State Briefs

Published: September 4, 2008

A 14-year-old girl who traveled more than six blocks inside an underground water pipe was already walking home Wednesday evening when firefighters came to her rescue.

Tulsa fire Capt. Michael Baker said the girl, whose name was not released, was in good condition and was released to her mother.

The incident occurred about 6 p.m. when a drain near where the girl was standing filled rapidly with water flowing from a large break in a 12-inch water line nearby.

The rushing water created a whirlpool and flushed her into the underground pipe.

The girl continued downstream until the water level dropped and she was able to exit on her own, Baker said.

City crews began making repairs immediately after the incident, he said.

A 1-year-old boy who fell into a family pool Tuesday morning and drowned was identified as Noah Tyler Sanders, said Major Mark Irwin, Broken Arrow police department spokesman.

The toddler was able to open a fence that went to the family's back yard, where the in-ground pool was located, Irwin said.

Broken Arrow police officers were called to boy's residence in the 500 block of W Toledo Place at about 10:55 a.m. The child was transported to St. Francis Hospital, where died about 1:30 p.m.

Washington County commissioners are placing a bond issue and sales tax increase for a $18.65 million jail on the Nov. 4 ballot. Commissioners, who had worked for about three years to send the jail question to voters, on Tuesday approved a $13.1 million bond issue and a half-cent sales tax to fund the project.

The Bartlesville City Council last week reversed a previous decision and approved zoning for the proposed jail site, but neighboring property owners have threatened legal action to try to stop the project.

John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw Tribe in Oklahoma, has been appointed to a federal historic preservation advisory panel by President Bush.

Berrey will serve a four-year term on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The council is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement and productive use of the United States' historic resources, and advises the president and Congress on national historic preservation policy.

From Staff and Wire Reports

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