Las Vegas news briefs

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 | 10:31 a.m.

WOMAN CHARGED -- A 53-year-old Las Vegas woman is behind bars today, charged with the murder of her husband. Julia Lemela was taken into custody at her residence on San Anselmo St. late Tuesday, where Metro Police found the gun they claim she used to fatally shoot her husband shortly before 9 p.m. The 56-year-old man, whose name was withheld pending notification of family, was taken to Sunrise Hospital by his adult son, and died there from a gunshot wound in his upper torso, said homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen. Lemela remained today in the Clark County Detention Center awaiting her court date.

CAREER ADVICE -- Anyone interested in a law enforcement career is being encouraged by Metro Police to attend next week's First Tuesday meeting dedicated to the application and selection process for police and corrections recruits. Staff from the department's recruiting section will be at each of the department's five area commands for the open house discussing all elements involved, including the hiring process. Meetings will begin at 7 p.m. at Metro's substations located at: Northeast Area Command, 831 N. Mojave Road, between Bonanza Road and Washington Avenue; Northwest Area Command, 6208 Hargrove Ave., between Jones Boulevard and U.S. 95; Southeast Area Command, 2300 E. St. Louis Ave., at Atlantic St. and St. Louis Ave.; Southwest Area Command, 5925 W. Spring Mountain Road, east of Jones; and the Downtown Area Command, 401 S. Fourth St.

PARKING RELIEF -- The Las Vegas Convention Center will open its Gold Lot for public parking during the New Year's holiday. The lighted Gold Lot is located on the northwest corner of Convention Center Drive and Paradise Road. Public parking will be available from 4 p.m. New Year's Eve through 6 p.m. Jan. 1. The charge for parking is $5 per car. LVCVA security officials warn that vehicles must be retrieved by 6 p.m. or be subject to removal at the owner's expense.

AREA CODE -- Consumers are going to get a chance to air their feelings about adding a new telephone area code for Nevada. Telephone companies serving the state have proposed that most of Clark County retain the 702 dialing code while the rest of Nevada switch to a new number. Some residents suggested a 711 area code to coincide with Nevada's gambling industry but that number is not available. The state Public Service Commission has set a 10 a.m. Jan. 12 teleconference hearing between the State Office Building in Las Vegas and Carson City to allow citizens to express their preferences. The Nevada phone system is running out of numbers and the telephone companies have proposed setting up a second long-distance area code. One alternative is to allow existing users to be grandfathered in under the 702 area code with new residents getting another number. The voluntary use of the new area code will go into effect Dec. 12, 1998, with the mandatory dialing starting May 15, 1999.