The following is an announcement written by DigitalNC: 

Thanks to our partner, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), a batch of materials containing the university’s 2024 yearbook, newspaper announcement, and over 100 issues of our newest paper The Lumbee (Pembroke, N.C.) spanning from 1965 to 1969 is now available on DigitalNC! These newspaper issues provide an interesting look into the county’s history including a brawl with the Ku Klux Klan in Maxton in 1958 and education in Robeson County.

On February 20, 1969, The Lumbee published the desegregation plan submitted to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by the Robeson County Board of Education. Divided into cardinal and ordinal directions, the county’s schools are discussed in-depth. The article includes the names of the schools, which race they originally served, conditions of schools, what schools were slated to close, and where children in the area were being transferred to.

The Lumbee, February 20, 1969, page 3

To learn more about UNCP, please visit their website.

To view more materials from UNCP on DigitalNC, visit their contributor page here.

To view more newspapers from across North Carolina, visit our newspaper collection.

YouTube is testing an integration with Google Gemini to help creators brainstorm video ideas, titles and thumbnails. The Google-owned company announced the launch of the new Brainstorm with Gemini feature in a video posted to its Creator Insider channel.

A YouTube spokesperson told TechCrunch that the feature is available to select creators as a part of a small, limited experiment. YouTube will consider feedback from creators before deciding whether to roll out the feature more broadly. 

The new tool could give YouTube an edge over other social media video platforms frequently used by creators, as it offers them something that’s not available on these competing platforms. In addition, it makes sense for Google to incorporate its AI into its video platform in order to encourage creators to use its AI tools instead of other popular platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Brainstorm with Gemini is similar to another AI feature that YouTube launched in testing back in May, which is an AI-powered content inspiration tool that gives creators video topic ideas that their audience is interested in and then generates an outline of talking points to jump-start the creation process. 

The spokesperson told TechCrunch that creators now have the option to get the same sort of help, but with Gemini, which is the brand name for the family of AI large language models used in a lot of Google products. YouTube sees the new addition as a way to gauge whether creators prefer the inspiration tool, the Gemini integration, or both when it comes to getting help with content ideas.

Creators who are part of the experiment can open up YouTube Studio, type out a video idea into the search bar, then be presented with two options: the inspiration tool and the Brainstorm with Gemini feature. Although the inspiration tool already helps creators come up with video ideas, YouTube wants to test whether creators also find it helpful to brainstorm with Gemini as well.

While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are currently focusing on using generative AI to give creators the ability to build digital versions of themselves, YouTube is zeroing in on using the technology to help creators build their content. 

The following announcement was written by the folks at TheGenealogist:

To mark the 110th anniversary of the start of World War I, TheGenealogist is proud to announce the release of an extensive collection of military records featuring the global conflict. This significant release includes service records, rolls of honour, and books of remembrance from schools, places, and institutions, providing invaluable insights into the lives of those who served and sacrificed during the Great War.

The newly released records offer a look at over 25,000 individuals, giving details such as the service histories of soldiers, portraits, details of their schooling, and family connections, including poignant details of those killed or wounded in action. These records not only commemorate the bravery and dedication of those who served but also provide a rich resource for researchers and family historians.

A page from Portsmouth and the Great War

Included in this release are the following notable compilations:

• Birmingham, Service Record of King Edward School 1914-1919

• Whitgift Grammar School, The Book of Remembrance 1914-1919

• Memorials of Rugbeians Who Fell in the Great War, Volumes II, III, V, VI

• A Book of Remembrance of Old Boys and Masters of Watford Grammar School who Served in the Great War, 1914-1918

• Shrewsbury School, Roll of Service, 1914-1918

• Portsmouth and the Great War

• Swindon's War Record 1914-1918

• The Clan MacRae Roll in the Great War - Unveiling of Memorial Supplement

• 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Officers and Men Who Fell During the Great War

• London County Council Record of Service in the Great War, 1914-1918

• Phoenix Assurance Company, Ltd. - War Service List, 1914-1919

Also included in the release are two publications that give more context to the conflict, with stories and illustrations of the individual battles and notable heroic deeds:

• Children's Story of the War

• Deeds that Thrill the Empire

Mark Bayley, Head of Content at TheGenealogist, commented: “This release not only preserves the memories of the men and women who feature in these records, it also provides a window into the past for future generations. This adds to our extensive WW1 collections, providing a valuable resource for anyone interested in the personal histories and sacrifices of those who experienced the Great War.”

Researchers and family historians can access these records online at TheGenealogist's website, where they can explore detailed entries, including the years individuals attended school, information on family members, and personal stories of bravery and loss.

Read the feature article ‘Harold Ackroyd: MD to VC’ at TheGenealogist here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2024/harold-ackroyd-md-to-vc-7556/

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

Arizona detectives are seeking tips from the public more than four decades after a 25-year-old heiress was found shot to death near the Hoover Dam on the border between Nevada and Arizona. 

It’s been 45 years since the body of Marion Berry Ouma was found on an embankment near the highway, but no arrests have been made. Ouma inherited $40 million after her grandfather, Yellow Page founder Loren Berry, died, said the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit, the agency investigating the cold case. The sheriff’s office said Berry was worth $500 million and one of his grandsons pegged the company’s value at almost $1 billion when it was sold.

Authorities found Ouma’s body on Jan. 3, 1979. They believed she had been dead for less than 12 hours, said the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office. An autopsy revealed that the victim had been shot in the head and abdomen with a .38 caliber weapon, but investigators didn’t know her identity at the time. 

More than two years later detectives were notified by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that a private investigator from Ohio had possibly identified the victim, the sheriff’s office said. The investigator showed a photo to detectives and the similarities were striking.  

Detectives contacted Ouma’s mother and stepfather, Elizabeth and Robert Gray, who identified the body. The identity was confirmed later with dental records and fingerprints. CBS News has contacted the Dayton Police Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for more information. 

Her parents told detectives that Ouma had gotten married in Africa, where she lived for a few years working as a physical education teacher. Authorities didn’t provide clarification on whether the husband was a suspect or if he returned to the United States with Ouma. (Gray is Berry’s daughter and sits on the family foundation’s board.)

Detectives traveled to Las Vegas to conduct interviews and spoke with a bank employee who said Ouma had come into the bank on Nov. 28 and Dec. 13 to withdraw money from her savings account in Ohio. They then went to her home at Sierra Vista Apartments in Las Vegas, where the landlord told detectives she rented an apartment in November 1978 after arriving in a taxi with her belongings. A month later she was asked to vacate the apartment due to nonpayment of rent, the sheriff’s office said. 

Detectives described Ouma wearing green sweatpants and a dark blue short-sleeve blouse at the time of her death. She was around 5’5″ and weighed 106 pounds and often wore her hair in a ponytail. Detectives said they are also looking for leads on a 1976-1977 powder blue Chevrolet Blazer or Ford Bronco seen in the area on the evening of the murder. 

Forensic technology is breathing new life into a decades-old cold case in Riverside County, California and now investigators hope the public will help them finally solve it.

The Riverside County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigations released pictures Tuesday morning of the victim, Jacqueline Danette Ebel. The 25-year-old was reported missing from the Long Beach area two days before Christmas in 1988.

Her body was found three days later near 330 E. 4th Street in Perris. For decades police were unable to identify the victim and the case remained unsolved. Then in 2022, the Riverside County Cold Case Team conducted Forensic Genetic Genealogy, leading to the victim's name.

Before her death, Ebel lived in the Long Beach and Bellflower areas. She was known as "Jackie" to her family and friends, investigators say. She also went by the last names "Yonkers" and "Palmer." Ebel had a tattoo of a horse and flower on her right shoulder blade, tattoos of "John" and a Harley Davidson eagle on her left shoulder blade, and a rose and "Stoney" on her lower abdomen.

"It is our greatest desire to grant dignity and justice this victim and her family," Senior DA Investigator Ebony Caviness said in a statement.

Forensic genetic genealogy has gained traction in recent years, helping crack some high-profile cold cases including the Golden State Killer, a serial killer and rapist who terrorized California for years. Thanks to DNA-matching information, investigators identified Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, arresting him in 2018 near Sacramento.  

The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is asking anyone who thinks they might have information about Ebel's death to call the Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.

Around 1,000 Jews from across the world will gather in Philadelphia from Aug. 18-22 for the 44th International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

Attendees from Israel to Argentina with all levels of genealogic experience will receive and share guidance on the tools, pitfalls and meaning of Jewish genealogy research.

The conference will feature 175 presentations, meetings, workshops and activities relating to Jewish genealogy. Attendees looking for resources and tips will have access to advanced research tools and the foremost experts in Jewish genealogical research.

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History keynote speaker and renowned cookbook author Joan Nathan will be interviewed by Jewish genealogist Randy Schoenberg during the opening session on Aug. 18.

Nathan is known for her extensive research, storytelling and, of course, her recipes. “I hope people will bring their recipes with them and, if they want to find out more about their family, we can do it from there,” Nathan said.

For Nathan, food tells a story and connects people to tradition. Her books are filled with the stories of people, the ingredients and methods in a recipe that tell a story about the people behind it, how they lived and what ingredients were available.

Her latest book, “My Life in Recipes,” uses recipes to reflect on her life, family history and her quest to discover worldwide Jewish cuisine.“It gives people more strength to know that not just the language … but a recipe also has been carried down from generation to generation,” Nathan said.

Most of the conference will take place at the Sheraton Downtown, but attendees will also visit Jewish historic sites around Philadelphia and the Weitzman.

While many genealogy services offer documents and DNA analysis, there are some unique challenges to researching genealogy as a Jew, according to Jennifer Mendelsohn, a genealogist specializing in helping Eastern European Jewish families reclaim their history.

According to Mendelsohn, one of the unique challenges is tied to DNA. Because Ashkenazi Jews were largely endogamous, meaning they only married others within their community for a long time, having the same common ancestor may not yield as much information. “The first DNA test results made no sense. I just got incredibly frustrated,” Mendelson said.

Mendelsohn now uses her platform and a Facebook group with more than 13,000 members to help others decipher DNA results and highlight meaningful matches. She also co-founded the DNA reunion project, now called the Holocaust Reunion Project.

You can read more at: http://www.jewishexponent.com/philadelphia-to-host-major-jewish-genealogy-conference/.

Culture Healing Communities, a social enterprise in Durham that works with community heritage has just released a website about the Black Troops during the WW2 in the North, with the support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Working with ethnic minorities for several years, the research about the Black Troops in the North, has revealed many hidden memories from local people, culminating in a release of a website https://unforgettableww2blackheroes.co.uk/.

There will be a second part, which is still under preparation, regarding the Commonwealth Black Troops, including the Caribbean, Africa and India, who came to support the war effort during the Second World War.

This project focused on areas in Yorkshire, Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, Sunderland, North and South Tyne, and all the surrounding areas, and aims to create awareness about the importance of the Black troops to local history and heritage, whilst bringing faces, names and memories to be visible to the public and to educate present and future generations.

This is a vital project, that was never done before and the content that is already visible has been receiving several compliments from academics and organisations involved in history and ethnic minorities.

The case of unidentified human remains found in a remote Ontario location has now been solved.

A hiker found the human remains on a cliff overlooking Montreal River Harbour, approximately an hour north of Sault Ste. Marie, on July 30, 2017, OPP said in a press release on Tuesday.

The investigation included an extensive search of the area. Clothing items, a firearm, coins and a cardboard box were located at the scene and examined, OPP said.

The man was carrying Canadian currency. It is unknown how he got to the location, but it is believed he may have taken a bus, walked or hitchhiked along the Trans-Canada Highway sometime between the spring or fall of 2016, police said.

Ontario Forensic Pathology Service determined the man was approximately 45 to 65 years old. Foul play was not suspected in his death.

Police couldn’t identify the man and released a re-enactment video on social media hoping to solve the case.

In April 2022, police submitted the man’s DNA to the DNA Doe Project for investigative genetic genealogy use in an attempt to identify him.

In September 2023, the presumptive identity was verified and used by detectives to locate living family members, OPP said.

A family member’s DNA was used to confirm the man’s identity and the family was notified of the results. The identity of the deceased man will not be shared publicly to respect the family’s wishes.

The family has finally received answers about their loved one, OPP Acting Detective Superintendent Daniel Nadeau, Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Implementation Team, said in the press release.

“This case is another example of how technological advancements, in this instance the use of investigative genetic genealogy, can help police with historic cases,” said Nadeau. “We look forward to being able to provide more families with answers in the future, as we continue to implement this technique into our investigations.”

The House of Delegates addressed the use of forensic genetic genealogy at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago on Monday.

Resolution 519 calls on all states to adopt legislation that regulates the use of forensic genetic genealogy to identify suspects or victims in criminal cases. It should be based on a 2021 Maryland model law that includes specific tenets to protect users of genealogical databases such as FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch.

The resolution also urges any legislation regulating the use of forensic genetic genealogy to require judicial supervision; provide the defense with access to the information; follow guidelines shared by the U.S. Department of Justice; and provide data privacy protections for genealogical database users.

Stephen Saltzburg, a delegate from the Criminal Justice Section, said in introducing the resolution that it covers the relationship between law enforcement agencies and genealogical databases that gather DNA evidence from people who are willing to provide it. Law enforcement uses this evidence to identify individuals who have committed crimes.

“The problem is it’s been kind of a Wild West,” Saltzburg said. “There are no rules about what these entities should be able to do and what kind of protections the people who provide their DNA should get.”

The Forensic Genetic Genealogy Project tracks criminal cases that have been solved using investigative genetic genealogy, according to the report accompanying Resolution 519. As of early August, the technique had been used to solve 651 criminal cases involving 313 individuals.

But the report also says few states address the use of forensic genetic genealogy by law enforcement.

On a personal note, Saltzburg said his colleague Neal Sonnett was supposed to introduce Resolution 519 to the House. Sonnett, a renowned criminal defense attorney and longtime leader in the Criminal Justice Section, died in July.

“In the two weeks before he passed, Neal asked me to say something to you,” Saltzburg said. “He wanted me to tell you that every time he got up in the House, he loved the opportunity to speak to you, to talk to you, to work with you. He loved the ABA, but he really loved the House of Delegates. And it showed.”

Salzburg played a recording of Sonnett’s voice asking the House to vote in favor of the resolution. It passed overwhelmingly.