State briefs: Monday, June 30, 2008

Published: June 30, 2008

The state medical examiner's office ruled the death of a Mayes County jail inmate was caused by drugs and not the usage of a Taser device.

The medical examiner's office ruled this week that 44-year-old Barron Harvey Davis died from a lethal combination of a painkiller, an anti-anxiety drug and a muscle relaxer.

Sheriff Frank Cantey said a Taser was used twice on Davis after he was jailed because he continued to be combative and was banging his head on the wall of his cell. Davis died the following day.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences in Stillwater has completed upgrades to five buildings that are expected to generate up to $9 million in energy savings over the next 20 years.

Based on a utility bill comparison, the project has delivered more than $154,000 in operational savings that include glazing windows, lighting controls and retrofitting plumbing and air flow systems, according to a university news release.

At the same time, the amount of energy saved by the project is equivalent to consumption by 175 single-family homes, and the amount of water conserved could fill 18 Olympic-size swimming pools.

A 15-month-old boy has died after a vehicle backed over him at a rural Ardmore home.

Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace said the boy died about 10:30 p.m. Saturday at an Oklahoma City hospital from injuries suffered Friday.

Grace says Ardmore High School wrestling coach Edward Heath Clayborn was leaving the home when he ran over the boy.

Grace says the sheriff's office is investigating whether alcohol was a factor but won't have lab results back for several days.

Also in the news ...

•ZUCCHINI FESTIVAL: The inaugural Zucchini Festival is set for 5 p.m. Saturday in City Park in Carmen. Contests will include the best main and side zucchini dishes.