Have you ever wondered about your roots or wanted to trace a bit of your family history?

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is delighted to offer a free, step-by-step beginner’s course in tracing your family history, designed specifically for those new to genealogy.

This practical course will run for three sessions, be led by the ABC Family History Association and will guide participants through the essential steps of researching their family tree, exploring historical records, and uncovering their unique heritage.

The course will take place over three consecutive Tuesdays: 11th, 18th, and 25th November, from 10:30am to 12:30pm at Rathfriland Regeneration Community Hub.

Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must be able to attend all three sessions to register.

This programme is funded by The Executive Office’s District Councils Programme.

To book your place, click here: https://form.jotform.com/252673895824371

For more information contact diane.stinson@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

Monday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m., the library will present “William McKinley: Governor, Friend,” the next installment in the McKinley Series. File

Minerva Public Library has a full lineup of creative and educational events planned for October, offering something for everyone from hands-on crafts to local history and spooky stories. Registration is required for most programs and can be completed online at minervalibrary.info or by calling 330-868-4101.

On Monday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m., the Minerva Public Library Genealogy Group will meet to explore how to start a family tree using FamilySearch.org. Jennifer will guide participants through discovering and recording family history. The session is designed for beginners as well as those already tracing their lineage. Registration is required.

That evening, Monday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m., the library will present “William McKinley: Governor, Friend,” the next installment in the McKinley Series. The program introduces audiences to Charles M. Bawsel, the trusted aide who stood by McKinley from his days in Congress through the presidency, and includes stories from the president’s personal and political life — from his own “Black Friday” to quiet moments by a fishing hole. Registration is required.

Families with children ages 4 and older are invited to Family Fun Night Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. Participants will create a Halloween bag just in time for trick-or-treating. The event encourages family creativity and togetherness. Registration is required and may be completed by phone at 330-868-4101.

The library’s board of trustees will hold its regular meeting Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and may address the board in accordance with the library’s policy on public participation.

Rounding out the month, the library will host an evening devoted to the chilling works of Edgar Allan Poe on Monday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. Actor and Poe impersonator Jim Knight will bring the author’s stories and poetry to life in an eerie, immersive performance. Registration is required and can be completed online or by phone.

The Parson Roby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) invites the public to a Genealogy Workshop on Friday, Nov. 15 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Saugus Public Library.

Have you ever wondered if one of your ancestors helped shape America’s history? This workshop is the perfect opportunity to explore your family tree and to trace your lineage back to a patriot who either gave aid to the cause or fought in the American Revolution.

Members of the Parson Roby Chapter, along with experienced DAR genealogists, will be available to guide participants through the process of researching their ancestry and documenting the records needed for possible DAR membership. Attendees will receive one-on-one assistance to help uncover their personal connection to America’s founding.

The DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women’s service organization whose members are dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. Through projects that honor our nation’s heritage and support our communities, DAR continues to celebrate the spirit of those who helped build our country.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned researcher, this workshop will help you connect the dots — and maybe even discover that a Revolutionary War patriot is part of your own story!

For more information or to register, email Regent Gail Cassarino at parsonroby.saugusdar@gmail.com.

Three generations of Amelia Dowe's family have been diagnosed with Parkinson's and while she harbours some worry for herself and her brothers, the 18-year-old isn't scared.

"There's no point for us to live in fear of what may or may not happen," she told AAP.

"At the moment, there's no tests, no anything to know if or when it will express.

"But hopefully there's still a lot of time."

Ms Dowe's family can take heart from a new study that will investigate the impact of a common familial gene mutation associated with the disease.

Its cause is largely unknown but about 15 per cent of those diagnosed have a family history and this can result from genetic mutations, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Most humans have two copies of every gene but mutation issues can result in some having three.

A triplication of the SNCA gene leads to too much of the protein alpha-synuclein, which clumps up in the brain cells.

This affects the energy produced by them and is a key sign of Parkinson's disease.

Using reprogramming techniques, a team of researchers led by University of Wollongong Professor Lezanne Ooi will turn regular human cells into the specific brain cells impacted by Parkinson's.

This will allow them to analyse the activity and energy levels in the brain cells, pointing them to how SNCA gene triplication affects them and contributes to the protein clumping.

The study could help identify the best ways to model Parkinson's in the lab and diagnose people much earlier.

It took five years for Ms Dowe's mother to receive a diagnosis, despite her family history.

Many neurologists didn't believe Lindy Dowe because she didn't present as a typical patient: an elderly white man with tremors.

Parkinson's is better known for its motor symptoms like tremors, balance problems and limb stiffness,

However non-motor symptoms like loss of smell can occur almost two decades before a person shows signs of a movement disorder.

If it can be identified at these early stages, better models of Parkinson's could then help accelerate the development of new therapies to stop, slow or reverse progression.

"So you could live with your Parkinson's for the rest of your life but you're never actually going to develop the disease," said Vicki Miller, CEO of Parkinson's foundation Shake It Up. 

Ms Dowe hopes the research will mean she won't have to endure the same process as her mother, should she have to cross that bridge.

But a clear diagnosis has paved the way for Lindy Dowe to take control of her life.

"It's a degenerative disease, so there's definitely uncertainty about the future and fear," Amelia said.

"But for now, the diagnosis has opened doors to new medication and exercise regimes that have completely transformed mum's movement and confidence."

It took more than a decade for Michael Brown, a German-Russian professor and director of graduate studies at the University of Wyoming (UW) in the United States, to trace his family roots in Kazakhstan.

His connection with Kazakhstan began in 2012, when he came to Almaty as a visiting professor at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Over the years, a strong academic partnership and lasting personal ties have developed between UW and KazNU.

From the Volga to the steppe

Many ethnic Germans settled in Russia’s Volga region in the mid-1700s, invited by Catherine the Great to develop agriculture. They were allowed to preserve their language, religion, and culture, were exempt from taxes for years, and were not required to serve in the czar’s army.

But by the late 1800s, these privileges were revoked, prompting many Volga Germans to emigrate.

“My relatives were Volga Germans who lived in the village of Bauer, or Karamyshevka, starting in 1766. Because of changes in the status of Germans in Russia, my great-grandfather and his children came to the United States in 1912, while most relatives stayed behind,” said Brown.

Those who stayed endured the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the famine of the early 1920s. During Stalin’s collectivization in the late 1920s, many German farmers were labeled kulaks and exiled to Kazakhstan. When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, all ethnic Germans were deported to Kazakhstan and Siberia. Many were sent to special settlements or Gulag labor camps under the NKVD (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs) system. The Karlag camp in Dolinka near Karagandy became a central administrative site for exiled peoples.

“By the late 1920s, we lost contact with our German-Russian family when the Soviets restricted communication and began a campaign of repression against them. We know some starved during the famine, some were executed, and others were exiled to ‘Western Siberia’, which included northern Kazakhstan. I did not know any of this when I first visited KazNU in 2012,” said Brown.

Discovering a hidden past

In 2014, Brown visited the Dolinka Museum of Victims of Political Repression near Karagandy, housed in the former Karlag administrative building. The experience was eye-opening. 

“I was shocked to learn that more than 440,000 Germans were sent to Kazakhstan,” he said. 

Michael Brown, a German-Russian professor and director of graduate studies at the University of Wyoming visited Karamyshevka village, now called Shubaragash in 2024. Photo credit: Myssayeva’s personal archive

On a return visit in 2016, Brown discovered that Karagandy had been one of the main centers of German settlement. With the help of Askhat Yerkimbai, a former UW graduate student and now a faculty member at Suleyman Demirel University in Almaty, he learned about a village called Karamyshevka in northern Kazakhstan, founded by Germans in 1906, before the Soviet era.

“I was surprised because I did not expect that any of my relatives would be among those Germans exiled after 1906. Now I suspected my relatives might have been among those who started this village, but I was unsure how to find information,” said Brown.

To learn more, Brown joined the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR), an organization dedicated to preserving the history of Germans in Russia. Most AHSGR members are descendants of those who immigrated from Russia and want to learn about their family history and the fate of their relatives.

He later became editor of the AHSGR journal, which led him to collaborate with Professors Arailym Mussagaliyeva and Roza Mussabekova from the Eurasian National University, who study the history of Germans living in Kazakhstan both as exiles and settlers.

“During my conversation with Professor Mussagaliyeva, I mentioned my family name, Bruch or Brug, and said that if she went to Karamyshevka village, she might look for that name. At the time, she was working with archives about Karamyshevka and sent me a 1920 census with the names of several Bruch relatives. It was quite an exciting moment for me. I hoped to visit the village on one of my trips to Kazakhstan, but travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic delayed my visit to the village,” said Brown. 

Preserving a shared history

In September 2024, Brown returned to Kazakhstan with his colleague Professor Cindy Price Schultz to strengthen ties between the UW and KazNU. This time, he was offered a trip to Karamyshevka village, now called Shubaragash, where no Germans remain today. 

“We visited the cemetery and found many graves of my relatives. The grave markers had pictures, names, and the dates my relatives lived in the village. It was a powerful personal experience to realize I was standing among relatives that my current family never knew existed,” said Brown.

“I found over 20 graves. Parts of the cemetery were too old to have visible markers, so I know there are many more of my relatives buried there. A resident talked to us and remarked that the Bruch name was particularly prominent in the village,” he added.

Karamyshevka is just one of many settlements that once held Kazakhstan’s large German population. Interest in the German population is increasing both within Kazakhstan and among descendants abroad.

“The visit was more than I expected. It completed a missing piece of my family puzzle. I share my experience with many German-Russian organizations in the United States. Many asked if I encountered the names of their relatives, and some have asked if it is possible to visit, and I say ‘yes, it is possible’. For me I have a better understanding of my family background and a stronger feeling of connection to Kazakhstan. I had no idea this would be the outcome of my visits to Kazakhstan that started 13 years ago,” said Brown.

Brown’s story is more than an academic exchange. It is a personal quest for identity, memory, and belonging.

The Friends of the Altoona Area Public Library will hold its fall used book sale from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, on the ground floor of the library.

A $5-a-bag sale will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27. There are no Sunday hours.

For Friends members, the Members’ Pre-Sale will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23. Friends members preparing for the sale include: front — Pat Callahan; and from left, back — Gloria Bille-Dugan, Helen Gorsuch, Linda Bistline, Barb Brunhuber and Leonard Alwine. The book sale offers books of all kinds from adult fiction, children’s books, bestsellers to classics, non-fiction such as travel, art, history, home repair, genealogy, health, science, crafts, language and true crime books. The sale also includes puzzles, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, patterns, games and more. All money raised benefits the library.

The Southington Genealogical Society will present a program on X-DNA research Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Robin Michel, on behalf of the Southington Genealogical Society, said the program will be held in-person at 6:30 p.m. at the Southington Historical Society at 239 Main St. A Zoom option will also be available. The program will feature X-DNA expert Mary Beth Krafcik.

“Krafcik’s presentation on X-DNA was initially written for a family newsletter and revised for publication in both the Italian Genealogical Society of America and Italian Genealogical Group newsletters,” Michel said. “It represents years of original research pulled from numerous sources and will be presented in this format.”

The program will include a description of the biology of X-DNA and information about X-DNA recombination, X-DNA inheritance patterns, X-DNA inactivation and how to use X-DNA in genealogy research. Krafcik will also include examples from her own X-DNA.

Michel said Krafcik, a former long-time resident of Southington, has roots in the U.S. which extend back to the beginning of the 20th century.

“While researching her ancestry in Italy and Slovakia, she became interested in DNA and its applications in genealogy research,” Michel said.

Krafcik is a former board member of the Italian Genealogical Society of America and a member of the Italian Genealogical Group. She has contributed articles to the newsletters of both groups.

“Her IGG newsletter articles on ‘Affinity’ and ‘How I Found a 6th Great-Grandfather Using the Antenati Website’ were among those reviewed by the National Genealogical Society for its 2025 Large Society Newsletter award,” Michel said.

Michel added that one of Krafcik’s interests in future research is the immigration patterns of ancestors to America at the beginning of the 20th century and how residents of Southington are related to each other.

The Southington Genealogical Society Inc., founded in 1984, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the accurate recording, research and preservation of family history. The organization meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Southington Historical Society.

Those wishing to attend the program on Zoom are asked to email southingtongenealogicalsociety@gmail.com for the link.

Reparation Generation is helping Black Detroit residents purchase a home and trace their ancestral roots.

A growing reparations initiative in Detroit, Michigan, is helping Black residents access funding for homeownership and trace their ancestral roots.

After appointing its first executive director, Christian Harris, last year, Reparation Generation — a group dedicated to building Black wealth and supporting data for a potential federal reparations program — is expanding its impact. The organization recently selected six new recipients for its third round of homeownership grants, with each receiving $25,000 in down payment assistance, home-related expenses, and genealogy research support.

“I’m looking to build a legacy through home ownership and build generational wealth,” Stephanie Coney, a 2023 recipient, told the Detroit Free Press. “What better way to do it than with home ownership?”

The program helped Coney overcome the challenges of buying a home and achieve a major milestone. Along with purchasing her first house, she was able to trace her family lineage back to the late 1800s and learn just how close her ancestors were to slavery.

“You’re the recipient for not just you, but for your ancestors who paid the price for you to be here,” Coney said.

Founded in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder, Reparation Generation is a national nonprofit helping Black descendants of enslaved people in metro Detroit achieve homeownership and trace their ancestry. Initially self-funded, it now raises money from individuals, foundations, and corporations, redistributing wealth from those who’ve benefited from systemic harms to Black homebuyers.

One contributor, Joni Tedesco, a white Detroit native, saw her family build generational wealth through her father’s military service and the GI Bill — a privilege often denied to Black veterans, contributing to a lasting racial wealth gap. After learning about Reparation Generation last year through a church group, she became actively involved, hosting home meetings to raise awareness and, with her husband, Jim, contributing monthly to the organization’s $25,000 homeownership grants.

“This really struck home to me, the whole idea of helping with reparations in a way that helps provide people the opportunity to obtain housing,” Tedesco said.

Since 2022, 12 metro Detroit residents have become homeowners through the program. The third-round application ran from Sept. 1–10. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, Black descendants of enslaved people (with ancestry traceable in the 1870–1900 census or linked to the South through the 1940s), identify as Black in the 2020 census, reside in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties, and commit to buying a home in the area.

Accepted applicants complete orientation, including homebuyer education and a financial readiness assessment, and apply via an official link. Applications are sorted by Detroit median family income to ensure income diversity, then randomly selected within categories. Selected participants schedule genealogy and financial consultations, while others join a waitlist. Enrollees have 120 days to purchase a home, after which the $25,000 grant is wired to an escrow account. Participants also commit to two years of program evaluations.

“Families will see a different future for themselves and for their children and I think that it will also have a broader impact on the community,” said Glenda Price, a Reparation Generation’s board member.

Robert and David Bintz, the brothers released after serving nearly 25 years in prison for a Green Bay murder, were each awarded $25,000 amount from the State of Wisconsin Claims Board.

$25,000 is the maximum statutory compensation the Wisconsin Claims Board can award.

Also, the Bintz brothers were awarded money for their attorney fees, which were around $130,000 each.

Compensations greater than $25,000 need to be approved by state legislature. Both brothers were seeking $2 million each from the legislature. The claims board recommended the legislature to further compensate $1 million to each brother.

In 2000, the Bintz brothers were found guilty in connection to the 1987 murder of Sandra Lison and were sentenced to life in prison.

In 2019, The Great North Innocence Project stepped in with hopes of proving the brothers' innocence.

In 2023, the organization reached out to Ramapo College for assistance in analyzing the evidence through Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG).

Within two days, a team involving six students found a lead revealing now-deceased William Hendricks as the potential suspect. According to criminal records, Hendricks had a violent criminal history.

The IGG center, using public DNA testing, found genetic connections through Hendrick's cousins. Hendrick's body was exhumed, tested and a match was found.

The Bintz brothers were set free in September of 2024.