Brian K. Pritchard announces candidacy for State House District 7
News, Politics November 28, 2022Georgia- Brian K. Pritchard (BKP) announces his candidacy for State House District 7. A special election will be held on January 3rd 2023.
“I’m excited to announce today that I am running for Georgia State House District 7. Unfortunately this election will run through the Christmas and New Year holiday. Governor Brian Kemp has called for a special election January 3rd.”
Thank you,
“BKP” Brian K. Pritchard
706-889-9700
On November 16th a giant tree fell in the North Georgia mountains. The second longest-serving State House Speaker, David Ralston died. Although I considered him a close friend, I never called him David. I always addressed him as “Mr. Speaker.” Speaker Ralston loved the people of the 7th District where he called home from the time of his birth. He also loved the State of Georgia and being House Speaker. I asked him if he would ever run for congress or senate and both times he answered with a firm, “NO, if I did that they wouldn’t let me be speaker.”
We knew him as Speaker Of the House but we can’t forget he was Georgia State Representative District 7, elected to the office in 2003. You can’t go anywhere in the district that you don’t see the fruits of him being our Representative.The hard reality is the 7th District is no longer represented by the Speaker of the House, it’s like we have hit the reset button. This is not the time to take any chances. We need to elect someone ready to serve on day one. We can’t afford for our district to go backwards, we must be prepared to go forward. That is why I’m announcing that I’m running for Georgia State House District 7.
We the People …. Our Founding Fathers intended for us to have a representative government of the PEOPLE and By The People, not corporations, special interests or lobbyists. The only reason you run for office should be to serve the people of the district. We are tired of self-serving politicians in this country. The people, businesses and organizations in the 7th District will be my special interest group.
This Special Election is what they call a jungle primary meaning there is no party primary and then a general election. This is a nonpartisan election. Candidates don’t have to identify a political party on the ballot.
But, I am a Republican, and I am a Christian first. Nothing comes before God and family. I am a Constitutional compassionate conservative. I believe in loving and caring for my fellow man. A political party should never be the determination on how we care for people less fortunate than ourselves. I support and will uphold the great documents of our US and State Constitutions. I am a fiscal conservative. I believe the state can provide services needed to operate with a little less money from the taxpayers. The people pay the bills and the government should be good stewards of the taxpayers money. We The People are overtaxed and need a representative that is beholden to the people. I believe in limited government and it’s time we get the government out of our pockets. I will be a representative for all the people in the 7th District.
- We must protect our environment and preserve our beautiful lakes, rivers and forests.
- We must protect our children from a “WOKE” government agenda and preserve parental rights.
- I will work with the county and city governments to find a balanced way to continue growth in the district while maintaining the rural look and feel that we love.
- I have and will always support our teachers and our local educational system and the University system in our district. The children are our future and we need to provide them every opportunity possible for them to be successful. This will help attract well paying jobs to our district.
- I have and will always support our law enforcement. The safety and well-being of our citizens will alway be a top priority of mine. Drug cartels are not welcome and I will help our great men and women in law enforcement get the resources they need to keep us safe. Keep Atlanta crime out of our mountains!
- I have and will always support our accountability courts.
- As your Representative I will do everything I can to eradicate the drug problem in our community. We need to restore families. This is a must to protect our children from this evil.
- I am pro second amendment and believe in the sanctity of life.
I look at everything with a positive view and I know together we can accomplish our goals. I am a husband, father, and grandfather and protecting this district will have my entire focus and attention. Look for my upcoming campaign videos where I will go into greater detail on all the issues.
In the coming days of the campaign I will release short videos highlighting my dedication to the 7th District over the past 20 years and how I plan to represent the district. Visit our website BKP4GA.com and follow our social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BKP4GA.
If you have any questions do hesitate to contact me at bkp4ga@gmail or call me 706-889-9700.
I look forward to the opportunity to speak about the issues with any group or even a living room coffee talk.
I humbly ask for your vote to be your next District 7 State Representative.
Sincerely,
“BKP” Brian K. Pritchard
Ask The Doc! Ascites And Spindle Cell Sarcoma
Community May 2, 2021This week, the Doctors discuss Ascites in a patient whose lung Cancer is being treated by the Jimmy Carter Immune Therapy. What is it? How is it treated? They also touch on the Spindle Cell Sarcoma. How serious is it? What are the different kinds of Sarcomas? The doctors also give a brief Covid update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rprXMdNDwrA
Vernon Jones speaks on Trump Rally and crowdsurfing
Election 2020, News October 19, 2020Fresh off his weekend and an event where he “crowd-surfed” to a young man in a wheelchair because he wanted a picture, Georgia State Representative, Vernon Jones (D) says, “Let me be clear about one thing. I’m committed to this President. I believe in this President. I took a leap of faith and I believed in that crowd and that crowd caught me.”
This was not Jones’ first event in support of President Donald Trump either. He is campaigning for the President in the current elections saying that he is a life-long Democrat, but he would not vote for Joe Biden.
Comparing the two, Jones said that Biden has destroyed black men and women through mass incarceration. He has a record of doing nothing whereas Trump has produced results like the First Step Act restoring families.
Focusing on business and the economy, Jones listed several things as accomplishments in Trump’s Presidency like correcting trade agreements to a fair agreement for America, grew the economy evidenced by businesses expanding and job growth, increased pay for those in military service, and supported historical black college funding.
Jones said, “He has done more in the past 47 months than Joe Biden has done in the past 47 years.”
He added that people are being shamed for supporting Trump by the media and others as they are being portrayed as racists and bigots. But these people are just people. People who don’t care what color you are, people who just love their country.
Many Democrats are turning in support of the President and for himself, according to Jones, because they see the craziness in their own party, the anger in their own party, and the violence in their own party.
Jones referenced the incident over the weekend of a Trump supporter who was attacked and lost two teeth in the beating he took. He said this is the game that these liberals are playing. They are trying to incite fear through violence, fear through the pandemic, and fear through the media.
In full support of Trump, he said in an interview that the President is the best hope in support of our first and second amendment rights. He later added that voting for Biden isn’t even a vote for Biden as president. “He wouldn’t be the president, it would be Kamala Harris,” he said.
He added that she would be even scarier.
Going down the ballot from Trump, Jones also showed his support for Doug Collins and the work he has already done for Georgia as a Representative for the 9th Congressional District. While he didn’t specifically comment on Loeffler, he did say that Warnock was the wrong choice saying, “… it’s a vote for our civil liberties to be lost. It’s a vote for illegal immigration. It’s a vote for taking away the tax cut. He is dangerous.”
However, he didn’t stay long with this race and returned again to the Presidential Election and its importance as he said he was going to continue supporting and campaigning for Trump through his birthday even, October 31. He said that despite the polls, he wants Georgia to be all for the president in his re-election. Especially since the opposition has the major media supporting and propping up Biden’s campaign.
Jones pointed to the media and incidents with Biden meeting with Russian officials. He asks why none of them are asking Biden about it and why he or anyone in his campaign wouldn’t denounce the allegations or answer the questions.
With more events coming and debates on the way, Jones said he is looking to continue campaigning hard as he stands behind his words and endorsements.
It was a common theme during his statements. Constantly focused on the election, on Trump, and on the future of America. Many other stories are focused on his crowd surfing and the meaning or consequences of that day.
Jones stated in the video, “Show me the next crowd. I’ll do the same thing.”
Georgia gubernatorial candidate visits FYNTV
Election, Politics February 20, 2018BKP interviews Georgia candidate for governor and Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Among many topics, Kemp discusses immigration, Georgia voting machines, paper ballots, pay for law enforcement, and Kemp’s opinion of the negotiations to bring Amazon HQ2 for Georgia.
BKP Interviews Georgia House Speaker David Ralston
State & National February 13, 2018On FYN TV, BKP interviews Georgia’s Speaker of the House for District-7 Representative David Ralston, as they discuss Georgia’s aggressive plan for a large infrastructure investment that was presented and highlighted at a meeting for Republican leaders including Ralston, over the weekend at The White House. Speaker David Ralston comments on what that means for Georgia.
Pictured below: Speaker of the House for Georgia District 7 David Ralston at this past weekends Infrastructure Meeting at the White House with Republican leaders and President Donald Trump.
Mountaintop Tourney: Bobcats Claw the Colts
Gilmer High School, Team FYN Sports December 31, 2017This past Thursday at the Mountaintop Holiday Classic, the Gilmer Bobcats took on the Coahulla Creek Colts at Fannin County High School. Both teams were battling to redeem themselves from their lost games prior to the matchup at Fannin County. The Colts did not come to “horse around”, they put their all into the game and the Bobcats did the same.
During the first quarter of the game, Gilmer relied heavily on inside passes for shots under the basket which was how they scored the majority of their points. This allowed Bobcat, Kell Weaver, to be the main man inside throughout the game and lead Gilmer in scoring with twenty-five points. The Colts did most of their scoring from the outside thanks to their point guard, Maddox Adams. Adams led his team in scoring with twenty-eight points overall. Although the teams had different methods of scoring, it didn’t mean that one was better than the other. As the buzzer sounds for the first quarter to end, the Gilmer Bobcats and Coahulla Creek Colts were tied with a score of 14-14.
Both teams were fighting for the lead as soon as the second quarter began. The Bobcats gained more confidence in their shooting and started making outside shots. Bobcat, Tyler Sims, contributed twenty points for Gilmer with his outside shots. Another Bobcat, David Smith, followed the trend by scoring a three point shot for his team. Bobcat number two, Carter Hice, started driving the lane and put eight more points on the board. Gilmer took the lead over the Colts after the second quarter with a score of 30-24.
With the Colts making fakes left and right, Gilmer also found an opportunity for more points. The Bobcats had the determination to look up the court and see the open lane as a perfect chance for layups. Bobcat, Coady Cobb, had the speed to make the layups and contribute six points for Gilmer. Another Bobcat, Austin Daman, contributed four more points to put on the board for his team. Gilmer doubled their lead over the Colts at the end of the third quarter with a score of 46-34.
Although the Colts lead strayed farther from the Bobcats, they were not giving up. Both teams started getting after it on defense and drawing fouls. Towards the end of the game, Gilmer started driving the defense inside, leaving teammates on the outside open where they would score more points. The Colts proved to have outstanding determination and hustle by going after loose balls and getting steals on defense. However, it was not enough for them to trot away with a win. Being the last game of the night, the Gilmer Bobcats closed out the first day of the tournament with a 66-54 win over the Coahulla Creek Colts.
The Bobcats win puts their overall record at 4-8 while the Colts stand at 3-7. Catch the Gilmer Bobcats next region game on January 5 at 8:30 as they travel to take on Northwest Whitfield!
The Lady Bobcats Nip the Lady Colts
Gilmer High School, Team FYN Sports December 31, 2017The Lady Bobcats traveled to Fannin County High School this past Thursday where they were matched up to take on the Lady Colts for day one of the Mountaintop Holiday Classic. The Colts were striving to continue their winning streak of two games prior to the matchup at Fannin County while the Bobcats were determined to knock them off their high horse and redeem themselves from a seven point loss to Union just a few nights before.
The Lady Colts did not waste any time. The first chance they got on defense, they went into a full court press. Despite the Lady Colts high pressure defense, the Lady Bobcats broke the press with no trouble. Gilmer had amazing looks up the court and found many opportunities for wide open shots. Bobcat, Emma Callihan, broke through the full court press and led her team in scoring by putting twenty-three points on the board. Lady Colt, Lily Snyder, led Coahulla Creek in scoring with twenty points overall. Number ten for the Bobcats, Marylee Callihan, was right behind her teammate in scoring with nineteen points thanks to her ankle-breaking moves under the basket. The Lady Bobcats had a three point lead over the Lady Colts at the end of the first quarter with a score of 16-13.
With the Lady Colts behind, they decided to try what was working for the Lady Bobcats. Coahulla Creek started looking up the court for open passes where they added onto their score. Bobcat, Faith Ralston, starting driving the lane and contributed two points for Gilmer. The Bobcats defense came alive towards the end of the quarter which resulted in Mallory Kiser getting steals and putting seventeen points on the board. Lady Colt, Mallory Poe, makes a three point buzzer beater shot at the end of the second quarter. Poe’s shot made the score 35-29 with Gilmer still in the lead.
Since the Lady Bobcats tried to keep their lead just as hard as the Lady Colts tried to take it away from them, both teams started fouling. Bobcat, MichaMichaela Staley, drew fouls and made one of her shots which contributed one point for Gilmer. Another Lady Bobcat, Hope Colweu, contributed two points for her team from foul shots due to her grit down low. As the third quarter came to an end, the Lady Bobcats kept their lead over the Lady Colts with a score of 54-42.
As the fourth quarter began, the Lady Colts found what was missing in their defense. Coahulla Creek’s intensity came alive by making steals left and right. With the Colts making adjustments, the Bobcats had to do the same if they wanted to keep their lead. Gilmer started to have good looks and passes on the inside where they extended their lead. The ball would be on the Lady Colts side of the court one second, then on the Lady Bobcats the other. Despite the Colts burst of energy at the end, they could not gallop to victory. The Gilmer Lady Bobcats won the game with a score of 77-67 over the Coahulla Creek Lady Colts.
The Lady Bobcats win puts their overall record at 7-5 with the Lady Colts standing at 5-6. Catch the Gilmer Lady Bobcats next region game on January 5 at 7:00 as they travel to take on Northwest Whitfield!
Dent Retirement a Sign of Trump Wave in ‘18?
Politics, State & National September 12, 2017Amidst all the talk among Democrats and the Media that the Trump election and presidency is a one off that will soon be remedied by a Democrat wave — there is actually evidence to suggest that just the opposite will ring true in 2018. For example, look at upstart Pennsylvania Congressional candidate Justin Simmons, who is running to be the GOP nominee in the 15th District. Simmons, 31, currently represents PA State House District 131 and was planning to mount a Conservative challenge to seven term incumbent Rep. Charlie Dent in the Spring 2018 Primary. That was until Dent abruptly announced his retirement, opening the door for 35 year old Ryan Mackenzie to enter the now open race, a race that could prove to be a battle between conflicting wings of the Republican Party.
Simmons recently called in to FYNTV’s Good Morning from the Office for an exclusive interview regarding his initial decision to run, the surprise of Dent’s retirement, and the differences between himself and Mackenzie.
Simmons made it clear from the beginning that his motivation to run was the dissatisfaction among Conservatives in the 15th District with Dent, as evidenced by the recent rally in protest of the seven term Congressman. According to Simmons, “just his voting record alone is bad enough… then going on MSNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times… being the go to Republican to rip Donald Trump and Conservatives,” had angered voters in the district won by both Donald Trump and Charlie Dent. However, Dent had spoken out aggressively against Trump during the campaign, refusing to endorse him and frequently criticizing him after his inauguration.
“I was never fully on board with Charlie, I always knew he was pro-choice and supported taxpayer funded abortion… but he was fiscally Conservative at first,” said Simmons, adding “as time went on he just got more Liberal.”
The news of Dent’s sudden announcement to retire was a surprise to the Simmons team, although he insists they were “ecstatic” and this it was a “victory” because it creates a chance to elect a Conservative representative. However, it has created a brand new dynamic with the entry of Mackenzie, setting up a race described by The Morning Call as a “Hatfield’s and McCoy’s race” between what they described as two longtime rivals. Although Simmons dismissed the “Hatfield’s and McCoy’s” comparison he did elaborate on what he sees as the differences between him and the only other declared candidate.
Ryan and I have worked together on a lot of good issues. The difference between Ryan and I, is Ryan is establishment and I am not. I got my foray into politics by taking on a Liberal Republican, I took on the party and I took on the establishment. Ryan Mackenzie, he came into politics, his Dad was the former chair of the party, he was very connected. When he first ran for State House in the 134th District… there was a special election and the party hierarchy greased the skids for Ryan, they cleared the field in the special election for him, he hasn’t had an opponent since.
Simmons also described Mackenzie as Charlie Dent’s hand picked successor, which means he will be the beneficiary of the PA GOP fundraising network. However, Simmons described it as a negative because it means Mackenzie would be beholden to the moderate Republican structure of the state party and not the Trump Coalition that delivered PA to a Republican presidential candidate for the first time in a generation.
This race will be one of many that pits establishment Republicans against the new, Trump Republicans. In his recent interview with 60 Minutes, former White House strategist Steve Bannon made clear his intentions to target establishment Republicans in the 2018 Primary races. This has already manifested itself in races like the special election for Senate in Alabama, where incumbent Sen. Luther Strange was leading in polling until Bannon endorsed his opponent, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore.
What’s more, the race in Pennsylvania will pit two millennial candidates, Mackenzie is 35 and Simmons is 31.
You can see Simmons’ entire interview here:
Gilmer Turf Talk
Team FYN Sports August 23, 201711/07/2015
Tonight we highlight the Seniors of the Gilmer Bobcats football team. BKP and Coach Wingard recap the season and congratulate the Seniors for all of their effort throughout the season.
10/24/17
BKP sits down with Gilmer’s Head Coach Casey Wingard, O-Line Coach Taylor, and four of the Gilmer Bobcats to discuss Friday night football.
10/17/2017
Coach Wingard and Coach Flowers sit down with BKP to discuss the game against Southeast Whitfield.
10/3/2017
Gilmer Bobcats Head Coach Casey Wingard joins us to discuss the Pickens game and look ahead to the bye week.
9/26/2017
Head Coach Casey Wingard joins us to discuss the Heritage game and look ahead to the Pickens game!
9/20/2017
Head Coach Casey Wingard and the running back coach to discuss last Friday’s game. They also discuss the plan of attack on this week’s game. As always we would like to thank Circuit World of Ellijay for letting us film this show in their show room. Also, a huge thank you to Shane’s Rib Shack in Ellijay for always providing the coaches and players on the show with a meal. Come out this Friday and support your Gilmer Bobcats on their home turf. Kick off starts at 7:30 PM.
9/05/2017
Gilmer coaches and lead players meet with #BKP from FYNTV.COM to discuss the previous week’s game and strategy for next week!
8/29/2017
8/22/2017
For the season opener, BKP sits down with Coach Wingard and Defensive Coach Flowers to discuss the first game for the Bobcats. It was a tough loss for them against Fannin last week, but everyone is keeping their heads up for the next game this upcoming Friday. We would like to thank Circuit World in Ellijay for letting us broadcast from their location. Also, we would like to thank Shane’s Rib Shack for providing the meals for the coaches and players on the show. Tune in TUESDAY at 7PM next week for another “Turf Talk” on FYNTV.COM!
Ask The Doc with Dr. Whaley – thyroids, acne scars, and ADHD
Health August 18, 2017We welcomed Dr. Whaley back from his travels this morning on the show. He always has great knowledge to share with us not just medically but he and BKP also discuss political news. Today he answered the following viewer questions:
Are there any natural substances which will help with a thyroid problem?
What’s the best treatment for acne scars?
What does the research say about the relationship between food additives and ADHD?
We would like to thank Georgia Cancer Specialist for sponsoring this segment!
“Ask The Doc” with Dr. Tidman – Shingles, Pedicures, and Adrenal Fatigue
Health May 12, 2017Dr. Whaley is traveling out of town so today we sit down with Dr. Tidman for our “Ask the Doc” segment! He has so much great information for us regarding these viewer questions:
- Can anyone get shingles? Should people take the vaccination?
- I like to get pedicures in the summer but are there risks, not all nail
salons use liners? - Is there such a thing as adrenal fatigue?
He also has a great joke that he tells us at the end of his segment! Tune in to that to get your laugh of the day! We would like to thank Georgia Cancer Specialist for sponsoring this segment.
Karla’s Korner – Recap of Taste of Ellijay and Memorial Day Weekend
Community, Gilmer County Chamber May 30, 2017Even though Karla was on vacation from the Chamber today she still came over to chat with us. She and BKP talked about the success of Taste of Ellijay last week, the Memorial Day Celebrations that happened in the community over the weekend, and all the things that she has had to do while on vacation. We love having Karla on the show to keep BKP in check and also keep us up to date on all the local things going on in Gilmer County. Thank you to the Gilmer Chamber for sponsoring this segment. To see all the upcoming events going on in Gilmer County look at the calendar on the Gilmer Chamber website.
Karla’s Korner – Weekend Events for May 6th & 7th
Community April 25, 2017Happy Tuesday from BKP and Karla! Here in Gilmer County we are getting super excited for the Georgia Apple Blossom Festival that is coming up next weekend. The festival is free to attend and is pet friendly. It is on May 6th from 9 AM until 5 PM and May 7th from 9 AM until 4 PM. There will be handmade arts and crafts, a local business expo, and of course yummy festival snack foods you do not want to miss. In addition to the festival there are several other activities you can enjoy with your family and friends. Saturday morning there is a 5 K race “Run for the Son” that will benefit the Gilmer CLC program and the Ellijay Farmers Market will be opening downtown. In the evening you could enjoy a couple different musical events ranging from bluegrass to jazz. For more info on these and all other upcoming local events visit the Gilmer County Chamber event calendar. Thank you to the Gilmer Chamber for sponsoring this segment.
Georgia Speaker of The House David Ralston Talks About Rural Georgia Issues, Health Care…
Featured, Politics April 17, 2017Our interview Friday with Speaker of The House David Ralston focused on rural Georgia. Ralston went into detail about the new Rural Georgia Economic Council. This council will be co-chaired by (R) Terry England from Auburn, (R) Jay Powell from Camilla and Vice Chair (R) Sam Watson from Moultry. The council will be holding meetings across Georgia to hear from elected officials, local businesses and citizens about how they feel rural Georgia economy can best be improved. Ralston said jokingly that he better not find out that one meeting took place in Atlanta.
Health care is a major concern in rural Georgia. Several hospitals have closed in rural Georgia areas including one in Ralston’s district in North Georgia. We spoke to Ralston abut one possible solution to meet rural Georgia health care needs. Ralston used the example of the first stand alone emergency room, opened by Piedmont Mountainside Hospital in Gilmer county. In this interview we asked Ralston if Gilmer county still had the possibility of having a full hospital.
Ralston told us that sometime within the next month Governor Nathan Deal would be visiting Gilmer county’s Fire Station 1 to sign the fire fighter’s workmen’s compensation bill. We asked Ralston the difference in this years campus carry bill opposed to last year’s bill which Governor Deal vetoed. Not being able to speak for the Governor, Ralston said he felt they made the changes necessary to get Deal to sign the bill. We also discussed the pay raises agreed upon in the 2017 legislative session for teachers, state law enforcement, and D.F.C.S workers.
Our final question in our interview friday: Speaker Ralston do you see the governor’s mansion in your future?
Ask the Doc with Dr. Whaley – Tanning & Hearing Aids
Health April 17, 2017BKP and Katy talked with Dr. Whaley today about several great topics. One that is especially important this time of year as most females get ready for “bathing suit season” – Tanning. Dr. Whaley addresses the dangers of tanning beds, discusses spray tans and gives some alternate options that can be used instead to gain a great summer glow. The other viewer questions Dr. Whaley discusses in today’s “Ask the Doc” segment are:
What causes Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and what is the best method of treatment? Can iodine help this condition?
Hearing aids are very expensive. How often will I have to be making an investment to replace or update them?
If you have questions for our doctor e-mail them to [email protected] or 706-889-9700
We would like to thank Georgia Cancer Specialist for sponsoring this segment!
Karla’s Korner – Upcoming Events in Gilmer County
Community, Featured April 18, 2017Springtime in Ellijay means a lot of great upcoming events to get outside and enjoy! Dalton State College is hosting an art show for all local students from today until May 5th. There will be a reception tonight to kick off the art show. There are also ribbon cuttings this week at Premier Pools and Spas and Abby’s Ice Cream and Fro Yo. This weekend is Earth Day and it is supposed to be a beautiful weekend. In honor of Earth Day there will be a couple “clean up” events around town one will be at Harrison Park and the other will start at River Pavilion.
The next big Gilmer County event that we are looking forward to is the Apple Blossom Festival on May 6th and 7th. This is a great festival showcasing local craft vendors, food vendors and businesses. Come out, bring your pups, and meet the FYN team. We will have a “pup-cam” and treats for all our furry friends as well. Also in today’s segment with Karla hear a little confession from BKP about “his spot” at the Apple Blossom Festival.
For more information on all these upcoming events and many more check out the events calendar on the Gilmer Chamber website.