Vilonia presents firefighters with Heart Saver Award

“For our fire department to come in and save someone’s life by doing that is outstanding,” Alderman Steven Craig, who presented the award on Tuesday, said.

On Dec. 21, the Vilonia Fire Department received a call for a woman down who was not breathing. After performing CPR on her, the woman had regained her pulse before the ambulance even arrived.

“I’m very proud of our fire department,” Mayor Preston Scroggin said. “They train and work hard.”

The family said that the woman is doing great now.

“We had kind of a wild night,” Gina Moore, the daughter of the patient who was at the scene that night, said. “I can’t say enough how the response, the professionalism, the knowledge, everything. I mean it truly saved her life. We are just so very grateful.”

The city council also discussed an appeal by a local LLC called Nightingale Cottage concerning a conditional use permit request that was denied by the Vilonia Planning Commission at its previous meeting on Dec. 29.

The conditional-use permit was for the business starting a family-style living home for senior citizens or disabled individuals who don’t need 24/7 nursing care, but might need assistance with daily living tasks.

Tyler Henderson, the attorney representing the LLC, told the council that this is not an unlicensed nursing home but a living space that also provides basic needs assistance.

After a lengthy discussion, the city council determined that this property did not need a conditional-use permit and held a vote to oppose the Planning Commission’s decision.

Aldermen Mike Matos, Jim King and Joe Maxwell voted in favor of Nightingale Cottage while Craig and LaCosta Beene voted against. James Firestone was absent Tuesday evening due to an illness.

The appeal passed by a vote of 3 to 2.

The Vilonia Area Chamber of Commerce also announced Tuesday that its annual banquet will be held on March 4 at the Friendship Baptist Church with the theme “Fly like an eagle: Soaring to new heights in Vilonia.”