Gunfire exchanged during a West Virginia ghost hunt, a faux college course on 'alien communications,' and mysterious supernatural fires plaguing a Zimbabwean professor were among the weird and wondrous stories to cross our desk this past week.
While the public's perception of the UFO phenomenon has improved dramatically in recent years, a pair of stories this past week proved that the proverbial giggle factor surrounding the subject has not entirely gone away. At a Chilean Congressional hearing about an observatory in the country, a curious politician asked esteemed astronomer José Maza if he had ever seen a flying saucer. In response, the renowned scientist dismissed the idea of aliens visiting the planet as an absurdity akin to Santa Claus or Peter Pan. Later in the week, a New Mexico college announced a new 'alien communications' course by way of a video featuring the instructor and students wearing tinfoil hats. The enrollment date for the class was, of course, April Fool's Day.
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This past week featured a pair of bizarre stories centered around what might best be described as supernatural torment. First, in Ghana, residents of a village were afraid to leave their homes due to swarms of bees that had inexplicably descended upon the community for several days straight. The presence of the pernicious bug, which had left many people needing medical treatment, was attributed to a veritable curse brought about by the felling of a revered tree thought to be a spiritual protector for the village. Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, a university professor claimed to be plagued by mysterious fires that spontaneously ignite and specifically destroy items of value in his home, leaving him out a considerable amount of money and wondering if he is the victim of a hex.
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The wildest story of the week came by way of West Virginia where a dispute between a ghost hunter and a property owner led to the two men exchanging gunfire. Spirit seeker Fred Shrewsbury raised the ire of Corde Sargent when he went into his neighborhood to look for high strangeness. Hoping to send the ghost hunter packing, the homeowner fired a warning shot that accomplished his goal that day, though that was not the end of their showdown. A subsequent visit from Shrewsbury saw Sargent again take issue with his presence. This time, however, the paranormal investigator was armed as well. A short shootout erupted between the two until the Shrewsbury gave up the ghost, so to speak, and headed home for good.
For more strange and unusual stories from the past week, check out the Coast to Coast AM website.