon when officers arrested 16 year old Nicholas Farwell of Villisca as the result of an investigation conducted by the Sherrif’s office.  Farwell was charged with Lascivious Acts with a Child which is a class C felony.  He was transported and held in the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

The second reported arrest occured around 9:18pm on Friday as the Sherrif’s office took in 50 year old Pamela Jean Price of Grant on valid Montgomery County warrant for trespas

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad won’t commute the sentence of a woman convicted of setting fire to her family’s home in Griswold in 2005. Branstad on Friday denied applications for commutation from Tracey Dyess, and three other inmates. Dyess is serving a 45-year prison sentence for arson, attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter. She was 17 when she set the fire, telling investigators she wanted to kill her stepfather, Brian Street, because of sexual abuse. The fire killed her sister and nephew. Street was later convicted. The Iowa parole board denied her request for early release in July.

Branstad also rejected commutation applications from convicted murderers David Foell in Franklin County and Yvette Louisell in Story County and LeAnn Werts, who was convicted in Polk County of attempted murder and child endangerment.