FLC recognizes Jonathan Hayes as a 2025 Home Rule Hero
According to a news release, the FLC recognized Hayes for his exceptional advocacy during the 2025 Legislative Session.
The prestigious award honors municipal officials who relentlessly defend the principle of home rule, the right of local governments to address community needs with local solutions, free from excessive state interference.
The 2025 Home Rule Hero Award honors almost 180 municipal officials statewide. The FLC Chief of Legislative Affairs, Casey Cook, commended the leaders for their dedication.
'The dedication and effort of these local officials who tirelessly advocated for local decision-making was a difference-maker this legislative session,' Cook said.
Hayes was appointed City Manager of Panama City in January 2024. He has a distinguished public service career that includes roles as Director of Public Works and Logistics.
City of Panama said that Hayes' role has included managing vital infrastructure and public services, underscoring his commitment to enhancing the City's resilience and quality of life.
During the legislative season, Hayes was constantly engaged with state lawmakers, their staff and senior agency officials, where he provided valuable local perspectives on important issues.
Hayes's efforts contributed to the advancement of the League's legislative agenda, promoting glocal voices in policymaking.
City of Panama said that Hayes's resignation as a Home Rule Hero emulates his unwavering commitment to empowering the City's residents and businesses through effective local governance and advocacy.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Virginia city councilman Lee Vogler doused in gasoline and lit on fire in attack at his office
A man poured gasoline on a Virginia city councilman and set him on fire Wednesday, police said. Danville City Council member Lee Vogler, 38, was attacked at the office of a local media outlet, Showcase Magazine, where he works, in Danville, a small city roughly 45 miles northwest of Greensboro, North Carolina, police said in a statement. A man entered the office Wednesday morning and confronted Republican lawmaker before he doused him in flammable liquid, authorities said. Vogler and the suspect then exited the building, where the suspect lit Vogler on fire, they said. Police said that Vogler, the city council's youngest member, was airlifted to a hospital and that his condition remains unknown. In a brief phone call on Thursday, Danville City Council member L.G. 'Larry' Campbell, Jr. said that 60% of Vogler's body was burned. When asked if Vogler was expected to survive, Campbell said, "I haven't heard anything else, sir." Police identified the suspect as Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, of Danville. He fled but was picked up by law enforcement several blocks away, police added. Hayes has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding, police said on X. He is being held in the Danville City Jail under no bond, police said. A court-appointed attorney for Hayes declined to comment. Police said the attack "stems from a personal matter not related to the victim's position on Danville City Council or any other political affiliation." Court records indicate that Hayes' wife filed for divorce just over two weeks before the alleged attack. Attacks on local and national politicians have become more common in the United States in recent years. In 2020, 14 men were arrested in connection with a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the state's government. Last year, Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts while he was campaigning for president. In April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home was firebombed by a man who disagreed with his views on the war in Gaza. And last month, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in what authorities described as a politically motivated attack. Andrew Brooks, the publisher and owner of Showcase Magazine, addressed the attack Wednesday in a video the magazine posted on Facebook. He said Vogler was awake and en route to a burn center in Lynchburg. "This type of senseless act of violence has to stop, " he said in the video. "You do not have the right as a human being to get upset with someone enough to lash out and attempt to harm them in any way, much less this way." In a brief phone call, Danville Vice Mayor James Buckner said, "Please keep our fellow council member in your thoughts and prayers." Hayes was arraigned in court on Thursday morning, Senior Assistant Commonwealth Attorney David B. McKaig said in a statement. He will next appear in court on Sept. 30. This article was originally published on


Axios
4 days ago
- Axios
A new Crew star is Palestinian — fans can't fly his flag
The Crew's big summer signing is Palestinian, and a leaguewide MLS policy will bar Columbus fans from celebrating his heritage at their stadium. Why it matters: Wessam Abou Ali is the presumed new star of the Crew attack, a striker who represents the marquee signing fans have clamored for since Cucho Hernández's departure in February. Now, those fans are seeking an exception to the rule ahead of Abou Ali's arrival, which comes as MLS tries to avoid controversy related to the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Catch up quick: The Crew recently announced Abou Ali's signing in a reported $8.5 million transfer from Al Ahly, the biggest club in Egypt. Depending on bonuses, he could be the team's second-most expensive signing ever. Born in Denmark to Palestinian parents, he debuted for the Palestinian national team last year. Abou Ali can appear for the Crew when his P-1 visa is processed later this summer, according to the team. Flashback: Shortly after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, MLS issued a " temporary measure" banning in-stadium signs, banners, flags and tifos that reference the ongoing conflict, per The Athletic. Zoom in: That measure also placed "a moratorium on allowing new country flags into stadiums," league spokesperson Lauren Hayes has confirmed to Axios. Asked directly if Crew fans would be permitted to bring Palestinian flags in support of Abou Ali, Hayes declined to answer. Yes, but: Hayes says "there's a process in place" for supporters groups to ask teams to permit new flags in a stadium, which the team can pass on to MLS for approval. Leadership of Columbus' Nordecke fan group told Axios they've requested to the team's fan liaison that they be allowed to bring Palestinian flags to the stadium. A Crew spokesperson didn't answer an Axios inquiry as to whether the team would make that request to the league office, and said the team had "no specifics to share at this time." Context: Israeli striker Tai Baribo is the Philadelphia Union's leading goal scorer. Hayes says Israel flags are allowed at Philadelphia's Subaru Park because he was signed in August of 2023, before the new policy was enacted. Between the lines: Crew fans have frequently brought flags of new players' home countries to games without pushback, spokesperson Collin Hill tells Axios. Last year, Algerian flags were allowed when Canadian-born defender Mo Farsi chose to represent the Algerian national team, Hill says. In March, dozens of fans were allowed to bring Ukraine flags into the Nordecke as a show of support for Ukrainian defender Yevhen Cheberko, who was signed in 2023. What they're saying: Morgan Hughes, a longtime Crew support organizer and founder of the #SavetheCrew movement, tells Axios that Crew fans' activism is in the team's DNA.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
Arthur Hayes: Credit expansion will drive Bitcoin to $250,000 and Ethereum to $10,000
Crypto trading is like dancing, and credit expansion is the rhythm that drives the beat. That's according to Arthur Hayes, chief investment officer at Maelstrom, who said geopolitical noise won't stop crypto's pump. Instead, monetary expansion — as in central banks printing more money — will continue to drive Bitcoin's price growth thanks to its capped total supply, he argued. 'Bitcoin is the best horse to ride if you believe there will be more units of fiat created in the future,' Hayes wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. And Hayes said his fund is all-in on the credit expansion-driven cycle and predicts that Bitcoin will reach $250,000 by the end of the year. That's more than a 100% increase based on the current Bitcoin price. 'Macro hedge' Other market analysts also have similar expectations for Bitcoin. Roshan Roberts, CEO of OKX US, a crypto exchange, previously told DL News that institutional investors are treating Bitcoin as a 'macro hedge.' And the likes of Bitwise, Bernstein, and Standard Chartered have predicted that Bitcoin could reach at least $200,000 before 2026. But Bitcoin won't be the only high performer, according to Hayes. He says the crypto market's plumbing has changed thanks to stablecoins. Hayes argument? That stablecoin issuers have become de facto funders of America's deficit budget by buying US Treasuries, which means the crypto market's liquidity is deeply tied to government debt markets. Tether, the biggest stablecoin issuer, holds $120 billion in US Treasury bills, per its most recent quarterly attestation. And Ethereum is the prime stablecoin blockchain. Hayes says he is betting big on Ethereum and expects the market's second-largest cryptocurrency to repeat Solana's 2023 price surge and go as high as $10,000 this year. Ethereum has been on a hot streak since the start of the second quarter and is up more than 40% in the last two months. Last week, Mateusz Kara, CEO of Ari10, a crypto payment company, said Ethereum's price rising to $7,000 is no longer an unrealistic target. Crypto market movers Bitcoin is down 0.6% in value over the past 24 hours and is trading at $118,339. Ethereum is also down 1.1% in the same period to $3,658. What we're reading Senate's new crypto bill would exempt some tokens from securities laws — DL News Jito Reveals Largest-Ever Upgrade to Solana Block Building — Unchained What everyone's missing w/ SOL — Milk Road Polymarket Could Return to U.S. Market After $112M Acquisition — Unchained Ethena launches $360m treasury play that buys locked tokens — DL News Osato Avan-Nomayo is our Nigeria-based DeFi correspondent. He covers DeFi and tech. Got a tip? Please contact him at osato@ Sign in to access your portfolio