Alex Bengel
Reporter/Anchor
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Alex was born and raised in Oregon's Willamette Valley. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and History from the University of Oregon in Eugene in 2013, and moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2015. Since then, he spent a year working in Washington, D.C. before moving back to Fairbanks. He served with the AmeriCorps VISTA program for 3 years.
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The City of Fairbanks, along with local nonprofits, is working to change the way mental health crises are treated in the community.
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The Fairbanks Native Association spotlighted Quannah Chasinghorse, an Alaska Native activist who has achieved international success as a model.
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Alaska Behavioral Health in Fairbanks is working to develop a residential treatment center for adults experiencing severe mental illness.
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The University of Alaska Fairbanks celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2021 by holding a virtual event at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11.
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A world-famous bus that has stirred much controversy across Alaska is now visible at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while it is being preserved for display at the Museum of the North.
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The 2021 summer and fall fishing season saw an unprecedented shortage of certain species of salmon along the Yukon River and its tributaries.
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Tuesday, October 5 is Election Day, and voters gathered at polling stations around the Fairbanks North Star Borough to make their voices heard.
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10-year-old Layla made a wish, and on Sunday, October 3, the Make-A-Wish Foundation enlisted the Fairbanks Ice Dogs to help make it come true.
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This past weekend, the Fairbanks North Star Borough experienced a series of power outages affecting around 4500 homes and businesses.
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On October 4th, the Alaska State Legislature is scheduled to meet for its fourth special session of the year.
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Bryce Ward is running for reelection as Mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
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The Fairbanks Job Center is holding a job fair this week, where employment seekers can visit with businesses and organizations from around the community and learn about opportunities.
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Robert Shields is running for Mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
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Chris Ludtke is running for Mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
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The Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chambers hosted the annual League of Women Voters of Tanana Valley Candidate Forum on Friday, September 24.
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Kristan Kelly is running for seat G on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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Kinross Fort Knox broke ground on Thursday, September 23, inaugurating work on its new mine.
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Lance Roberts is running for Seat G on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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Savannah Fletcher is running for Seat F on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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Patricia Silva is running for Seat F on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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On Wednesday, September 22, students at West Valley High School gathered at their Performing Arts Center to hear from prospective candidates for the borough School Board.
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David Guttenberg is running for seat A on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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On Friday, September 17, candidates in the October municipal elections gathered for an NAACP forum held on Zoom.
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Kevin McKinley is running for seat A on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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On Monday, September 20, the National Weather Service in Fairbanks issued an advisory warning of a potential winter storm in parts of the Alaskan Interior.
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Candidates for Mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough gathered virtually and in-person at the Event Center and Lounge on Sadler Way.
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Jonathan Bagwill is running for Seat B on Fairbanks City Council.
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June Rogers is running for reelection to seat B on Fairbanks City Council.
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Shoshana Kun is running for reelection to Seat A on Fairbanks City Council.
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Jerry Cleworth is running for seat A on Fairbanks City Council.
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Mike Welch is running for reelection as Mayor of North Pole.
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Local first responders and community members gathered at the Carlson Center to put themselves in the shoes of those firefighters who climbed the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.
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Community organizations are holding the Great Alaska 9/11 Stair Climb at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.
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Thomas McGhee is running for mayor of the city of North Pole.
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Jack Wilbur is running for seat A on the Interior Alaska Natural Gas Utility Board of Directors.
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Robert Shefchik is running for Seat B on the Interior Alaska Natural Gas Utility Board of Directors.
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On Tuesday, September 7, the Interior Taxpayers’ Association held a forum for candidates running for Fairbanks City Council.
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Jeffrey Rentzel is running for Seat B on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board.
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Chrya Sanderson is running for reelection to Seat B on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board.
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Sally Gant is running for Seat A on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board.
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Topics like climate, jobs, and justice were on the minds of community groups who organized a candidate forum on August 31.
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Erin Morotti is running for reelection to Seat A on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board.
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Andrew Graham is running for Seat A on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board.
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On Tuesday, August 31, the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce held a forum featuring candidates for Borough Assembly.
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A small group gathered in Cantwell on Saturday to celebrate the installation of a new electric vehicle plug-in station.
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Governor Mike Dunleavy announced steps his administration will take to relieve pressure on the state’s hospitals.
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Face masks remain optional in the Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chambers following Thursday night’s meeting of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.
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As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to consider a bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed in the Senate on August 10, the Biden administration is emphasizing its potential impacts across the nation.
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Through August 31, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is seeking public comment on the operation of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
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The Fairbanks North Star Borough is holding a tax foreclosure sale on Wednesday, August 25.