Illinois hobby group says their Alaska balloon is 'missing in action'

A group of balloon hobbyists say one of their small balloons is missing off the coast of Alaska, near where the U.S. military shot down an unknown floating object on Saturday. The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade said the last transmission of balloon K9YO came last Saturday near Hagemeister Island, an uninhabited island off the southwest coast of Alaska. The balloon is small, about 32 inches wide, and the group noted that it isn't uncommon to lose contact with its balloons. While the group is not accusing the government of shooting down its balloon, they are also awaiting news of…