APRG REPORTER

Magazine Overview

Title: APRG REPORTER
Issue Date: May 1967
Volume: 5
Issue Number: 56
Publisher: Aerial Phenomena Research Group (APRG)
Editor: Robert J. Gribble

This issue of the APRG Reporter addresses a significant organizational change and presents a collection of UFO sighting and landing reports from various locations across the United States.

Organizational Announcement

A special notice informs members that the National Investigation Commission on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) has changed its name to Aerial Phenomena Research Group (APRG). This decision was made to distinguish the organization from three other private UFO groups in the U.S. that share the NICAP initials, thereby preventing confusion and misattribution of accomplishments or blame.

Landing Reported in Virginia

C.N. Crowder, manager of the Mobile Chemical Co. warehouse in South Hill, Virginia, reported a UFO landing on April 21. While driving home, he saw a large object, described as a metal storage tank about 12 feet in diameter with legs, sitting in the road. A burst of white fire erupted from the object, and it ascended rapidly like a bullet. Crowder stopped his car and found a burned spot on the road where the object had been, with the tar ignited. Two police officers accompanied him to the scene, and the burned spot remained visible the next day. Norman Martin, another local resident, also reported seeing the flash. Top-level investigators, including Dr. J. Allen Hynek and William Powers from Northwestern University, arrived to examine the site. A mystery was added by the discovery of four half-inch wide holes around the burned spot, similar to those found in a New Mexico UFO sighting area. Samples and photographs were collected.

California Object Mystery

On March 26, several persons and Federal Aviation Agency officials at the Arcata Airport tower reported seeing a flying object over the Humboldt Bay region of northwest California. The object was described as strange, and one tower observer admitted, "We saw what they saw, but we don't know what it was. It might have been a star but it did look strange."

More Sightings Near Grand Coulee Dam

Two Omak, Washington residents, Mrs. Mildred Pentz and her daughter Mrs. Sandy Thomas, reported seeing a reddish-orange ball emitting sparks near Grand Coulee Dam on March 20. The object performed maneuvers unlike a meteor and appeared to be trailing their car. It hovered near a hillside, seemed to have spokes, and then rose, emitting sparks and glowing like red hot coals before disappearing.

On March 23, a UFO was sighted at Quincy, Washington. The object, described as white with a tint of red, vanished temporarily when a jet aircraft approached, then reappeared. It moved west to east at high speed, hovered for about 20-30 minutes, and then blacked out as the aircraft left, before reappearing and departing. It was estimated to be at an altitude of about 7000 feet.

A young couple also reported seeing a bright light northwest of Coulee Dam during the second week of March.

Missouri Woman Reports UFO

Mrs. Joy Braden Hackmann of St. Charles, Missouri, reported seeing a disc-shaped object on March 12 over Northeast Arkansas. She, her two daughters, and a friend observed the object floating about 50 yards away and 20-50 feet in the air, with bright white lights searching the ground. When she approached, the lights went out, and red lights began shooting out from all sides at high speed. She felt vibrations and heard an alternating beep.

Three UFO's Glow Over Lake Erie

On March 10, several persons, including an industrial engineer, reported seeing up to three objects over Lake Erie near Ashtabula, Ohio. The objects were round, silent, and moved in slow motion, unlike airplanes. One object was low enough to be obscured by houses. A third object appeared five minutes after the first two. A report from Erie, Pennsylvania, mentioned seeing 13 UFOs in formation around the same time.

UFO's Overhead--Power Fails

A possible link between UFO sightings and power outages was suggested by reports from Escanaba, Michigan. The James Zellner family observed a lighted object in the sky for over an hour on March 7, during which time their home's lights went out at 7:05 p.m., along with lights in other homes in the area. The UFO appeared to hang motionless before fading away shortly before power was restored. Edison Sault Electric Company found no reason for the power failure.

Possible Landing in California

A little girl in Burney, California, reported a large fire and pulsing light near the top of a mountain on March 7. Smoke was seen for hours after the object lifted off, suggesting a possible landing. Two high school boys reported seeing flying objects every night for a week in the area.

Imprints Left by UFO

On March 17, an object or objects landed in a field in Brewer, Mississippi, leaving four imprints measuring nine feet apart. Witnesses observed revolving red, white, and green lights. When approached, the lights went straight up and took off. One witness described the light as being like a railroad flare about three inches in diameter. Patrolman Weathers took pictures of the imprints.

Two Terrorized by Flying Object

On March 13, near San de Fuca, Washington, a young man reported an object radiating a bright orange light that hovered over his car. He rushed to the Perkins' home to report it. A teenage trio driving nearby also witnessed the event, describing an intense light and hearing screaming from the young man's companion. Their car then experienced a sudden engine failure and inoperable headlights, as if the power had been turned off, while the object hovered nearby. The object displayed a "pulsating light" before disappearing. Observers from Mount Vernon, Washington, also reported seeing the same object.

Sight UFO While Flying

On March 6, W.A. Voorhees and Fred Schott reported spotting a UFO at an altitude of 30,000 feet between Kansas City, Kansas, and Macon, Missouri. They observed a long, white exhaust trail, and a craft that was not clearly visible but had a light. The observation lasted four seconds before the trail abruptly cut off. The Kansas City tower did not pick up the object on radar. Schott noted that the craft's speed and exhaust were unlike any known aircraft.

Car Followed by Flying Object

Mr. and Mrs. Russell Carter Jr. of Pierre, South Dakota, reported that a bright light followed their car on March 5. The object closed the distance to less than a mile, coming as low as telephone wires. It was described as V-shaped with a bright light. During the encounter, the road and area around the car were bathed in light, and the couple experienced a humming sound and a feeling of numbness.

Sound Linked to UFO

Mrs. Lucky Newell and her three daughters in Blodgett, Oregon, reported hearing a "beep-beep" sound and seeing a brightly-colored object on March 3. The sound was described as a continuous rhythmic metallic beep. The round light, emitting a yellow-orange and blue-green glow, was seen near the ground and later over the treetops.

Mystery Lights Over Chicago Suburbs

Dozens of citizens reported sighting seven white objects moving silently over Homewood and Chicago Heights, Illinois, on March 3. The objects were visible for 6 to 10 minutes at an estimated altitude of 2000 to 2500 feet. Homewood police received numerous calls about "orange lights" near a Nike base. An Adler Planetarium astronomy staff member suggested the objects appeared to be powered craft moving together.

More Objects Over Northeast Arkansas

Six residents of Piggott, Arkansas, reported sighting strange, silent UFO's on March 7. One object appeared to approach within 15 feet of the ground, gliding over treetops before dropping behind them. It was described as about 20 feet by 20 feet. A farmer in the area reported his farm had been visited by UFOs multiple times. Some residents reported that UFOs were getting so low they could be hit with a baseball, and one claimed a UFO had landed on a road and left scars.

More Landings Reported

Mrs. Ernestine Brower of Hoquiam, Washington, reported a flying object with flashing lights landing in a field near her home on March 1. The object moved quickly and made a "beep-beep" noise. Police and sheriff's deputies did not see the UFO but heard the noise. A woman in Humptulips, Washington, reportedly has a tape recording of similar "beep-beep" noises with 120 beeps per minute.

Several youths in Towanda, Kansas, observed revolving red, white, and blue lights flashing in the sky on a particular night, which they related to City Marshal Virgil Osborne.

Russians Admit UFO's For Real

The issue includes a report on Soviet scientists' views on UFOs. Scientist F. Zigel agrees that UFOs are a real phenomenon, not just imagination, and that Russians have been observing them for twenty years, often via radar. He suggests UFOs may be from outer space and are a global concern, stating, "The phenomena of the UFO's today should be considered global." He dismisses the idea that they are secret military apparatuses from any nation.

Pilot, Radar Spot UFO

A Southern Jersey Airways mechanic and student pilot, Robert King, reported spotting a glowing orange object near Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 24. The Federal Aviation Agency's experimental center confirmed a UFO appeared on radar screens at approximately the same time and location. The object was traveling at about 100 mph at 1500 feet, disappeared, then reappeared and headed south. It made a turn that King stated was impossible for an ordinary plane.

Stir Created by Vanishing of Satellite

A Soviet communications satellite, Molniya, which was expected to remain in orbit for decades, has disappeared. Space experts find this incredible, as it would contradict scientific laws unless propulsion was used to alter its orbit. NASA confirmed the unexplained disappearance.

UFO's--Power Failure--Ringing Telephones

A power failure in Las Cruces, New Mexico, caused little commotion, but phone lines were tied up. The El Paso Electric Company office received numerous calls, and police, fire, and city hall phones also rang continuously, though no one was calling. UFOs were reportedly seen in the area at the time.

APRG Board of Associate Directors and Subscription Information

The issue lists the members of the APRG Board of Associate Directors, including Barry Bidwell, Laurie Bidwell, Jack Deatherage, Kitty Deatherage, Aileen Elwood, Verne Frese, Dave Fehling, Will Winquisi, Mary Winquist, Bill Wood, and Marion Wood. It also provides subscription information for the APRG Reporter, with rates for U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other countries, and mentions that members receive an extension for submitting newspaper clippings about UFO reports.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, landings, and associated phenomena such as lights, sounds, and physical traces. There is a clear emphasis on reporting eyewitness accounts and the involvement of investigators and authorities. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into UFO phenomena, as evidenced by the organizational name change to reflect a more direct research focus and the inclusion of reports from various scientific and governmental bodies. The inclusion of the Soviet scientist's statement suggests an international perspective on the UFO issue, framing it as a global phenomenon.