News briefs for Nov. 20, 2002

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.

Two shootings appear related

Metro Police are investigating a possible gang-related shooting that left one man in critical condition from gunshot wounds and another injured from gunfire.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired near Bruce Street and Poplar Avenue, north of Fremont Street, about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Officer Jose Montoya said a 44-year-old man was found shot in the abdomen with a .22-caliber handgun. Witnesses saw a gold Camaro or a gray or silver pickup truck leaving the scene, but it wasn't clear if the shooting was a drive-by, Montoya said.

The victim was taken to University Medical Center's Trauma Center in critical condition.

As officers were at the scene of that shooting, they were notified that another victim was at Eastern Avenue and Bonanza Road. An 18-year-old man had been shot in the leg, possibly with a shotgun, Montoya said. He was taken to Lake Mead Hospital and Medical Center.

Police believe the shootings are connected, and they appear gang-related.

Two traffic victims identified

The Clark County coroner's office has identified two people who died in separate traffic accidents within the past week.

A woman killed in a crash Monday at Rampart and Del Webb boulevards has been identified as Julia S. Sedar, 30, of Las Vegas.

Sedar was heading north on Rampart Boulevard in a 1997 Ford Explorer when she turned left into the path of a pickup truck, Metro Police said.

A pedestrian hit Nov. 13 by a Chevrolet Blazer on Boulder Highway between Sunset and Russell roads in Henderson has been identified as Robert J. Birch, 57.

Birch was trying to cross Boulder Highway when he was struck, Henderson Police said.

Brown succeeds Wiesner with GOP

The Nevada Republican Party filled two key posts in a weekend meeting.

Las Vegas attorney Joe Brown was elected national committeeman for the party, replacing Tom Wiesner, who died earlier this year after holding the job since 1986.

"Replacing someone as well respected as Tom Wiesner will be a tough job, but with his experience and long involvement as a Republican, Joe's the person to do it," Bob Seale, Nevada GOP chairman, said.

Trudy Hushbeck was also elected vice chairwoman of the party, after serving as Northern Nevada director.

"Her new position will allow her to take full advantage of her political knowledge of Nevada," Seale said.

FBI seizes Nye election records

The FBI has seized Nye County election records, including absentee ballots and voter registrations, in connection with the Nov. 5 election, the county clerk said.

Nye County Clerk Sam Merlino said FBI agents took the records from her Tonopah office on Tuesday. The seizure comes after the FBI took primary election records and nearly 1,300 absentee ballots last month in response to allegations that voters used mail-forwarding businesses as residential addresses.

In October a Pahrump judge disqualified 859 voters after ruling that they were listing a mail-forwarding company as their home address or were dead.

State law prohibits the practice of listing companies that forward mail as a residential address.

Social services director appointed

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly on Tuesday appointed Darryl Martin as the county's new Social Services Department director.

Martin has more than 15 years in public and nonprofit human services, according to the county. Martin, who holds a bachelor's and master's degree in social work from State University of New York, Albany, was one of 119 applicants and four finalists.

Clark County commissioners are expected to ratify Reilly's appointment during their Dec. 3 meeting.