UFO Newsclipping Service - 1979 01 - no 114

Magazine Overview

This issue of the U.F.O. Newsclipping Service, dated January 1979, compiles a variety of UFO sighting reports and related news from late 1978. The publication, co-edited by Lucius Farish and Rod B. Dyke, features a range of eyewitness accounts, investigations, and discussions surrounding unidentified flying objects.

Key Articles and Reports

Object Alien to Kent Skies Reported by GM Employees
This article by Maury DeJonge details a sighting by General Motors employees in Kent County, Michigan. Jack Smith and David VanVelsen reported seeing a UFO at 11:40 a.m. on a Sunday. The object, described as having sharp outlines and being unlike any known aircraft, hovered silently for about 30 seconds before disappearing. Patrolman Dennis McLenithan investigated. Witnesses described the object as rocking back and forth, with a black bottom and a shiny top. David Bland described it as looking like an upside-down cup, silver with lines. Robert L. Farr also corroborated the description of a silver, oval-topped object that moved with incredible speed.

Eyewitness Describes Campton UFO Sighting
By John Quinn, this report from the Lakes Region Trader (November 1, 1978) features Kate Chmurney, a contract archaeologist, who described a large, triangular object, about 20 feet wide, studded with lights, moving north over Campton, NH, at about 100 feet altitude and 25-30 mph with no sound. The object dipped and swayed, with a bright white light underneath and rows of red and greenish lights along the edges. A blue van slowed to watch and then pursued the object. The description closely matched an earlier, unpublished report.

No UFO - Just Holes
This report from The Eureka Herald (November 9, 1978) addresses the "mystery holes" found near Toronto, Kansas. Jim Smith discovered seven holes, the largest 14 feet across, arranged in a pattern. The Kansas Fish and Game Commission stated they were created by dynamite blasting for a duck pond. However, some residents suspected a government cover-up, disbelieving dynamite could create such precise holes. Initial radioactivity tests were negative, and two men claiming to be federal agents inquired about the holes.

Half-dozen UFO Reports Follow Story
An article from The Era (Bradford, PA, November 13, 1978) by J. Jeffers details multiple UFO reports following a previous story. A Marshburg woman reported a large, round, bright white object hovering near her home. Joan Jeffers, a field investigator, noted that FAA and Weather Service had no records of aircraft matching the description. Other sightings included a star-like object and a traveling bright white light.

Mystery Object Falls Here
This report from the Daily Union (San Diego, CA, November 8, 1978) describes an unidentified flying and burning object that fell into the yard of Dailard Elementary School in San Carlos. Tim Bollinger witnessed the object, described as the size of a basketball, fall from the sky around 9 p.m. Fragments of rock-like material were collected. Police were uncertain of its origin, and the object left an indentation and singed grass.

2 Women Report a UFO Over Corona
An Enterprise (Riverside, CA, November 28, 1978) article reports Oula Vega and Eda Jones saw a UFO near Ontario Avenue, described as large, delta-wing, and orange, approaching from Lake Mathews. It stopped and hovered before speeding off toward Santa Ana Canyon. Police could not verify the sighting and found no reports from nearby air bases.

What was it that Barb and Kent Saw in the Sky?
This piece from the Watford Guide (Watford City, ND, November 10, 1978) recounts a sighting by Mrs. Orville (Barb) Johnsrud and her son, Kent. They described a strange object with many blue lights and a large red light in the middle, making a storm-like sound. It descended quickly, then moved over them slowly before accelerating northeast. The description was similar to drawings made by the witnesses and corroborated by other locals.

Another UFO Seen to West
An article from the West Essex Tribune (Livingston, NJ, November 16, 1978) reports a second sighting of an unidentified flying object by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Licari. They saw a light moving east to west with a sound like an electric motor, which hovered and then vanished. Earlier sightings were reported by police officers.

UFO Reported Over Kalama
By C.F. Senk and Mary Jane Brewer in The Bee (Phillips, WA, December 7, 1978), this report details Darrel Coffey's sighting of a greenish, glowing object shaped like a balloon but behaving unusually. Coffey described its movements: rising, stopping, moving left and right, rocking, and then ascending rapidly toward Kelso at an estimated 500-600 mph. Coffey, a respected local figure, became a believer after this experience.

Spinning, Gold Color Son Doesn't Frighten Mom
This report from The Eagle (Sunday Magazine, Cheyenne, WY, December 10, 1978) features Steve & Becky Lyles detailing Ralph McConahy's encounter with 30-40 unidentified flying objects on September 24, 1974, at Rock Lake, Wyoming. McConahy described them as glittering silver, oval objects in formation, making a droning sound. He initially thought they were the Blue Angels but realized they had no markings and no wings. The objects then accelerated rapidly northward.

UFO Reported by Hunters at Ojo
From the Santa Fe Bureau (November 9, 1978), this article mentions hunters reporting a large, silent, disc-shaped object hovering over Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. The object had red and blue lights and was described as being surrounded by orange light. It moved erratically before disappearing.

Soil Where UFO 'Landed' To Get Radioactivity Test
An article from The Star (Indianapolis, IN, November 16, 1978) reports on tests to be conducted on soil samples from an alleged UFO landing site in Greenfield, Indiana. Jay Wilfong reported seeing a 100-foot-long craft hovering near his home. An investigator from the Center for UFO Study doubted police theories that helicopters caused the markings.

Amm Street Couple Reports Seeing UFO
An ERA (Bradford, PA, November 17, 1978) report by J. Jeffers details a triangular-shaped object with red and white lights sighted by an Amm Street couple. The object moved south, stopped, turned east, then west, and retraced its path before vanishing.

Two women report UFO
From the Register (Richmond, KY, November 30, 1978), Vickie Allen and Lise Leger reported being chased by a large UFO with blue and white lights that hovered above their vehicle, causing it to stall.

Yellowish Light Streaks Across Skies, 2 Men Say
This Standard-Examiner (Ogden, UT, November 17, 1978) report features Randy Dalton and Guy Barrett, who saw a bright, gold and yellowish light that appeared to be a falling star. It changed direction rapidly and moved at high speed.

UFO craze in Newark...
An article from The News World (New York, NY, January 5, 1979) by James Robinson discusses sightings in New Jersey, including a Brick Township patrolman seeing a UFO over Barnegat Bay. Joseph Frank and his family reported a blimp-shaped, rectangular object hovering over Jersey City.

Mysterious Lights Sighted in Pepperell
Paula Clapp reported seeing "bright pinkish circles of light" flying in formation on Monday evening. Patrolman Davis also witnessed the phenomenon, and Police Chief Babin suggested it might be related to a shooting star shower.

Officer Reports Watching UFO Fly Over College
Post-Times (Palm Beach, FL, January 6, 1979) reports Officer Ron Perdue of Winter Haven, FL, saw a large, round, glowing object hover above Polk Community College before rising and speeding away. He described it as bigger than a school bus and almost as large as a house.

UFO spotted in Larchmont
Vincent Wynds, Edgemont High School wrestling coach, and two students reported seeing a transparent, triangular object with brilliant lights over Weaver Street. The object became invisible and reappeared in a pentagon shape.

Nashville Police Report 2 UFOs
An article from the Nashville Police (UPI, January 5, 1979) states that over a dozen Nashville policemen reported sighting two circular UFOs with red, blue, green, and yellow lights hovering over the city.

Search for Plane Discontinued
This News (Maconga, GA, January 5, 1979) report notes the discontinuation of a search for a plane reportedly seen in flames, with no trace of a crash found.

Snatched By Creatures? He Lives to Tell About It
This Herald (Miami, FL, January 5, 1979) article details Filiberto Cárdenas's account of being abducted by a UFO. He reported hearing a buzz, seeing bright red and violet light, and feeling paralyzed before passing out. His friends, who were with him when his car lost power, corroborated the strange lights and Cárdenas's disappearance. He awoke miles away with four small burns on his forehead.

UFOs harassed nuclear bases, U.S. reports say
An Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, AR, January 19, 1979) report based on Washington Post information details Defense Department records of unidentified, low-flying objects harassing nuclear missile launch sites and bomber bases in Montana, Michigan, and Maine during two weeks in 1975. These objects evaded pursuit and were described as helicopters or unknown entities.

C.I.A. PAPERS DETAIL U.F.O. SURVEILLANCE
This New York Times report (January 14, 1979) discusses documents obtained by Ground Saucer Watch, suggesting the CIA has been involved in UFO surveillance since 1949. The documents reportedly show the government has been untruthful about UFOs and that embassies are used to gather information. Concerns were raised about potential Russian psychological warfare and the need for a public information policy to minimize panic.

San Jon Woman Sees Saucer
A Daily News (Tucumeari, NM, December 20, 1978) report features an anonymous San Jon woman who described seeing a flying saucer with rainbow-like colors, consistent with a sighting in Groom, Texas.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the persistent presence and diverse nature of UFO sightings across the United States and potentially beyond. There is a clear emphasis on eyewitness testimony, with many articles presenting detailed accounts from ordinary citizens, professionals, and even law enforcement officers. A significant undercurrent throughout the publication is the theme of government secrecy and potential cover-ups, particularly highlighted by the CIA documents and reports of UFOs near military installations. The publication appears to adopt a stance of presenting these reports as credible phenomena worthy of investigation, while acknowledging the skepticism and the difficulty in definitively explaining many of the sightings. The editorial stance leans towards validating the experiences of witnesses and questioning official explanations when they seem insufficient, suggesting that "there is something going on they should know about in more depth."

This issue of 'Foreign News' from November 11, 1978, focuses heavily on Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings reported globally, with a particular emphasis on events in England. The cover story, "'Giant mushroom' U.F.O. sighted at Portsdown," details a sighting by the Mailing family in Hampshire.

Key Articles and Reports

'Giant mushroom' U.F.O. sighted at Portsdown A Portchester family, the Mailings, reported witnessing a large, brightly lit, mushroom-shaped UFO hovering silently over Nelson Lane on Portsdown Hill. Mrs. Lynn Mailing described the object as larger than an aircraft, round, with bright lights on top, red lights below, and luminous green lights at the bottom, resembling windows. The object reportedly shot across the sky towards Falcham without making any noise.

Riddle of 'UFO' at London Airport Ian Glover-James reports on a mysterious triangular light that hovered over London's Heathrow Airport at dawn. Passengers and airport staff were convinced it was a UFO. Gerry Reeves, a passenger, stated it couldn't have been an aircraft due to its speed and erratic movements. Airport worker Harry Fisher described it as a triangular light surveying the airport, too large to be a star and too erratic to be a helicopter. The object was tracked by Wellington Airport's radar and visual sightings were made by pilots off the Kaikoura coast. Air traffic control reported no helicopter movements in the area at the time, and nothing was tracked on radar.

Did you see UFO? This section from the Wallington & Carshalton Advertiser reports on a sighting by Mrs. Marina Rickman of Sutton. She observed a formation of white lights, followed by a softly glowing orange cigar-shaped object for about 15 seconds. She described the object as being at least a mile long.

Officer Reports UFO Over Isle of Capri An AP report from Arkansas Gazette details a Naples police officer, Michele Carlino, who reported seeing an unidentified flying object over the Isle of Capri. He described it as emitting a strong, intermittent light before disappearing.

Schoolboy captures a noisy UFO on tape An Evening News report from London highlights sixth-former Stephen Osbiston of Aldershot, who claims to have recorded the sound of a UFO. The strange high-pitched noise, vibrating at 250 oscillations a minute, is described as sounding like something from outer space. Omar Fowler, chairman of the Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena, expressed confidence that the tape was a recording of a UFO.

UFO spotted by man observing weather This Whitstable Times report features Percy Hatton, who observed a large silver plate-shaped object move rapidly across the sky, preceded by a block of light grey vapour. He felt a sense of being watched and noted a massive acceleration of the object and vapour trail.

Stranger in the night Another report from Portsmouth News details an encounter by central heating engineers Tony Thompson and Michael Hills, who saw a UFO hovering over their car near Rowlands Castle. They described it as circular, silver in colour with a blue flashing light, and capable of incredible speed.

Devon man 'buzzed' by ball of light This Western Times report covers sightings of mysterious moving lights around Criss Cross Hill near Silverton. Brian Gooden described being 'buzzed' by a rapidly moving ball of light passing less than 60 yards overhead. Headmaster Brian Hooper also reported seeing a bright, circular light moving slowly over the fields.

Invisible UFO A brief report from The Guardian mentions a film made by a Kuwait oil company employee of a UFO that turned out to be blank when developed.

UFOs - a wartime sighting This letter to the editor from James Molintock discusses UFO sightings, referencing his own experience during London's wartime bombing raids when he saw a silver disc-like object. He also mentions "Fu" fighters observed by bomber and fighter pilots.

Other Reports and Translations

The issue also includes several translated reports from various South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela) detailing UFO sightings, alleged extraterrestrial encounters, and mysterious phenomena. These include reports of light-beaming UFOs in Italy, a pilot chasing lights in Australia, and numerous sightings of various shaped and colored objects.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the prevalence and variety of UFO sightings and related phenomena in late 1978. The articles present eyewitness accounts, expert opinions, and official (or lack thereof) responses from authorities. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting these events as they are presented by witnesses and investigators, without necessarily endorsing them as definitively extraterrestrial, but acknowledging the unexplained nature of many occurrences. There is a clear interest in documenting these events and encouraging further investigation and public reporting.