Fort Greely commander ousted: Army Lt. Col. Joseph Miley has lost command of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion as of Tuesday, according to an Army spokesperson. Miley's demise stems from preliminary findings of a sexual misconduct investigation, though a spokesman declined to go into specifics. Miley was under investigation for not doing enough to crack down on extramarital affairs in his ranks, creating what subordinates called a "toxic environment" on the remote Alaska Army instillation.
Future Alaska Dispatch reporter in the making: Sophia Michael Williard-Burke, daughter of Alaska Dispatch reporter Jill Burke, was born on Monday, May 27, Memorial Day, in Anchorage. The healthy little bun weighed in at 6 pounds 8 ounce and 18 inches. Sources say baby Sophia is "a very happy baby who eats like a horse and has her mother's trademark red hair." Both mother and baby are doing well and adjusting to "free time."
Denali Road Lottery: June 30 is the deadline to apply for the annual Denali Road Lottery, and entries must be submitted electronically or by phone. Winners will be announced in July, and the one-day passes will be issued for September 13-16. The Road Lottery offers a few lucky Alaskans a unique chance to drive the otherwise-restricted Denali Park road. Starting next year, lottery applicants will only have 31 days to get in the queue.
Caught on tape: A pair of black bears were captured on video brawling in Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver in British Columbia. This doesn't look like any kind of play fight, either -- a local wildlife conservation officer mentions that there was "quite a bit of blood in the driveway" by the time officials arrived. You can watch the fur fly (literally) in the video below.
Great-grandmother in Mountain View attack dies: The great-grandmother of the family viciously attacked in an Anchorage apartment last month, has died. Sreap Yan, in her 90s, was announced dead at Providence Alaska Medical Center on Monday. Doctors are still evaluating the exact cause of death, but Yan suffered a stroke after the May 26 attack. Jerry Andrew Active, 24, of Togiak, is being held in association with the murders of Yan's relatives Touch Chea, 73, and his wife, Sorn Sreap,71, and the sexual assault of the couple's two-year-old granddaughter.
Moose stomps woman: A woman was stomped by a cow moose with calves on Monday evening while walking with her husband in Anchorage's Kincaid Park. The unidentified woman found herself between the moose and its calves when the animal charged kicking the her in the head, neck and back. The woman was taken to the hospital and park staff posted warning signs to help alert other trail users.
Bartlett body: A decomposing body was discovered near Bartlett High School in Alaska's largest city late Monday. According to Anchorage police, the body was found near the 1100 block of Golden Bear Drive by a passer-by. There were no immediate signs of trauma or foul play, but both an autopsy and investigation will follow.
Packrafting: A hydrologist, an ecosystems biologist, a geologist and two "media experts" have added themselves to the list of savvy entrepreneurs flooding Kickstarter as a means to launch their project. Expedition Arguk, during which the group will hike and packraft 300 miles from the Gates of the Arctic National Park to the oil fields of the North Slope, already has surpassed its $4,000 goal. The trek will be filmed with a custom-built RC airplane equipped with an HD camera, and the footage will be used in possibly two films, including an animation project.