Mayor Jim Thomas, city council members and Hinesville Police Chief George Stagmeier recognized a HPD officer Thursday for what they called earlier heroic actions.
At 6:50 a.m. on Jan. 27, HPD Cpl. Angela Reynolds responded to a call to a vehicle on West Oglethorpe Highway where a woman was reportedly in labor. While she was on the way, she was advised by the woman’s husband she had already delivered.
“Upon my arrival, I observed the mother … holding her newborn baby on her stomach in the front passenger seat,” her initial report read. “The baby was wrapped in towels and wet from the birth. I observed the baby foaming from the mouth and not crying.”
She immediately told the husband to turn on the vehicle and its heater, then called for an EMT backup. Not sure about the baby’s condition, she shifted the mother, lifted the baby and saw the umbilical cord was still attached to the placenta. While supporting the baby, she swept his mouth and stroked his back until she heard the child crying.
Mother and child were soon taken to Winn Army Community Hospital.
For her actions, Reynolds received a plaque from the city’s leaders and a lifesaver ribbon from Stagmeier.
In other business, the council heard an update from Michelle Ricketson, executive director of the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority. She focused on Saturday’s opening of Bryant Commons park and its master plan for development.
The Veterans Memorial Walk will begin construction in the park later this spring, she said.
“The city has received about $104,000 in donations, and we’re expecting some more donations soon,” the mayor told the council. “Plus, Fort Stewart is going to do some of the groundwork for us by letting their engineers clear the site. That’ll save us a lot of money.”
Council Member David Anderson, who also chairs the Hinesville Military Affairs Committee, invited the public to make donations to the memorial through its website, www.veteransmemorialhinesville.com.
Other planned additions to the city park include realigning the front entrance with Ryon Avenue and adding iron gates to the entrance and exit. Paved parking is also planned.
Ricketson said the public is welcome to fish in the two ponds, although they’ll soon close the smaller one because of its proximity to the memorial construction.
Action items approved during Thursday’s meeting included annexing property at 229 Live Oak Church Road and rezoning nearly three acres at 1241 W. Oglethorpe Highway from general commercial to highway commercial.
The council also approved a peddler’s license for Joanka Lewis of Comcast to solicit door-to-door cable, internet, home and home security services.