Olivia
Online
Bellingham Metro News
@Bellingham_News
Bellingham Metro News is Whatcom County’s largest independently owned news outlet, providing coverage of local and breaking news and more. | 74K on FB.
Bellingham, WA
Joined June 2017
123 Following
2.8K Followers
893 Posts
Dolly Parton died after brief battle with cancer, publicist says
New information released following Dolly Parton’s death says the country music legend died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after what her publicist described as a brief battle with cancer.
Parton died Tuesday at the age of 80 while surrounded by loved ones. The specific type of cancer has not been publicly disclosed.
The news has also brought renewed heartbreak for fans who had hoped to see Parton perform during her planned “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The six concerts were scheduled for Sept. 17, 19, 20, 23, 25 and 26.
Some fans are now sharing screenshots of their Ticketmaster passes marked “canceled” or “invalid,” mourning not only Parton’s death but the realization that they will never have the chance to see those performances.
Parton had already canceled the residency in May because ongoing health problems and the effects of treatment left her unable to return to stage-performance condition. The September concerts had previously been rescheduled from December 2025 after she announced that she needed additional medical procedures.
At the time, Parton said she was responding well to treatment and remained hopeful that she would perform again. She had publicly discussed kidney stones and problems involving her immune and digestive systems, but neither Parton nor her representatives disclosed a cancer diagnosis before her death.
Parton had not completed a full tour since 2016, making the planned Las Vegas residency especially meaningful to those who had waited years for another opportunity to see her onstage.
Photo: Dolly Parton performing in Knoxville in 2014. Kristopher Harris/Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image cropped and layered from the original.
ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies at 77, One Year After Missing Lynden Concert
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer whose steady backbeat helped define the sound of ZZ Top for more than five decades, has died at 77.
Beard died Monday, Aug. 17, while receiving hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, according to a statement released by the band’s publicist Tuesday. His family was with him. A cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
ZZ Top performed at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden on Aug. 16, 2025, almost exactly one year before Beard’s death.
Although Beard had returned to the stage earlier that summer following a health-related break, he was sidelined again during much of August and did not appear at the Lynden concert. Longtime drum technician and percussionist John Douglas played in his place alongside guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Elwood Francis.
Beard joined ZZ Top in 1969 and became part of the Texas rock band’s classic lineup with Gibbons and Dusty Hill. The trio remained together for more than 50 years, building a catalog that included “La Grange,” “Tush,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.”
Known for his powerful but controlled playing, Beard provided the rhythm behind the band’s mix of blues, hard rock and Southern boogie. He was also famously the member of ZZ Top who usually did not wear the long beard associated with the group’s image.
ZZ Top became one of the most recognizable American rock bands of its era, selling millions of records and reaching a new generation through a series of heavily played music videos during the rise of MTV. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Beard is the second member of the classic trio to die. Hill died in 2021 at 72. Francis, the band’s longtime guitar technician, later took over on bass at Hill’s request.
Photo: Frank Beard performing with ZZ Top at Bilbao BBK Live in 2008. Alberto Cabello/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Image cropped by Bellingham Metro News, Overlays added.
Photo by chaubaby via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped by Bellingham Metro News.
BREAKING: Scream actress Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, according to her representative, who confirmed the news to ABC News.
Panettiere was also widely known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and Remember the Titans. Additional details surrounding her death had not yet been publicly released Sunday evening.
Read the full article now on the Bellingham Metro News Facebook page.
#HaydenPanettiere #Scream #BreakingNews #EntertainmentNews #News
Who to follow
Tom Holland
@RealTomHolland
Child's Play, Fright Night, Thinner, Psycho II, Class of 1984, Beast Within, Cloak & Dagger, Scream For Help, Tales From The Crypt, Twisted Tales
Bellingham Experience
@BellinghamExp
Bellingham & Whatcom County have it all and we tweet it! Tag us at #BellinghamExperience #VisitBellingham #WhatcomCounty
🍺🍔☕️⛺️🚣🏽♀️🚴🏽♀️⛷🏔⛵️🚢✈️🎭
Whatcom County Public Works
@WhatcomCoPWA
Whatcom County Public Works - Preserve the Public Trust, Protect the Public Interest, Ensure Fairness for the Public Good
Photo license: https://t.co/aezjuLIC7b
Fireball Streaks Across Washington Sky
Nest surveillance footage recorded shortly after 12:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, captured a bright fireball streaking across the night sky over Whitman County, Washington.
The event was visible across a wide area, prompting hundreds of witnesses to upload videos of what they saw.
Footage courtesy of Benay Lyman to Bellingham Metro News.
#news #space #meteor #fireball #universe
PHOTOS: Bellingham Fire Department crews responded about 20 minutes ago to a vehicle collision at West Bakerview Road and Northwest Avenue. Injuries are possible, though their extent has not been confirmed.
Photos courtesy of First Response Moving. — Though we are well within our legal rights to publish individuals in photos taken in a public setting, BMN has chosen to blur the faces of the people possibly involved in the crash.
Barron KARES Directs More Than $50,000 to Six Northwest Washington Nonprofits
Six nonprofit organizations serving communities across Northwest Washington received a combined $50,380 through the Barron KARES program during the first half of 2026.
Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing announced the total this week, saying the money was raised through donations tied to select customer purchases. The company contributes $110 from qualifying purchases to a different nonprofit organization each month.
The EMS Foundation of Whatcom County received $9,790 in January, followed by a $6,490 donation to Camp Korey in February. Be The One received $9,680 in March, Friends of the Family Resource Center received $7,480 in April, Hunger vs. Hunger received $7,810 in May and the Lynden Heritage Museum received $9,130 in June.
Together, the six monthly donations total $50,380. The recipients include organizations working in emergency medical services, youth mentorship, family support, hunger relief, historical preservation and programs for children living with serious medical conditions.
Barron KARES stands for Kindness, Appreciation, Response, Empathy and Service. The company selects organizations that are supported by its employees or have a recognized presence in the communities it serves.
Brad Barron, the company’s chief executive officer, said the work performed by the six organizations benefits people throughout Northwest Washington and reflects values shared by Barron employees and the surrounding communities.
Barron operates from Ferndale and provides heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, solar and indoor air-quality services across a territory extending from Blaine to Marysville, Oak Harbor to Concrete and the San Juan Islands.
Community members may recommend organizations for future Barron KARES donations by emailing them.
🚨 #BreakingNews Two Seattle residents filed recall charges against Mayor Katie Wilson on Tuesday alleging she has neglected her legal duty to maintain public safety and peace in the city.
https://t.co/lrdDCkX2fU
Recall Charges Filed Against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson
Recall charges have been filed against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, triggering a legal review before supporters could begin collecting signatures for a potential recall election.
According to KOMO News, the filing contains five allegations involving Wilson’s handling of public safety, Police Department leadership and Seattle’s surveillance camera system.
The allegations were submitted by recall proponents, have not been proven in court and do not mean Wilson has been recalled or that an election has been scheduled. A Superior Court judge must first determine whether the charges meet Washington’s legal requirements.
If approved, organizers would have 180 days to gather the required valid signatures.
Read the full article on the Bellingham Metro News Facebook page.
#SeattleNews #KatieWilson #SeattlePolitics #WashingtonNews #BellinghamMetroNews
BREAKING: Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, Brother of Trump Son-in-Law Jared Kushner, Agree to Buy Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 Billion
The Los Angeles Lakers are changing hands again under a record-setting agreement involving two known business figures.
Former Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner have agreed to purchase the Lakers from controlling owner Mark Walter for $12.5 billion, according to reports Wednesday. If approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, the price would be the highest ever paid for a professional sports franchise in the United States.
Iger spent decades at Disney and led the entertainment company through major acquisitions involving Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox. He stepped down as Disney’s CEO earlier this year and is also an investor in Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Kushner is the founder of Thrive Capital, a New York venture capital firm known for investing in technology companies. He is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former White House senior adviser. Jared Kushner is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. Josh Kushner is married to model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss.
The agreement comes roughly a year after Dodgers owner Walter acquired controlling ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family in a deal that valued the franchise at about $10 billion. Iger and Kushner had previously been linked to an effort to secure a possible NBA expansion team in Las Vegas.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson congratulated the two buyers Wednesday, calling Iger a good friend and confirming their purchase in a social media post.
The transaction is not yet final and remains subject to approval by NBA owners. Additional details about the ownership structure and the future roles of Walter and Jeanie Buss have not been fully released.
Cleanup Continues at Longstanding King Mountain Encampment Near Bellingham Walmart
Cleanup work continued Tuesday morning at the former King Mountain encampment, a sprawling site that existed in the wooded area for decades and was considered one of Bellingham’s oldest homeless encampments.
Crews working with a police escort removed tents, shopping carts, bicycles, appliances, burned-out vehicles and large amounts of debris ahead of planned logging activity. Garbage was also found near a creek running through the property, though the extent of any environmental damage has not been publicly determined.
Bellingham Metro News has covered King Mountain since at least 2020, including a 2024 visit deep inside the encampment that documented living conditions, outreach work and efforts to connect residents with treatment.
Clearing the property ends a long chapter at King Mountain, but it does not resolve the larger homelessness crisis. Encampments have repeatedly moved from one area of Bellingham to another as people continue facing addiction, mental illness, rising housing costs and limited access to stable housing and treatment.
Read the full story on the Bellingham Metro News Facebook page.
Article by Fernando Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief of Bellingham Metro News.
Downtown Bellingham Aquarium and Pet Store Moving Into Former Woods Coffee Space
A locally owned aquarium and pet care shop is preparing for a pretty big change in downtown Bellingham, moving just a short distance from its current location into a larger space on Railroad Avenue.
Emmaquatic’s Aquarium and Pet Care announced Tuesday evening that it will relocate from 1208 Cornwall Ave. to 1135 Railroad Ave., where it will share the former Woods Coffee space with the newly established Cafe Hazeltree.
The move will place Emmaquatic’s across from Fiamma Pizza and the Bellingham Farmers Market, giving the business more room for its animals, products and gathering spaces. Plans for the new location include expanded hours, a full coffee bar and additional room for customers to spend time inside.
Emmaquatic’s has become known for offering more than a traditional pet store experience. Customers can visit the fish, relax in the shop’s lounge, make jewelry through its bead vending machine and often find complimentary tea and snacks. Toast, the shop’s resident dog, has also become a familiar face among regular customers.
The business said it has learned a great deal during its first year and that the need for additional space became increasingly clear as more people discovered what the shop had to offer.
Emmaquatic’s plans to temporarily close beginning Sept. 1 while the new location is built out. Promotional materials indicate the closure is expected to continue through Oct. 2, with the business working to reopen as soon as the space is ready.
Further updates on the reopening and construction progress are expected to be shared by the business as work moves forward.
A cyclist vs vehicle collision happened late this evening at the intersection of East Bakerview Road and Deemer Road in Bellingham. The cyclist was seen sitting up on their own following the collision. The circumstances surrounding the crash and the extent of any injuries remain unknown.
Footage was submitted to Bellingham Metro News by a reader. #news #bellingham #crash #whatcom
What looked like a distant storm cloud over the mountains yesterday on a clear sky day was actually a massive pyrocumulus cloud rising from the Ainslie Creek wildfire near Boston Bar, British Columbia, which is north of the legendary town of Hope BC, where Rambo was filmed.
I took this photo while traveling north on Guide Meridian, just past the Nooksack River bridge in Lynden.
Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham Teases New Tenants as It Enters What It Calls Its “Comeback Era”
More businesses and seasonal attractions are on the way to Bellis Fair Mall as the shopping center prepares to announce several new tenants over the coming weeks.
The mall recently told Bellingham Metro News that it is working with a couple of prospective food court tenants and is waiting for the final details to be completed before announcing their names. Additional businesses are also being discussed, though those plans are not yet far enough along to make public.
Some of the upcoming additions will be permanent, while others will operate seasonally. Klondike Gifts, the popular rubber duck store that appeared at Bellis Fair during last year’s Christmas season, is expected to return later this year.
One confirmed permanent addition is Hairy Tales, a fairy tale-themed hair studio created specifically for children ages 12 and younger. The business is scheduled to open in early October in Suite 706, next to Ruckus. The studio plans to offer children’s haircuts in an environment designed to make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable for younger customers.
A temporary entertainment attraction is also arriving later this month. Paranormal Cirque Voodoo will bring its adult-oriented circus production to Bellis Fair from Aug. 21 through Aug. 24. The touring show combines circus performances with horror-inspired characters and theatrical effects.
No one younger than 13 will be admitted to Paranormal Cirque. Guests between 13 and 17 must attend with an adult, and the production includes strobe lighting, strong language, adult content and disturbing themes.
Bellis Fair has described the recent activity as the beginning of its “comeback era,” saying leasing agreements often take considerable time to complete behind the scenes. Mall officials expect to begin revealing more of the businesses currently in development over the next several weeks.
Bellingham Metro News will share the names and opening plans for the new food court tenants once those agreements are finalized and the mall is ready to announce them. #news #pnw #mall #business
Tyler Oliveira and Jonathan Choe Film Inside Bellingham’s King Mountain Encampment
YouTuber Tyler Oliveira and Seattle journalist Jonathan Choe recently visited Bellingham to film inside the King Mountain encampment as part of a three-day trip across Washington.
Choe confirmed the visit directly to Bellingham Metro News when BMN reached out to him Sunday morning. He said many people were still at the camp when they arrived, although some were beginning to pack up. He reported seeing tents, fire pits, trash, drug use and dozens of dogs and cats throughout the property.
Choe has visited Bellingham several times and was told that the camp’s population regularly changes as people come and go. He said drug use and mental problems are always present at these encampments, while others appeared to be choosing a more nomadic way of life.
He described King Mountain as the largest encampment he has ever visited, saying it was larger than Camp Hope, the former homeless encampment in Spokane.
Choe also raised concerns about environmental damage at the property and said he plans to call out city leaders.
The Bellingham stop was part of Oliveira and Choe’s wider look at what they see as ongoing problems across Washington. Their visit is expected to bring a much larger online audience to an encampment that has been known locally for decades.
Article by Fernando Gonzalez, Bellingham Metro News.
Photo is from an older BPD BodyCam published by BMN in recent years.
UPDATE: New photo shows Sinlahekin Fire intensifying near Tonasket
A new photo shared with Bellingham Metro News by Tuesday McAllister shows the Sinlahekin Fire burning even more intensely near Tonasket late tonight.
McAllister told BMN the fire “exploded up again” just moments after her previous photos and videos were taken. The latest image captures a dramatic increase in fire activity, with towering flames and a rapidly growing glow lighting up the hillside near the community.
The wildfire remains an active and dangerous situation, with evacuation orders still in effect for parts of the area. Residents are urged to stay alert and follow directions from local emergency officials as conditions can change rapidly.
Photo courtesy of Tuesday McAllister, shared with permission.
#news #fire #wildfire #tonasket #washington
UPDATE: New photos show Sinlahekin Fire moving closer to Tonasket overnight
New images shared with Bellingham Metro News by Tuesday McAllister show the Sinlahekin Fire continuing to burn along the hillsides overlooking Tonasket as firefighters work through the night to slow its advance.
The latest photos capture long stretches of active fire, heavy smoke and glowing ridgelines just outside the community, highlighting how close the wildfire has come to populated areas. The fire’s glow can be seen from neighborhoods near the city as conditions remain dangerous.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for parts of the area, and officials continue urging residents to stay alert and follow all emergency instructions as the situation evolves.
Bellingham Metro News will continue providing updates as more information becomes available.
Photos courtesy of Tuesday McAllister, shared with permission.
WATCH: New videos show the Sinlahekin Fire from multiple locations around Tonasket
More firsthand footage is coming into Bellingham Metro News tonight as the Sinlahekin Fire continues to burn across Okanogan County.
Local resident Angel Bishop shared several new videos from around the Tonasket area, capturing the fire from multiple vantage points, including along nearby highways. The footage provides another look at the scale of the wildfire as smoke blankets the region and flames continue to burn across the surrounding hillsides.
Angel told BMN that smoke and falling ash have become increasingly intense in the area as residents continue monitoring the rapidly changing conditions.
Our thoughts remain with everyone in the path of this wildfire, along with the firefighters and emergency crews working through the night.
Video courtesy of Angel Bishop, shared with permission.
#news #fire #Tonasket #wildfire #Washington
Last Seen Users on Sotwe
⚔️ MACH! ⚔️
Seen from Malaysia
Food Affair
Seen from United States
Milf Weakness {^6K^}
Seen from Turkey
Dasha Teleki 
Songjinyu
Seen from Thailand
𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𖣔
Seen from United Kingdom
Promi Big Brother
Seen from Brazil
HFI Research
Seen from Canada
Tinsley Teaser
Seen from Netherlands
الملكة سوسو😉😍
Seen from Saudi Arabia
Most Popular Users
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
241.6M followers
Barack Obama
@barackobama
119M followers
Cristiano Ronaldo
@cristiano
114.1M followers
Donald J. Trump
@realdonaldtrump
111.8M followers
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
107.2M followers
Rihanna
@rihanna
98.7M followers
NASA
@nasa
92.4M followers
Justin Bieber
@justinbieber
91.8M followers
KATY PERRY
@katyperry
89.8M followers
Taylor Swift
@taylorswift13
83.8M followers
Lady Gaga
@ladygaga
75.3M followers
Virat Kohli
@imvkohli
73.1M followers
Kim Kardashian
@kimkardashian
70.8M followers
YouTube
@youtube
68.8M followers
Neymar Jr
@neymarjr
66.1M followers
Bill Gates
@billgates
65M followers
Selena Gomez
@selenagomez
62.9M followers
The Ellen Show
@theellenshow
62.3M followers
CNN
@cnn
61.8M followers
X
@x
60.7M followers