Local, federal officials eye unknown drones in 2 states
Local and federal authorities are investigating confirmed reports of mysterious drone sightings in northeastern Colorado and Nebraska that appeared in the night sky this week.
Sheriff ’s offices in Lincoln, Washington and Sedgwick counties have been getting calls this week about the unknown winged devices after initial reports came out of Phillips and Yuma counties, sheriffs said.
The drones have 6-foot wingspans and fly between 7 and 10 p.m. in gridlike patterns 150 to 200 feet in the air in groups of six to 10, the Denver Post reported.
Yuma County Sheriff Todd Combs said on Facebook that the drones are flying in airspace controlled by the federal government. But the Federal Aviation Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army Forces Command said they don’t have any information.
Combs said on Facebook that local sheriff’s offices, police departments and federal government agencies have scheduled a meeting Monday to develop a plan to identify who or what is controlling these drones.
“There are many theories about what
“There are many theories about what is going on, but at this point, that’s all they are.” Yuma County Sheriff Todd Combs, in a Facebook post
is going on, but at this point, that’s all they are,” he wrote.
Amazon, Paragon Geophysical Services, the U.S. Geological Survey, the
Colorado Department of Transportation and UAV Recon all have denied connections to the drones, the Denver Post reported.
In an emailed statement to the Denver Post Monday, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the agency will be proposing a rule change that would allow agencies to remotely identify drones that fly through their jurisdictions.
According to the FAA website, more than 1.5 million drones were registered with the FAA as of Dec. 10.