December 2025 | Volume 14 | Issue 3
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Newsmaker of the Year Jegil Dugger stands beside one of his Pye kiosks, the technology he designed to help restaurants cut costs and stay competitive. Photo courtesy of Jegil Dugger.
Nick Derzis grabbed the public’s attention with call to action
From Blazer to builder: Jegil Dugger’s journey from football to tech
By JON ANDERSON
A
s the calendar pages flipped to January 2025, there was just one confirmed candidate for mayor of Hoover in the 2025 election, and that was incumbent Frank Brocato. But another name certainly was circulating as a potential challenger: Nick Derzis. As momentum built in that direction, the 20-year police chief finally announced his candidacy in mid-March, and the Derzis train surged ahead full steam. It was a powerful push and one that Brocato could not stop, with Derzis achieving victory at the polls in August with 56% of the more than 17,000 votes cast. The people had spoken, and they were ready for a change. Derzis, pushing an agenda of economic development, greater transparency and public involvement, took over the mayor’s chair on Nov. 3 and earned the spot of Hoover’s Newsmaker of the Year for 2025.
By DIANE POOLE Jegil Dugger was pumping gas when the name came to him. Pye — a nod to 3.14, a nod to food — a name that stuck. It was one of those odd moments, a flash of vision in the middle of an ordinary day. Dugger, a former UAB and pro football player who lives in Hoover, already knew what he wanted: to build self-pay kiosk technology that would help restaurants and small retailers stay open when post-pandemic labor costs and shortages threatened to shut them down. He also wanted to add a way for people to make secure cash payments in multiple languages to reach customers who don’t have debit or credit cards — so no one is left out or left behind. “For me, accessibility isn’t a feature, it’s the foundation,” Dugger said of his patented technology. “I know what exclusion feels like, and I’m committed to building solutions that bridge the gap, not widen it.”
See DUGGER | page 26
See DERZIS | page 24
Nick Derzis does an interview on the night he was sworn in as Hoover’s new mayor. Photo by Frank Couch.
INSIDE
Sponsors.................. 4 City............................ 5
Schoolhouse............ 6 Business..................10
Events......................14 Sports......................16
Community............20
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Joyful Noise
Heating Up
Foundations partner to provide $30,000 in music kits for Hoover special needs classrooms.
Hoover High School basketball teams carry their typical high expectations into new season.
See page 8
Holiday Safety Starts with All of Us Together, we can keep Jefferson County safe and bright. Wishing you a joyful and secure holiday season. — Sheriff Mark Pettway
See page 16