Reported sightings of Bigfoot, UFOs and other mysterious phenomena were more widely scattered in Pennsylvania in 2008 than in the previous year, according to Greensburg researcher Stan Gordon, who has been keeping tabs on such incidents for nearly 50 years.

According to Gordon, who recently released his annual report of strange goings-on in the Keystone State, an array of unusual episodes that also included encounters with giant birds, strange sounds and puzzling footprints originated in 50 Pennsylvania counties last year, compared to reports received from 37 counties in 2007.

Over the years, the Chestnut Ridge Area of Westmoreland and Indiana counties has been a hotbed for sightings of the legendary Bigfoot and his brethren: huge, hair-covered humanoid or ape-like creatures. But, such reports from the area have been on a decline in recent years.

Last year, Gordon logged reports of strange screaming sounds coming from along the Chestnut Ridge near Latrobe. He says an experienced woodsman reportedly spotted five-toed footprints that were 18 inches long while hiking Aug. 22 in the Forbes State Forest above Rector.

Warren County was a source of alleged closer encounters of the Bigfoot kind. According to Gordon, the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society reported in May that a woman in that county saw such a being climb up a lattice onto her back deck before climbing over a railing and departing.

Gordon also heard from a man in rural Warren County who, while accompanied by his son in August, reportedly observed a figure that was covered in hair and was 7 feet tall cross a roadway with long steps and very long, swinging arms before disappearing into a wooded area.

Reports of unidentified flying objects were plentiful in the eastern end of Pennsylvania but also occurred in our region, Gordon said.

He cites several UFO sightings from the last half of 2008, beginning with a July 2 incident near Connellsville.

Witnesses reportedly saw a triangular object with a curved bottom and numerous lights pass overhead and move toward the Youghiogheny River.

Early on Aug. 12, in a rural area between Greensburg and Youngwood, a witness described "two huge double headlights" that were "slightly yellow" in color hovering silently side by side above a road before rising up and moving off over some trees.

Other airborne anomalies were reported by various witnesses on Sept. 5 in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, Gordon relates.

Around 12:30 a.m., a glowing, round white object with various colored lights hovered in the western sky above New Stanton. Shortly after it disappeared, another glowing object moved quickly across the sky before suddenly stopping and dropping to the ground. The second object at first appeared to be shaped like a football, but it seemed round and displayed evenly spaced lights when viewed through binoculars, Gordon said.

At about the same time, a motorist driving near Allegheny County's South Park watched a large lighted object pass over him at a height of about 100 feet. It had a series of bright white lights that were about 3 feet in diameter. The silent object reportedly rose at a sharp angle and moved away over some trees.

Later the same morning, at about 3 a.m., an orange-colored sphere light was seen moving soundlessly across the sky near Jeannette, Gordon said.

He cited a more elaborate report, of a UFO linked with a humanoid creature, early on Oct. 4 in Elk County. Two hunters said they initially saw two baseball-sized glowing lights positioned about 15 feet above the ground in a wooded area. Shortly thereafter, they said they noticed a glowing, human-like form that was about 3 feet tall and appeared to be gliding along. A cigar-shaped UFO was spotted on the same day in nearby Tioga County.

Gordon notes a report of a possible "giant bat" May 20 in Washington County that was passed along to him by fellow researcher Jim Brown. Motorists on a major two-lane highway there stopped to watch the creature circling low overhead. One witness claimed the flying creature's wingspan extended beyond the edges of the road.

Gordon has shown particular interest over the years in a 1965 incident in Kecksburg, south of Latrobe, that many believe was a crash landing of a UFO. He continues to investigate that incident and was slated to appear on an episode of the History Channel's "UFO Hunters" this past Wednesday.

Unlike the Kecksburg event, Gordon notes that many reported UFO sightings have been explained as bright planets or stars, meteors or searchlight beams. Likewise, some appearances of "Bigfoot" were determined to be large dogs or bears.

Gordon welcomes sighting reports from the public at 724-838-7768 or paufo@comcast.net. His Web site .