Bellingham Metro News TeamPhoto by(Fernando Gonzalez/Bellingham Metro News)

BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON - As January marks the 6-year anniversary of Bellingham Metro News (BMN), we’re excited to share some incredible news: we’re closing in on 40,000 followers on Facebook! This is a huge milestone for our independently owned and locally operated news platform, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our community.

We’re asking for your help in reaching this goal. If you haven’t already, you can support us by inviting your friends to follow BMN. Simply visit our Facebook profile, Bellingham Metro News, and click "Invite Friends." Every new follower helps us continue delivering local news, stories, and updates that matter to you.

Your support means the world to us, and we want to extend a huge thank you to each and every one of you who has followed, liked, shared, and engaged with our content. We can’t wait to celebrate 40,000 followers with you!

Meet the Team Behind BMN

Fernando Gonzalez:
Founder of Bellingham Metro News, Fernando started BMN in 2019 after years of building experience in the world of online content. Before venturing into news, Fernando began a YouTube channel in 2013, amassing over 11,000 subscribers through video game commentary and vlog content. His first experience in the news world came in 2014 when he created a page called intGBN, which gained over 2,000 followers on Facebook.

In 2017, Fernando joined Whatcom Breaking News as a volunteer, reporting on developing stories through a handheld scanner. The skills he honed during this time played a key role in the initial success of BMN. Today, he covers a wide range of topics including crime, local news, business, and new restaurants, and is also known for his popular "What’s Coming to Whatcom County" series. Fernando is also the creative force behind BMN’s BodyCam series, retail theft news, and more.

Fernando leads other ventures, including BMN Global News and Fernslist: Washington State. - Fernando is also a Moderators Admin for various other local groups such as Britslist: Whatcom County, Britslist: Skagit County, Bellingham has gone to s--t, Whatcom County Scanner Talk With Troy, Bellingham Crime and Community and more.

Kevin Schmidt:
Kevin joined BMN in late 2019 and has since become a key member of the team, covering local news, crime, the homeless crisis, and BMN Global News. Kevin also runs his own Facebook pages, including Be Aware of the Whatcom County Creepers and Whatcom County Homeless Connection (those pages are unaffilated with BMN). Known for his live broadcasts from local encampments, Kevin has brought a spotlight to the reality of homelessness in the region. He is also recognized for conducting hard-hitting live interviews with community members.

Kevin has also conducted live broadcasts from the notorious encampment near the Bellingham Walmart, adjacent to the Tullwood Apartments, and he has done so multiple times. So far, Kevin is the only local journalist to enter the encampment and interview its residents live at an extended period of time on-air to capture their stories.

Despite their busy schedules, both Fernando and Kevin work full-time jobs in addition to running BMN.

With your support, we can continue growing and bringing you the stories that shape our community. Help us reach 40,000 followers by spreading the word—together, we can make it happen!