FYN sends our condolences to the family of Bill Kokaly
Community, Featured, Featured Stories June 12, 2020
FYN’s saddened to report the passing of dear friend and longtime Field Representative for Congressman Doug Collins, Bill Kokaly. He moved on to a better world on Friday morning of June 12 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Kokaly loyally served Collins since the congressman’s first campaign and was instrumental in managing the military academy nominations for Ninth District high school students.
He retired from the United States Air Force after 20 years of service in 1996, and passionately represented Collins’ military constituents whenever they needed assistance. Additionally, he discussed public policy and issues of interest at Ninth District events in order to better understand the citizens.
An outpouring of condolences for Kokaly’s family is taking place across Georgia and the Ninth District. Collins released a statement mourning Kokaly’s passing on June 12:
“Like most people, I have been blessed with childhood friends who have walked with me and my family through every phase of life, constant in a sea of ever-changing tides. However, I believe that God brings other folks into your life at the right time to help you through a season in your life that only that person can fill. This morning one of those people finished his calling.
“It is with a very heart that I have to announce that Bill Kokaly died this morning. Bill has been with me from the beginning of my first campaign for Congress and has been a part of my staff – and more importantly, a part of my family – ever since. His amazing dedication to the work of the 9th District and to his family will never be replaced. He was a man of passion and strength, which is growing rare in these times.
Bill and I both shared a love of, as Bill would put it, our Air Force. The old MSgt never left his service behind. There is one group this morning that will miss Mr. Bill as much as I do, and that is all of the students that he helped get accepted to the service academies. He loved each and every one of those kids and followed their careers just like a proud parent.
To his wife, Gail, and the rest of Bill’s family, we share your pain and hold you close in our prayers. On a personal note, I will miss you, my friend. You taught me so much and I will miss our time together. Your season in my life ended too soon but I am the blessed one to have even had this season with you at all. God bless you, my friend. We will miss you.”
People throughout Georgia continue to leave condolences on social media.
Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston also released a statement of mourning and commemoration of Kokaly:
“I was so sorry to learn of the passing of my friend, Bill Kokaly, this morning. Bill served our Congressman Doug Collins and represented him at countless events and community gatherings in North Georgia.
“A tireless worker and selfless servant, Bill never met a stranger and would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He worked everyday to build up our community and see a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren.
“I will miss his friendship and his infectious generous spirit. My prayers go out to his bride, Gail, and his family in this difficult time. May he rest in well-deserved peace.”
We at FYN send our prayers, thoughts, and condolences to Kokaly’s wife Gail, and his family. He was a great man who genuinely wanted the best for everyone in the Ninth District, the state of Georgia, and the United States. Kokaly’s lifelong career of service to his country will be remembered and valued by all who knew him. May he rest in peace.
To read people’s memories of Bill Kokaly, please view Congressman Collins’ Facebook page.
Images were taken from Kokaly’s and Collins’ Facebook.
BKP Has A Call-In With Doug Collins!
Politics April 30, 2020BKP has Congressman Doug Collins on the show this morning to discuss Georgia and the 9th district. They discuss endorsements such as club for growth. They touch on the President and how Collins feels about Trump’s response to the pandemic. They also discuss General Flynn, State bailouts, and much more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uutm25aBpCs
Collins urges Windstream to provide increased access to rural broadband
Press Release, State & National April 10, 2020GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) today sent a letter to Windstream underscoring the importance of providing increased access to broadband – particularly in rural areas – in the midst of COVID-19.
“As representatives of thousands of Windstream customers, we write today regarding the impact coronavirus has had on broadband access in rural communities throughout Georgia,” they wrote. “In the past, we have written to you regarding the inadequate internet service our constituents are receiving despite your company’s acceptance of federal dollars to expand access. While we know Windstream has upgraded some areas that are more populated and less rural, many of our constituents continue to struggle with poor broadband speeds.”
For years, Windstream customers across Georgia have consistently struggled to gain access to reliable broadband speeds. Congress has taken significant steps toward expanding rural broadband infrastructure in recent years, including securing federal funding to providers in rural areas. However, some carriers – like Windstream – have failed to provide adequate broadband speeds to consumers despite collecting taxpayer dollars. As this pandemic is forcing more and more Georgians to rely on the internet, access to reliable broadband is more critical than ever before.
“Due to the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of Georgians are being forced to work, learn, and recreate from home. This undoubtedly has increased the strain on the networks your consumers depend upon. Over the past several years, we have heard complaints of a network that is overburdened and cannot keep up during peak use. Even though we have been calling for increased internet access in rural areas for years, this moment in time shows that Windstream has yet to meet the mark.”
Read the full letter here.
Live Call-In with Congressman Doug Collins
State & National April 9, 2020Due to the upcoming election BKP states that we need to meet the candidates. This morning, we start with Congressman Doug Collins. We discuss beginning to campaign again, the senate race, social distancing, ballot harvesting, and much more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOlhVOYFRoE&feature=youtu.be
FYN Interviews Rebbeca Yardley on Georgia’s 2018 Sine Die – Last Day of Legislative Session
Politics, State & National March 29, 2018
It’s Sine Die day, that means it’s the last day of the 2018 Legislative Session! Interviews First Vice Chairman of Georgia Congress 9th District GOP Rebecca Yardley on the experience and what to expect from the Georgia Capitol today!
Ga 9th District Congressman Collins on Tax Reform passed in the House
Politics November 21, 2017
Congressman Collins had the privilege to gavel in the passing of the Tax Reform Bill. The bill passed in the House on Nov. 16 with 227 votes. Of the 227 votes, there were absolutely no Democrat supporters on this bill. Collins says the passing of this bill strictly by Republican votes shows that Republicans can come together to get the 218, or over 218, requirement. This tax plan is designed to give people a tax break; to put money back into their pockets, but doing so in a way that will stimulate the economy for small businesses.
Collins Supports Protecting Second Amendment Rights for Veterans
Featured, Politics March 17, 2017
Jessica Andrews (202) 225-9893 [email protected] March 16, 2017 |
Collins Supports Protecting Second Amendment Rights for Veterans“It is odd that federal entities seem to find certain liberties—like the right to bear arms—less inalienable than others. I will continue to guard the constitutional rights of all Americans against groups that would undermine them, and I look forward to seeing due process restored in the question of veterans’ Second Amendment rights.” WASHINGTON—Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) voted today to support H.R. 1181, The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, to guard veterans’ right to bear arms and to due process under the law. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) labels veterans as “mentally defective” if they receive assistance from an appointed fiduciary. In the VA system, attaching this label to a veteran sends his or her name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Inclusion on the NICS list prohibits an individual from buying or possessing a gun. Under the VA’s system, individuals can be added to the system without any judicial determination, meaning veterans are deprived of their Second Amendment rights without due process. “As a military chaplain, I find it disheartening that the VA allows bureaucrats to make determinations about a veteran’s constitutional right under the pretext of mental health care. Under the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, a judicial determination—rather than a bureaucratic label—would be necessary to report a veteran’s name to NICS,” said Collins. “It is odd that federal entities seem to find certain liberties—like the right to bear arms—less inalienable than others. I will continue to guard the constitutional rights of all Americans against groups that would undermine them, and I look forward to seeing due process restored in the question of veterans’ Second Amendment rights.” Collins also cosponsored a similar piece of legislation, H.J.Res. 40, a joint resolution of disapproval of the Social Security Administration’s implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which effectively denied millions of Social Security recipients their Second and Fourth Amendment rights. President Trump signed this resolution into law last month. |
Collins issues statement: “We stand with Israel”
News May 15, 2019
Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.)
WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) released the following statement after signing a discharge petition to bring anti-Boycott, Sanction, and Divestment (BDS) legislation to the House floor. This petition will force the House to consider H.R. 336, the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019.
“The statistics are clear: anti-Semitism is on the rise, and tragically, certain Democrats in Congress continue to add fuel to the fire. It is our job as elected officials to stand with Israel and defend its right to exist, and to condemn hateful rhetoric of any form. I’m calling on Speaker Pelosi and Democrat leadership to join us in taking a stand against anti-Semitism and the BDS movement, and to support Congress in sending a clear message to the world: we stand with Israel.”
Earlier this year, the Senate passed companion legislation, S. 1, with strong bipartisan support.
In the 115th Congress, 30 current House Democrat members cosponsored similar anti-BDS legislation.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
WATCH LIVE Congressman Doug Collins serving the 9th District of Georgia Town Hall Meeting
Featured, Politics August 9, 2017
Watch LIVE on FYNTV.com Click link below:
Click here to watch town hall meeting LIVE
|
| Washington, D.C. Office: 1504 Longworth H.O.B. Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-9893 |
District Office: 210 Washington St. NW, Suite 202 Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone: (770) 297-3388 |
Collins Welcomes Neighbors to Town Hall
Politics August 7, 2017
|
|
Washington, D.C. Office: |
District Office: 210 Washington St. NW, Suite 202 Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone: (770) 297-3388 |
American Health Care Act – Dead! Tax Reform Stuck in Gridlock Trump Ready to Work with Democrats
Featured, Politics March 27, 2017
GA 9th District Congressman, Doug Collins, was the floor leader Friday for the American Health Care Act Debate. We asked Congressman Collins if the Health Care Bill was dead? Could they overcome Republican gridlock in the House to take on President Donald Trump’s Tax Reform Policy? You will be shocked to hear the Congressman’s answer! Collins goes on to talk about how this bill would have defunded planned parenthood. You will hear the Congressman’s frustration that that did not happen.
https://youtu.be/sBwZcxflU_Y
COLLINS PRAISES PASSAGE OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WITH CORPS REFORMS
Politics, State & National June 7, 2018
COLLINS PRAISES PASSAGE OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WITH CORPS REFORMS
WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives has passed the Water Resources Development Act, a bill that authorizes water infrastructure projects across the country. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) advocated for the bill to include reforms of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Lakes Lanier, Hartwell, Russell and Carters.
The bill would give local entities a larger role in sourcing funding for projects and directs the Corps to consider local opinions in projects that involve ports, dams or lakes under its authority.
“The Corps of Engineers too often ignores the impacts its actions have on local lakes and residents, and it’s time for a fundamental change to how the Corps handles its responsibilities. I’m glad to see provisions in this infrastructure bill that would increase the influence that residents of Northeast Georgia have over their water resources, homes and communities, and I’ll continue holding the Corps accountable for how it manages lakes in Northeast Georgia.
“The Water Resources Development Act also ensures that the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, which creates jobs across the state and is critical to Georgia’s economy, continues to receive necessary resources,” said Collins.
The House Rules Committee oversees every bill that comes to the House floor for a vote. As part of this committee, Collins also spoke to the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee about improving the Corps of Engineers.
BKP Interviews Congressman Collins regarding Government Shutdown and More
Politics, State & National January 22, 2018
Tune in as BKP interviews our very own 9th District Congressman Doug Collins on the current government issues and day 3 of the government shut down. Hear how Collins feels about the situation and what needs to happen to resolve the issues at hand.
OBAMACARE VICTIM ACCOMPANIES COLLINS TO JOINT SESSION
Featured, Politics February 28, 2017
OBAMACARE VICTIM ACCOMPANIES COLLINS TO JOINT SESSION
02/27/17
WASHINGTON—Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) will attend President Donald Trump’s speech to the joint session of Congress with a guest from Toccoa, Georgia. Members of Congress each receive one guest ticket to the president’s annual speech.
Congressman Collins has invited his constituent Brittany Ivey to the joint session. The working mother and her husband have struggled under the consequences of the Affordable Care Act. Ivey was working part-time at a small business that provided her family with health insurance until the effects of Obamacare on the insurance market raised her premiums sharply. This drove the Ivey family into the individual market, where a mid-level plan took 65% of her monthly gross income—even after a small federal subsidy.
“There’s no better occasion than the president’s annual address to Congress to bring attention to the victims of the Affordable Care Act and the urgency of repealing Obamacare. Northeast Georgia is full of individuals who work tirelessly to care for their families, and Mrs. Ivey’s story illustrates the destruction wrought by the failed health care law,” said Collins.
“Unable to afford insurance through her employer, Mrs. Ivey turned to the federal exchange, where she obtained a plan that neither her nor her children’s doctor would accept. The government has robbed our loved ones of their access to affordable, meaningful health services, and the only remedy before us is to return competition and innovation to every dimension of our health care system by repealing Obamacare.”
“I’m looking forward to the president’s remarks on how our unified government is rescuing health care for millions of people injured by the misguided Affordable Care Act.”
Ivey is relieved that members of Congress seem to understand her family’s plight, and she is eager to see substantive health care reform.
“I’m grateful that Congress is taking action to fix our health care system. For the last several years, my family has experienced how Obamacare hurts hardworking, middle-class Americans. All I wanted was to be a stay-at-home mother to my daughter and sons, but the skyrocketing prices of health insurance drove me back into the labor market full-time,” explains Ivey.
“My husband and I have been punished for working hard, driven to the edge of financial disaster as we paid thousands and thousands of dollars in premiums for a federal plan that our doctors rejected. Even though we’re healthy, this law has crippled our family.”
President Trump is scheduled to address members of the House of Representatives and the Senate at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28.
Collins Bill to Honor Fallen Marine Sent to President’s Desk
Community, News, State & National March 9, 2018
COLLINS BILL TO HONOR FALLEN CLERMONT MARINE SENT TO PRESIDENT’S DESK
WASHINGTON—The Senate last night voted unanimously to pass H.R. 3821, legislation to rename Georgia’s Clermont Post Office in honor of Zack T. Addington. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) introduced the bill this September, and it passed the House in November.
“Lance Corporal Zack Addington represents the selfless courage that’s cultivated in northeast Georgia, and I’m excited to see this bill leave Congress and head to the president’s desk for his signature,” said Collins.
Collins also honored Addington when he spoke about the bill on the House floor.
Background:
Known to his neighbors as Zack, Addington joined the United States Marine Corps in 1967. A native of Clermont, he became a rifleman in the 3rd Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force and deployed to Vietnam that year. Addington was promoted to Lance Corporal and served his country honorably until he was killed in action in May 1968.
That June, Addington received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon in recognition of his service there.
Lumpkin County Board of Education announces called meeting for August 24
Community, News August 23, 2018LUMPKIN, CO., GA
11 days after they voted on the current millage rate, which will result in a property tax increase, the Lumpkin County Board of Education announced that they will hold a called meeting on August 24. The announcement came after local media and local citizens questioned the integrity behind previous public hearings that involved the millage rate vote.
According to their Facebook page, the purpose of the meeting is to, “hear community feedback regarding millage rates, school system budgets, and school finance.” They also stated that, “all community members are encouraged to attend and to provide feedback or ask questions.If you are unable to attend, but wish to provide feedback, please email our school board members.”
In a separate post on social media, Superintendient, Dr. Robert Brown, released the following statement, “It is ridiculous for anyone to suggest that our school board is not welcoming of public input or attempted to avoid feedback provided at the millage hearings. Our school board members receive phone calls and emails from concerns and supportive citizens on a regular basis. They welcome and seek feedback from a variety of sourced in our community, all in an effort to continue providing a premier education for all students in Lumpkin County.” However, according to a local Dahlonega resident, several attempts at contacting members of the board and the superintendent were all left unanswered.
FYN also called and emailed each board member, as well as the superintendent, but did not receive a response.
The meeting will be held at the Lumpkin County Central Office at 6pm.