Alex Bruell, an award-winning journalist with eight years of reporting in Washington State, has accepted an offer to become The Beachcomber’s new editor.

The news was announced by Sound Publishing, The Beachcomber’s parent company, on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Bruell will spend the next few weeks transitioning into the role under the guidance of current editor Elizabeth (Liz) Shepherd, who will move into a part-time reporter position for The Beachcomber at the end of September.

A current resident of Federal Way, Bruell began work at The Beachcomber on Aug. 14 and plans to move to Vashon as soon as possible.

Bruell is a 2017 graduate of the University of Washington, where he studied philosophy and journalism. He spent about three years as the crime and justice reporter at The Daily News of Longview, covering Cowlitz County and the broader Southwest Washington area. In 2020, he moved back to King County, where he worked for two years at the Enumclaw Courier-Herald and most recently, for a year at the Federal Way Mirror.

He has won awards for his reporting from both the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington National Publishers Association, such as for his reporting on Green Beret soldiers who survived the blast of Mount St. Helens; fatal police shootings; controversies in city government; the survival of wolverines on Mount Rainier; and the healing experience for soldiers visiting “The Moving Wall” Vietnam War memorial.

“Alex is a talented and tireless journalist whose work exemplifies the versatility needed to cover all the local news of Vashon, and we are thrilled to welcome him,” said Daralyn Anderson, publisher of The Beachcomber

Shepherd, a 26-year Vashon resident, and longtime reporter who has served as the newspaper’s editor since 2021, agreed.

“Alex’s arrival in our newsroom is great news for our island,” she said. “He has all the chops needed to ensure that The Beachcomber continues to play its essential role in chronicling the life of our community. It has been one of the great honors and challenges of my life to serve as this newspaper’s editor — and it’s not a position I would ever leave without making sure it was in capable hands. But now is the time — Alex is the right person for the job, and I look forward to working with him and learning from him.”

In his personal life, Bruell describes himself as “your average Pacific Northwesterner,” enjoying hiking, biking, squid fishing, photography, electronic music, and running Dungeons & Dragons games.

But local journalism, he said, is his passion, and he’s excited to get to work at The Beachcomber.

“I can’t wait to step into the big shoes left behind by Liz,” he said. “Vashon is a beautiful, fun, funky community with a spirit all its own, and it will be a huge privilege to get to hear residents’ stories. As a newcomer to the island, I hope to learn fast and develop a deep appreciation for the people of Vashon.”