предложение, need opinions

I kept following the news about the School since I have heard the first bits of information about it back in 2000.

это звучит нормально? употребимо ли выражение "first bits of information" иили заменить на "first pieces of information"

Спасибо!

I would say,

I have been following the news about the school since first hearing about it back in 2000.

Или вот эта версия, она менее формальна: I have been following the news about the school since I first heard about it back in 2000.

I would say:

I've been following the news about the school ever since I first heard about it, waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2000.

The waaaaaaaaaaaaaay is optional.