Local news briefs for August 9, 1999

Police find no leads in teen's death

Metro Police are investigating the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy killed in a northeast Las Vegas apartment Friday.

Jermaine Norton was found by his brother in their apartment in the 3000 block of South Nellis Boulevard near Vegas Valley Drive just after 11 p.m., police said.

The victim's brother had left the apartment about 9:30 p.m. leaving the boy home alone, police said.

There was no forced entry into the apartment and no known motive or suspects in the crime at this time.

Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call Metro's homicide detail at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Drivers interviewed in family's death

North Las Vegas Police have located and interviewed two teenage drivers who police believe may have played a part in a July 31 accident that killed four people.

The teens said that they were driving along Lake Mead Boulevard near Simmons Street and witnessed a fatal head-on collision but had nothing to do with it, Lt. Chris Larotonda said.

Witnesses say that three cars were playing some kind of game that involved high speed lane changes on westbound Lake Mead when one of the cars swerved out of control, crashing into a car in the eastbound lanes.

Darrell Wharton, 39, Brenda Wharton, 38, and their 3-year-old daughter, Autumn, were killed instantly in the accident. Dominique Heathmon, a 16-year-old passenger in the car that crossed into Lake Mead's eastbound lanes, died days later at University Medical Center.

The 16-year-old driver of the car that collided with the Wharton's car remains in critical condition at UMC. Police would not release his name.

"The driver is who we'd really like to talk to, but we can't until his condition improves," Larotonda said.

Downtown garage to get face lift

A bright red downtown Las Vegas garage soon won't be as easy to locate anymore.

Painters are beginning to whitewash the Fremont Street Experience garage on Fremont Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and Fourth Street that has been dubbed everything from gaudy to exciting for its look.

"It needed to be repainted anyway," Fremont Street Experience President Mark Paris said. "So we decided to tone it down a lot."

The garage will be painted off-white but will keep its red stairwells and trim. The paint job will also allow the garage to coordinate its colors better with the Race Rock restaurant under construction in part of the structure.

Teen eliminated in tournament

Sergei Movsesian pulled off a major upset by defeating the favored Peter Leko in Sunday's tie-breaker matches of the third round of the World Chess Championship at Caesars Palace.

Movsesian, 20, replaced the 19-year-old Leko as the youngest player remaining when he defeated the 11th-seeded Hungarian. Movsesian became one of the 16 players to advance to the fourth round today.

Leko became widely known as a wunderkind in the early 1990s when he gained the grandmaster title at age 14. He was one of the favorites to win the tournament being sponsored by the Federation Internationale des Echecs, or FIDE.

Movsesian crushed Leko in their first game in what Movsesian described as "kind of a massacre."

In the second game Lekoseemed to have Movsesian tied up, but the match ended in a draw, securing Movsesian his place in the sweet 16.

Hot August Nights cool down some

Some downtown Reno business owners have complained about tighter restrictions at last week's Hot August Nights classic car festival, saying they resulted in a sharp dropoff in business.

Sales were down $11,000 a day at Friend's Liquor and Convenience Store on South Virginia Street during the five-day event, clerk Mujibuo Kahn estimated.

Shooters Saloon owner Frank Scibilia said his sales were down 65 percent because customers couldn't take a beer to the curb to watch the cars.

Garry Sidha, owner of Silver Spur Liquor and Gifts, said his Saturday sales during the event declined from $25,000 four years ago to about $4,000 this year.

Allowing people to have a drink on the streets is the only way to reverse the trend, Sidha said.

Police sought the restrictions after a riot broke out at last year's Hot August Nights celebration and resulted in more than 250 arrests.

MDA looking for volunteers

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is seeking volunteers to help with Jerry Lewis' Labor Day telethon. Telethon organizers need help with answering phones, coordinating food and drinks for workers, distributing posters, greeting guests and other activities.

The telethon will be broadcast locally on KLAS Channel 8 Sept. 5 and 6. Call the MDA office in Las Vegas at 822-6920 or national headquarters at (800) 572-1717.

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