Mysterious reporting continue

We continue to receive reports of mysterious sights and sounds but find few answers.

Friday night a woman living near Superior’s Methodist Church said she saw a group of drones flying in formation above the church. She told a reporter for this newspaper that she was unable to count the number because they kept “turning their lights off and on” but she estimated their were 10 or 12 in the formation. She estimated their altitude was about twice that of the cell phone tower located just south of the church.

Does she have photographic proof of what she saw? No. She tried to take pictures but the pictures didn’t turn out.

Tuesday morning a women living near the southern edge of Superior was asking if anyone else had reported a series of explosions that had occurred during the night. As she described the noise, it seemed to come from the south, perhaps from Kansas. While the noise was similar to that associated with earthquakes, she didn’t feel her house shake or cupboards rattle.

Following mention in this newspaper of the editor’s memory of seeing an unidentified flying object more than 60 years ago, a reader living in South Carolina called to talk about the incident.

At the time he was working as a reporter for the Holdrege Daily Citizen and was sent to interview the farmer who reported seeing a cigar shaped flying object that landed on a Platte River sandbar and took on water.

The former reporter described the farmer as a credible witness and told of being taken to the river and seeing evidence in the sand.

In the days after the reported stop in Nebraska, newspapers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas published reports of a similar flying cigar-shaped object. It was last reported being escorted by fighter jets out over the Gulf of Mexico where it disappeared.

Editor Blauvelt has over the years wondered if he had actually saw the object. However, after the two men compared notes about the events the caller said, “Bill, I believe you saw it.”

But what it is we will probably never know. And neither may we ever know about the drones and the explosions.

On Monday Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration issued the following update regarding sightings of unidentified unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, in Nebraska:

“In recent weeks, reported drone sightings have significantly diminished. We also now know that more than half of the reports from Nebraskans to state law enforcement were attributed to causes such as hobbyists or manned aircraft. The Nebraska State Patrol continues to pass on any relevant information to the FAA for their review.”

As of today, Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reported receiving roughly 440 reports, but the majority failed to meet the criteria of drone sightings in question. NSP has forwarded the remaining reports to the FAA. On the ground investigations have largely drawn down, including the Drone Sightings Task Force.