LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s top corrections official is facing questions from a legislative oversight committee about staffing vacancies in his department, a major problem that has contributed to high levels of employee turnover. Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes acknowledged Wednesday that the number of positions requested in a staffing report was less than what his staff originally recommended.

A draft report by the department initially called for 254 additional positions, at a cost of nearly $12 million a year. That number was lowered in the final report to 138 positions, at a cost of roughly $653,000.

Prison officials note that they’re already taking steps to address staffing problems. Administrators announced plans Wednesday to award a one-time $500 retention bonus for 1,000 employees in jobs with high turnover and vacancy rates.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a man whose body was found in a Council Bluffs street.

Police identified him as 39-year-old Larry Scott, who lived in Council Bluffs. His body was discovered around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday near train tracks in the central part of the city

The shooting death is being investigated as a homicide. No arrests have been reported.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded a $12 million, five-year contract to the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus to train NGA employees.

The contract, announced Wednesday, follows the NGA’s decision earlier this year to remain in St. Louis instead of moving to St. Louis County or Illinois.

The contract with the College of Engineering will focus on data science and other training needs identified by NGA. The agency anticipates 1,800 working students in St. Louis and Washington, D.C., will participate.

NGA employees will be paid for time in class. Those who complete the program will have a graduate certificate in data science and a master’s degree from the university.

The agency is expected to break ground next year on a new $1.75 billion campus in north St. Louis.

BUCYRUS, Kan. (AP) — It could be months before an eastern Kansas business finds out if one of its peaches has broken a world record.

A peach weighing 763.39 grams — nearly 2 pounds — was picked Aug. 24 at Tubby Fruits Peach Orchard in Bucyrus. The current world record of 725 grams was set in 2002.

Two scientists weighed the peach using a verified scale provided by the USDA.

The process was documented with both videos and photos. The Lady Nancy’s peach had to be eaten as proof that the fruit wasn’t altered to skew the results.

Once documentation is submitted, Guinness World Records says it could take up to 12 weeks for it to determine if the peach sets a new record.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A letter from the chief executive of Omaha Public Power District says the utility will permanently shut down its nuclear plant at Fort Calhoun this fall.

The Omaha World-Herald says that comes from correspondence it obtained from OPPD President and CEO Tim Burke to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The letter, dated Thursday, says the Fort Calhoun plant will be shuttered Oct. 24. The utility’s board voted in June to permanently close the plant.

Once closed, a nuclear plant must undergo a decommissioning process to remove or decontaminate materials and equipment that have been exposed to radioactivity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires decommissioning to be completed within 60 years of a plant’s closure.

Cleaning up the site after its closure is estimated to cost more than $1 billion.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two petitions that were connected to an unsuccessful effort to legalize casino gambling in Nebraska have also failed to make the general election ballot.

Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale said Tuesday that petition organizers failed to meet the minimum threshold of 80,032 valid signatures.

One measure to establish how games of chance are regulated only received 73,617 signatures. Of those signatures, only 51,993 were deemed valid.

A second measure that spelled out how casino gaming would be taxed only received 78,152 signatures. Of those, 54,854 were accepted.

Gale previously announced that a proposed constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling at horse racing tracks also failed to make the ballot because of a lack of valid signatures.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas House candidate has asked the state Supreme Court to order a county’s judges to convene a grand jury to investigate Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Democrat Steven Davis of Lawrence filed his request last week after Douglas County’s chief judge rejected Davis’ petition for a grand jury.

Davis wants the grand jury to investigate whether the Republican secretary of state or his subordinates mishandled online voter registrations.

Davis circulated petitions after hearing anecdotes about potential problems, but even some of Kobach’s toughest critics haven’t seen evidence of wrongdoing. Kobach did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.

Kansas is among a handful of states allowing citizens to call for grand juries.

Judge Robert Fairchild ruled Aug. 18 that the allegations in Davis’ petition weren’t specific enough.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri appeals court has ruled a former state lawmaker who illegally collected disability payments while in office is not entitled for a state pension.

Ray Salva, who served in the Missouri House for about seven years beginning in 2003, pleaded guilty in June 2013 in federal court to one felony count of theft of government money.

In his plea he acknowledged receiving roughly $59,000 in Social Security disability payments while in the General Assembly. He paid that money back, but was notified that the Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System also wanted back about $30,000 it paid him after he left the Legislature.

Salva argued that he is entitled to his state pension because his felony conviction came after he left office.

The Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday disagreed.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A life insurance company accused of charging premiums after policyholders died has settled with Missouri insurance regulators.

The Missouri Department of Insurance says an investigation by its Market Regulation Division found CMFG Life Insurance Co. charged joint borrowers premiums after their spouses died.

The insurance department also says the company charged premiums after individuals were too old to use those policies.

CMFG previously was called CUNA Mutual Insurance Society. It didn’t admit guilt in the settlement, but agreed to issue refunds and pay back estates or beneficiaries of those who were improperly charged after they died.

CMFG also is giving $81,500 to a state school fund.