LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has delayed a vote on 2012 waterfowl and crow hunting seasons.

The vote had been scheduled for Friday’s meeting. But staff members were notified on Thursday, after submitting recommendations, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife allows a daily bag limit of six scaup ducks. The recommendations had included a bag limit of only three scaup.The dates for the various hunting seasons have been rescheduled for a vote at the commissioners’ next meeting, which is set for Aug. 31 in Broken Bow.

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Colorado prosecutors charged the suspect in the Aurora movie theater shooting with multiple counts for each victim to create more options during sentencing, if he’s convicted.

James Holmes was charged with 24 counts of murder, two each for the 12 people killed, and 116 counts of attempted murder, two each for the 58 injured.

For the murder charges, one count included murder with deliberation, the other murder with extreme indifference. Both carry a maximum death penalty upon conviction.

A former chief deputy district attorney says a conviction under extreme indifference means that any life sentences would have to be served consecutively, not concurrently.

In addition, Holmes was charged with one count of possession of explosives and one count of a crime of violence, which is a gun charge.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 37-year-old Lincoln man wrote 28 bad checks to pay for pizza.

Officers say Damaun Goods wrote checks on two closed accounts, including one that belonged to woman who said she thinks Goods stole her checkbook.

The pizza bills came to a total of nearly $1,290.

Goods has been released from jail. A public phone listing for him could not be found. Online court records don’t list the name of his attorney.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A southeast Nebraska man has been given nine months in jail for shoving an 11-year-old to the ground.

The 44-year-old Phillip Roberts was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault.

Gage County court documents say Roberts shoved the boy because Roberts was angry about a theft from his home. The documents say that when the child tried to get up, Roberts head-butted the boy. Roberts says he didn’t do that.

Roberts said in court that he was angry the day of the incident and took out his anger on the boy but apologized later.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says a viral disease is killing deer along the Platte River and possibly over a much wider area.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease spreads from deer to deer by the bite of a small insect known as a midge.

The disease causes hemorrhaging within the body. A high fever may result, causing the deer to seek water. That’s why deer killed by the disease usually are found in or near water.

The deer may show bleeding from body openings.

The disease is not a threat to humans.

The commission wants people to report to their nearest Game and Parks office any deer deaths that may be attributed to this disease.

ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) — A legislative summit has been organized by the Greater Omaha Chamber, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The groups have invited the Nebraska congressional delegation, and Gov. Dave Heineman will attend to welcome participants.

The event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 16 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum near Ashland.

The summit will cost $95 for members of any chamber of commerce and will cost nonmembers $125. Register by Aug. 10.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The wildfires in north-central Nebraska have prompted the state’s candidates for U.S. Senate to weigh in on proposals that could help Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers suffering not only from the fires, but record drought.

Both Democrat Bob Kerrey and Republican candidate Deb Fischer have toured the wildfire areas and called on Congress to pass the federal farm bill, which includes disaster assistance for wildfires and drought.

But they have different ideas about other ways to help. Kerrey wants to speed up the process of offering low-interest loans to producers affected by drought and to expand the crop insurance program to include grazing land.

Fischer wants to waive conservation program obligations during severe drought and temporarily suspend weight and length requirements on vehicles transporting feed and livestock to disaster areas.

SPRINGVIEW, Neb. (AP) — The massive wildfires in north-central Nebraska are nearly contained.

Firefighters say the three fires that burned nearly 119 square miles near the scenic Niobrara River should be contained by Monday.

The largest of the three fires, the Fairfield Creek Fire, was considered 100 percent contained on Sunday morning. Firefighters plan to patrol that area looking for any flare-ups.

The other two smaller fires, the Wentworth and Hall fires, were about 90 percent contained. Firefighters were working on strengthening the lines around those fires on Sunday.

The federal fire officials that have been managing the fire fight for the past week plan to return control to local officials on Monday.

The Fairfield Creek Fire was started by lightning on July 20. The fires have destroyed 14 homes and 17 outbuildings.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former director of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center will become dean and director of University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

Charles “Chuck” Hibberd has been director of Extension and associate dean of agriculture at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., since 2007. Hibberd was director of the Panhandle center at Scottsbluff for 13 years.

UNL officials say Hibberd will take over the Extension leadership post on Oct. 1. Hibberd replaces Elbert Dickey, who retired this summer.

Hibberd earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture at UNL and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Oklahoma State University. He was a faculty member at OSU from 1982 to 1994.

UNL Extension is part of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — Fort Atkinson State Historical Park in eastern Nebraska is preparing for another living-history weekend.

Re-enactors will portray life at an 1820s military post. There will be blacksmiths, laundresses, coopers, soldiers, butter makers and others. The weekend will feature a discussion of the Monroe Doctrine and a presentation on “Coins of Fort Atkinson.”

The event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5.

Fort Atkinson was established in 1820, the first military post west of the Missouri River.

It sits seven blocks east of U.S. Highway 75 near the town of Fort Calhoun, north of Omaha.

A park entry permit is required and may be purchased at the park.

More information is available by phone at 402-468-5611 or email by contacting ngpc.fort.atkinson(at)nebraska.gov.