Today’s number: 3,081
Thursday, Jun 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Journal-Courier…
Since 1950, the Land of Lincoln is sixth in the highest number of sightings of unidentified flying objects, the most of any Midwestern state.
With 3,081 reported sightings, Illinois trails only California, Florida, Washington, Texas and New York. […]
Illinois’ high ranking may be attributed to several factors, including relative population. Of the leading 10 states for UFO reports, eight are in the top 10 in population. California, for instance, leads the nation in population with 38.3 million residents, and its 11,092 UFO reports are more than twice the number of the next-highest state.
Water also may be a factor. UFO reports tend to be clustered around large bodies of water, a trait shared by nine of the top 10 states for sightings. With Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, Illinois has plenty to attract cosmic visitors looking for a scenic vista or a cool drink.
Still, the Illinois county with the highest number of relative sightings is Schuyler County, with 67 sightings per 100,000 population. Perhaps earthlings are not the only ones interested in land prices and crop yields. Or, maybe the extraterrestrials want to check out the fishing at Schuy-Rush Lake.
Winnebago County, in the landlocked Rockford area, is second with 40 per 100,000.
- Sage - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
Do they count these visitors in the state net migration numbers?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:43 pm:
I was one of those 3,081.
After extensive shock therapy and reprogramming I can say, without blinking or a nervous tick anymore, that what I saw was not a UFO, and… I didn’t go into any spaceship for any type of experiment.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:47 pm:
I’m guessing the ETs are deer hunters. Or had an interest in strip mining
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
And people say nobody wants to come to Illinois.
- Pyrman - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:51 pm:
We could double the number of sightings if the GA would only pass the Turnaround plan.
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:51 pm:
I think it’s all the “blow up” creatures car dealers use for events that lose their moorings and fly to Schuyler County (passing over Oswego on the way)
How do I know? No one reports the sightings on a Sunday.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:53 pm:
Didn’t report it but I also saw one in the 1960’s. Even today I can’t identify what I remember seeing.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:55 pm:
I’ve seen a lot of strange things in Rockford, but a UFO is not one of them.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:58 pm:
I see one now every time I drive by Soldier Field. It just settled on top of the columns.
- Juice - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:58 pm:
Not to get picky here, but at rate of 67 per 100,000 population for Schuyler county (population 7,500), that means there were all of five sightings since 1950, which does not really seem to be all that remarkable.
- ah HA - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
(Cue X-Files Theme here)…
The Truth is out there…
- AC - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:02 pm:
I’ll bet this isn’t the only item correlated strongly with population. If this were adjusted per capita it might be more meaningful. Still, extraterrestrial influence would explain a lot of things in Illinois.
- mcb - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:10 pm:
From the story:
“The Huffington survey found that 58 percent of Democrats call themselves believers, compared to 37 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of independents.”
- jls - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:13 pm:
Looking for intelligent life?
- Pete - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:14 pm:
So who should I take them to when they ask for our leader?
Madigan or Rauner?
- Anonin' - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
And IL has fresh water not salt. How will TeamBungle reverse this best in the nation status. How we can let our soul mates in IN and WI suffer the loss?
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
What are the numbers of sightings over Lake Springfield anyway?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Compare these figures to Meth production by county - and I think we might find a correlation.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
It’s the budget - an Unidentified Fiscal Object.
- Skeptic - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:29 pm:
Just the other day I was walking down the street when something flew up and hit me in the head. “What the heck was that?”, I asked. I didn’t report it though.
- Outsider - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:29 pm:
They have landed and taken over Springfield.
- anon - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:35 pm:
Can we tax them?
- zatoichi - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:38 pm:
Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is coming to complete the investigation.
- Bigtwich - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:45 pm:
“Can we tax them?”
No, they would move to Arizona.
Wait let me rethink that.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:45 pm:
I’ve seen some very odd things in the night sky over Illinois in my life. I’ve never reported a UFO, but like I said, I’ve seen some things man. Strange things. As far as I’m concerned, they were certainly unidentified and looked a lot like some sort of flying object.
I’m sure there are rational explanations for what it was I really saw, but if anything, I’m surprised the numbers of actual reports is that low. 3081 reports in 60 years?
- Come on man! - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:46 pm:
May have to do a redux of this ad…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ahw-0d4NiY
- Elijah Snow - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:50 pm:
“I saw Bigfoot once. 1951, back in the Shawnee National Forest. Had a foot on him thirty-seven inches heel to toe. It made a sound I would not want to hear twice in my life.”
Kudos to Rich for giving us something else to talk about.
- nixit71 - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:03 pm:
Most of these were probably errant passes from Jay Cutler.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:07 pm:
Meh, there are 300 billion or so stars in the Milky Way alone. The odds that there is only life in one solar system are, literally, astronomical.
People have been seeing things up in the sky forever. There are accounts in every creation story on every spot of the globe.
Plenty of angels flying around in The Bible. And Ezekiel spotted himself a real sweet ride.
- MrJM - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:17 pm:
– MrJM
- Leatherneck - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:22 pm:
I have spent enough time in Rushville to know that there isn’t much else going on. It’s fertile ground for a creative imagination.
- Joe M - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:27 pm:
I hate to change the subject, by there have also been 270 Bigfoot sitings in Illinois, with Sangamon County having 12.
http://www.bfro.net/GDB/state_listing.asp?state=il
has the Illinois county by county sitings, with many having a narrative about the siting.
- A Jack - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:31 pm:
If we are looking to improve that number, just legalize marijuana.
- A Jack - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:34 pm:
I actually did see one once over Lake Michigan, but I have to think it was some kind of hoax since it was at Summerfest in Milwaukee just before a Bangles concert.
- Lt. Guv. - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:34 pm:
Well, that would explain Rauner.
More importantly, you must reconsider Winnebago County Rich. First, there’s the Rock River. Even more critical is a bit of the mighty Kishwaukee River. Then of course is the lake in Rock Cut State Park. Plenty of H20 to draw our friends from alternative planets.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:37 pm:
–270 Bigfoot sitings in Illinois, with 12 in Sangamon County alone–
Not surprised. Rich has to get around the state to do his job right.
- Chunga's Revenge - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 3:05 pm:
And Pat Quinn did not build a welcoming center to sign them up for benefits???
Shocking!!
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
Speaking of UFOs and Area 51, I’ve always loved the ending to Raiders of the Lost Ark where it was being trundled off to be stored away with all the other government secrets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdjf4lMmiiI
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 4:41 pm:
I’ll because of Blago’s universal health care pitch.
- Mama - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 5:04 pm:
There is one parked on Rt 29 between Springfield and Athens.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 5:28 pm:
=== I’ve always loved the ending to Raiders of the Lost Ark where it was being trundled off to be stored away with all the other government secrets. ===
Is that near the box containing all the original Turnaround legislative proposals that the Gov said were prepared, but never introduced.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 6:28 pm:
== There is one parked on Rt 29 between Springfield and Athens. ==
Nope. That was moved several years back to the Pick Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston on I-55 … and painted bright metallic green!
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 6:29 pm:
never could type … Pink Elephant …
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 6:43 pm:
Ronald Reagan knew that there was a presence among us. No one would go to work or pay there tax’s , religion would be shaken keep the status quo?
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 10:40 pm:
== Is that near the box containing all the original Turnaround legislative proposals that the Gov said were prepared, but never introduced. ==
Probably not; that warehouse is just for the Feds. If I was guessing, the Turnaround Agenda paperwork is probably lost in one of Rauner’s wine cellars under a case of mediocre $1,000 bottles of wine.