In Maryland, a balloon from JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System) broke loose from its tether. The balloon eventually descended to the ground, but its dragging cable caused an electrical outage affecting 30,000 or 35,000 people. The Secretary of Defense promised to catch the balloon and fly it again.
Coverage can be found from a multitude of sources:
The Energy Education Council offers safety tips for helium balloons.
We previously covered JLENS in September with: JLENS Balloons Still Not Warning US of Cruise Missiles which has more background on the system.
(Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Friday October 30 2015, @04:29AM