The Inquisitr » colorado

Did Falcon Heene out balloon incident as a publicity stunt on CNN?

Kim LaCapria — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:06:14 +0000

Around 0:35, when asked why Falcon didn’t respond to calls, Falcon replies, “…you guys said… uh… we did this for the show…”

Things get all quiet, then mom Mayumi Heene just says unsteadily, “…no.”

Whoops?

Updated: “Balloon Boy” found alive, home with family

Kim LaCapria — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:38:13 +0000

Police are searching the skies for a Fort Collins, Colorado boy who floated away from the family home on an “experimental aircraft” this morning.

Police say that the homemade dome-shaped, 20 foot, 5 foot aircraft (covered with foil) was tethered with a rope while the family constructed it. Some time this morning, the family’s six-year-old son entered the craft and released the rope. Neighbors have spotted the craft nearby, and the Federal Aviation Administration is helping track the aircraft on its radar tower. Denver International

Airport has been notified about the situation.

The FAA is reporting that the craft was last spotted twenty-six miles east of Fort Collins in Greeley, Colorado.

Update: The craft has not yet been located, but aviation expert Greg Feith spoke to News 9 about the logistics of the rescue:

“It is an unusual event and the big thing now is trying to get that child down from this balloon. It’s all going to depend on of course the environment. It’s windy outside so it’s going to keep it adrift for quite a while. The helium, depending on the size of this thing, if it ran into very cold air, it may help it come down as you know if you let a helium balloon go the higher it gets it’ll stagnate only because of the cold air,” Feith said.

Feith added that without knowing the structural integrity of the aircraft it is difficult to know how it will withstand any turbulence.

“The other key here is the structural integrity. Not knowing how it’s constructed and given the fact that we do have these wind conditions which of course create turbulence we don’t know how much turbulence this airship, if you will, can actually withstand so there’s a lot of external factors here,” he added.

Update 2: The family are the storm-chasing Heenes featured on an episode of ABC’s Wife Swap.

Update 3: The craft has landed. The boy has not yet been removed from the craft, and it is unlikely he is still inside. Reports indicate the boy may have fallen from the craft elsewhere. The boy has been identified as 6-year-old Falcon Heene.

Update 4: Reports indicate the child may have never been in the balloon to begin with.

Update 5: The child, Falcon Heene, remains missing at 2:59pm local time. The boy’s brother reports that Falcon may have been in a box attached to the craft. He has been missing for several hours.

Update 6: Experts claim that the balloon couldn’t have supported the weight of the child (60 lbs.) and some news sources are speculating that the incident may be a publicity hoax.

Update 7: Falcon Heene has been found safe, and is reportedly home with his family. Reports indicate he was hiding in the attic the entire time.

[9News]

Sheriff’s Deputy reinstated after macing rabbit

Duncan Riley — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:20:49 +0000

You can’t make this stuff up: a Denver sheriff’s deputy has be reinstated to his job after he maced a rabbit

According to records, Alvin Perez saw a rabbit outside the Denver County Jail where he works during a break in May last year. He then “got a can of Mace and sprayed the rabbit for no apparent reason.”

According to local media, Perez pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty for using mace on the rabbit, and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation, a one-year suspended jail sentence and a $500 fine.

If that’s how he treats rabbits, god help the prisoners.

Fire Threatening Homes in Boulder

Duncan Riley — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:47:19 +0000

Two fires flamed by strong winds are threatening homes in Boulder County, Colorado.

One fire threatens homes in Niwot, about 25 miles North of Denver on the outskirts of Boulder City, with the second fire around 100 miles to the West.

Over 11,000 homes have been contacted by phone warning them of the risk, with a smaller number closer to the fire already evacuated.

At least one of the fires started when winds knocked down a power line. Winds exceeding 60 mph were recorded in the area, and the strong wind alert predicts wind gusts up to 80 mph tonight.

More if we have it.

(img: KDVR)

Boulder, Colorado: Car Park Tasers at 30 Paces

Duncan Riley — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 +0000

A private security guard and a bartender have shot each other with Tasers in a confrontation over parking in Bolder, Colorado.

According to reports, both men pulled the tasers from their own bodies and did not need medical attention, but the bartender was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing and using a stun gun.

The bartender got into an argument with the security guard after a metal boot was clamped on a wheel of the bartenders car to immobilize it for an alleged parking violation.

The bartender tried to remove the clamp, resulting in the taser shot out. Local media said it wasn’t a shot out at 30 paces, but still, two men both shooting each other with tasers at the same time…the wild west 21st century style.