The South Brunswick Public Library will have a virtual workshop on researching African American Genealogy on Saturday, June 21, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, in honor of Juneteenth. Registration is required and can be done by clicking here.

“While increased digitization of records has opened new possibilities for many genealogy researchers, those looking to uncover the stories of African American ancestors may still struggle to find records,” the program description reads, “Since African Americans have historically been barred from many of the life experiences that generate official documents, researching Black genealogy can present unique challenges.”

The workshop will teach participants how to explore their African American roots, according to the library. Teddi Ashby of the African American Genealogy Group will host the program. 

This program is free and open to all, including those who work to help others research family history. This program is supported and funded by the Friends of South Brunswick Library.

The following announcement was written by MyHeritage:

Big news for French genealogy! MyHeritage has just released a groundbreaking collection: 731 million structured records extracted from historical French newspapers, thanks to our in-house AI technology. This is our first "Names & Stories" collection in a language other than English, and it opens up a treasure trove of information for anyone researching their French roots.  Search the collection These records delve beyond names and dates: they capture relationships, occupations, addresses, and more, all linked to original newspaper pages. It's a significant advancement in making French historical newspapers accessible and searchable for genealogists worldwide. You can read the full announcement on the MyHeritage Blog.

The Wiregrass Archives at Troy University-Dothan recently completed the Alabama Historical Marker Digital Enhancement Project, a grant-funded project that created a public-facing digital map for historical markers across the state.

A partnership between the Alabama Historical Association Marker Committee, Alabama Heritage magazine and the Encyclopedia of Alabama, the project created a digital map of 218 Alabama Historical Association markers in Jefferson, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa counties.  

Besides pinning the markers by location, the project added information about each marker’s title, location, text, image and sponsors. Project assistant Dr. Katie Beasley located Encyclopedia of Alabama articles for 81 markers and Alabama Heritage articles for 36. 

“The project’s real mission was to link as many markers as possible to digitally available articles from the Encyclopedia of Alabama and Alabama Heritage magazine that provide readers with information beyond each marker’s text,” said Dr. Marty Olliff, director of the Wiregrass Archives and principal investigator for the project.

Now that the initial phase of the project is complete, the group will add the remaining 600 Alabama Historical Association markers as soon as possible. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance tourism and, particularly, K-12 social studies education.

“This digital map provides a tool that aligns with the newly devised Alabama Course of Study in Social Studies,” Olliff said. “It combines geographic and historical information, but also leads students into thinking beyond the marker to the stories historical markers merely allude to.  The Alabama Course of Study introduced a new historical methods course for high school, and the enhanced digital map of markers opens a world of research possibilities.”

The Project map is available to the public through the Alabama Historical Association Marker Committee webpage, https://www.alabamahistory.net/historical-markers-index.

This project was funded by grants from the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Alabama Historical Association.

If your name is McKenna, a two-day event on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 June in Monaghan (Ireland) might just interest you.

The Clan McKenna international gathering commences on Friday 13 morning at 11am with a walking tour of Monaghan town, accompanied by a tour guide. 

In the afternoon there is a tour of Monaghan County Museum followed by a talk by local historian Brian McDonald after which a buffet is being served. The venue for this is the magnificent Peace Campus.

On Saturday 14 at 10.30am – 12.30pm it's a return to the Peace Campus for a DNA/Genealogy workshop conducted by Connor McKenna.   

Immediately following this there will be a visit to Donagh Old Graveyard where the remains of the last McKenna chieftain lies and also the ancestors of General Don Juan McKenna, military officer and hero of the Chilean War of Independence and recognised as the co-liberator of Chile.

The gathering will culminate with an inaugural dinner in the Sliabh Beagh Hotel in the beautiful rural North Monaghan area of Knockatallon. Coach transport will be provided to the hotel taking in enroute places of interest on The McKenna Trail such as Errigal Old Graveyard & Liskenna Fort said to be where McKenna finally killed the deer he had been hunting for two nights. 

On the night outgoing chieftain for the past 3 years Marilyn Stoecklein will relinquish her role and pass the McKenna staff and cloak to Siobhan McKenna of Monaghan town. 

All details of the Clan McKenna International Gathering 2025 are available from: clannmckenna@gmail.com or the secretary at 00353 (0)87 755 9095

The following is an announcement written by MyHeritage and ScanCafe:

MyHeritage has just launched a new partnership with ScanCafe, the leading photo and video digitization service in the U.S.! To celebrate the launch of the partnership, MyHeritage users will enjoy 50% off at ScanCafe for a limited time! This collaboration makes it easy for MyHeritage users in the U.S. to digitize their old photos, slides, negatives, and home videos, and have them automatically transferred for safekeeping on MyHeritage through a secure account integration. Once on MyHeritage, users can organize and enhance their photos and enrich their family trees. Founded in 2006, ScanCafe has already digitized over 250 million memories, making them an excellent choice for anyone looking to protect their family’s legacy and make it accessible for future generations. You can read more about this new partnership in the blog post.

The founder of 23andMe opens new tab, Anne Wojcicki, requested a U.S. judge to reopen the genetic testing company's auction because she received backing from a Fortune 500 company valued at over $400 billion.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Genealogy Series There are only three sessions left in the 2025 National Archives Genealogy Series. Tune in on June 3 at 1 pm ET as we chase down cops and robbers in the records. M. Marie Maxwell, archivist, will highlight what may be found in the Metropolitan Police’s Personnel Case Files and the Index to Criminal Cases and Dockets. Other DC police and criminal records, including basic strategies for locating FBI records, will be briefly addressed. Watch on our YouTube channel. Newly Digitized The Obama Presidential Library Digitization Team has now scanned over 7.4 million pages, approximately 35% of textual records in the holdings. The Obama collections team recently released a new set of digitized artifacts—the oversized materials. These extra-large items include whale baleen, walking sticks, and a zebra pelt! View the complete collection of new releases online. This President Abraham walking stick was given to President Obama by a member of the public. Image courtesy of the Barack Obama Presidential Library. D-Day Commemoration The Eisenhower Presidential Library is hosting a screening and panel discussion of the new Kansas City PBS documentary “Winning the War” on Friday, June 6 at 2 p.m. CT. Come examine the enduring legacy of World War II through the lens of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, whose leadership played decisive roles in ending the war.  The D-Day commemoration events continue with the Symphony at Sunset Annual D-Day Commemoration Concert on Saturday, June 7. Grab a lawn chair, sunscreen, and bug spray for this outdoor showcase of patriotic and popular music from the World War II era. National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408

The following is an announcement written by the Augusta Genealogical Society:

AGS June Open House

Click the above link to register online. A flyer is also attached. 

See you at AGS on June 21.  

After 40 years passed since the murder of a 24-year-old in rural Iowa, DNA research allowed law enforcement to arrest a suspect in the case as stated by the Linn County Sheriff's Department.

Officials announced on Wednesday that 64-year-old Michael Schappert was taken into custody for the brutal murder of Ronald Lee Novak which occurred on December 23, 1983 in rural Walker, Iowa. Novak's friend discovered him dead in an unheated room at his residence following a robbery and burglary according to a press release from officials.

According to officials Novak sustained beatings and gunshot wounds to his chest before being discovered with his hands tied behind his back. The medical examiner determined that Novak's death resulted from a combination of injuries along with shock and hypothermia according to officials.

Investigators tested DNA from Novak's clothing and the hammer suspected to be used in the attack throughout the last decade and a half. The DNA testing process resulted in Schappert being identified as the suspect according to Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks who announced this at Wednesday's press conference.
Genetic genealogy which involves comparing unknown DNA to the DNA of family members who submitted their samples to a database helped authorities identify Schappert. DNA analysis led investigators to three brothers and further tests confirmed Schappert as the suspect.

Officials stated that Schappert currently resides in Fairview Oregon and that he and others likely planned to rob Novak of money and marijuana when they went to his home. The murder case of Novak remains unsolved because officials think an additional suspect participated in the crime.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner stated during the press conference that naming a suspect might trigger other people to provide information who previously remained silent or help them remember details after forty-one years.

Patti Wilson described the investigation as a prolonged journey for her family and expressed how uncertain she was about seeing this day arrive. Hope for finding an answer seemed to fade away. I wanted it so bad. Wilson expressed hope for the upcoming trial.

Wilson explained that her brother was elusive while they remain uncertain about his company at the time of his death since the family did not recognize Schappert. Mr. Novak's family members have suffered through pain and trauma because his murder case remained unsolved for over 40 years. Gardner said that strength is required to survive extreme difficulties while keeping faith that eventually justice will prevail over the responsible party or parties.

Schappert faces first-degree murder charges while he waits in the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, Oregon until an extradition hearing will send him back to Linn County, Iowa according to officials.

Details about whether Schappert has hired an attorney to represent him were not immediately known.

People who possess new information about the investigation or know additional potential suspects in this case should reach out to the Linn County Sheriff's Office.