The following is a press release written by the Ohio Genealogical Society: 

The Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) is thrilled to announce the launch of its official podcast, Ohio Roots. This captivating series offers listeners an immersive journey through Ohio’s rich genealogy, history, and abundant resources.

Hosted by OGS Executive Director, Noel Poirier, Ohio Roots promises to be a must-listen for genealogy enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Each episode features insightful conversations with a diverse array of guests, ranging from OGS members, chapter leaders, and staff, to renowned genealogists, historians, and influential figures within the genealogical community.

Listeners can expect riveting discussions that delve into a wide range of topics, uncovering captivating stories and shedding light on Ohio’s intricate past. With a blend of expertise and passion, Ohio Roots invites audiences to explore the unique tapestry of Ohio’s genealogical heritage.

Get the free Podnews newsletter for more like this.

“We’re thrilled to launch Ohio Roots and share the incredible stories and resources that Ohio has to offer,” said Noel Poirier, Executive Director of the Ohio Genealogical Society. “This podcast is a platform for genealogists, historians, and enthusiasts to come together and uncover the fascinating roots of our state.”

Listeners are encouraged to grab their headphones or unmute their speakers, hit that play button, and embark on an enthralling journey through Ohio’s Roots. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or new to the world of genealogy, Ohio Roots promises something for everyone.

To tune in and explore Ohio’s genealogical legacy, visit www.ogs.org/podcasts/ or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information about the Ohio Genealogical Society and Ohio Roots, please visit www.ogs.org.

The Ohio Genealogical Society is a premier resource for Ohio family history research. With a mission to promote and stimulate interest in genealogy, the OGS provides educational and research opportunities for anyone interested in Ohio’s rich genealogical heritage.

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Ohio Roots
Ohio Genealogical Society

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Twenty-five new citizens pose for a group portrait in the Rotunda after becoming U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. National Archives photo by Susana Raab.

By Pete Lewis | National Archives News

WASHINGTON, September 19, 2023 — In celebration of Constitution Day, observed on September 17, 25 men and women from 24 nations took their oaths of citizenship in front of the nation’s Founding Documents (the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence), on September 15, in the Rotunda of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC.

The National Archives traditionally hosts two naturalization ceremonies in the Rotunda annually, the first in September to mark Constitution Day and the second in December in honor of Bill of Rights Day.

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New citizens swear the Oath of Allegiance to the United States during their naturalization ceremony in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, DC. September 15, 2023. National Archives photo by Susana Raab.

The ceremony was hosted by Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States. The Honorable James E. Boasberg, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, presided as the petitioners for United States citizenship took the oath of citizenship. Students from Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC, recited the Preamble of the Constitution.

Shogan spoke to the new citizens of the importance of the Founding Documents and the rights they upheld for all U.S. citizens.

“These Charters are the bedrock of our democracy; but they are not static relics,” she said. “They are a testament to the enduring values of freedom, justice, and equality that we are continuously striving to perfect. They are living promises—a covenant between the government and its citizenry.”

As the new Americans listened on, Shogan further offered hospitable words.

“As the Archivist of the United States, it is my distinct honor to be the first to officially welcome you as the newest members of our big boisterous American family!” she said.

The 25 new citizens are originally from 24 nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hungary, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia, and Venezuela.

Alex Marki, a researcher from Hungary, said he wanted to become a U.S. citizen in order to help people through his work.

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At center, keynote speaker Reverend Eugene Cho, the Honorable James E. Boasberg, and Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan pose with new citizens after the naturalization ceremony held in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, DC. September 15, 2023. National Archives photo by Susana Raab.

“America, I believe, is the best place in the world for research today. I'm really impressed by how many good things come out from this country; inventions, medicines, technologies,” Marki said. “I really want to contribute to this… so I decided to stay here and be part of this country and contribute to my best."

Aram Earsa, an Iranian who emigrated to Canada before seeking citizenship in the U.S., said he is happy to be part of "an amazing country, with a unique history."

"I'm very happy to finally complete my journey today and become a United States citizen,” Earsa said. “This country has always contributed to progress over the years, and I would be happy to be part of the future improvement and future progress of this country."

This year’s Constitution Day marks the 236th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more online about the U.S. Constitution through our public programs, family activities, and online resources.

This program was presented thanks to a long-standing partnership between the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

To view the ceremony, visit the National Archives YouTube Channel.

To view photos from this ceremony, visit the National Archives Flickr page.

The following is for this newsletter's Plus Edition subscribers only

If you downloaded the Weekly Plus Edition newsletter earlier this week from https://eogn.com/Plus-Edition-Members, you ended up with a version without any images. That was my error. I apologize for the shortcoming.

It has been now fixed and re-uploaded.

You can now go back to https://eogn.com/Plus-Edition-Members and click on this week's version (in either the HTML version or the PDF version) and it should retrieve the new version with images.

If it retrieves the previous version (without images), you might need to reload the version that is cached in your web browser.

There is an interesting story by David Oliver about people who take DNA kits and suddenly realize they have previously-unknown brothers or sisters. You can read the article at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/09/19/ancestry-dna-family-secrets/70707516007/. 

The following is an announcement written by the Society of Genealogists:

Announcing “All About That Place” - the One-Place Study Challenge Event taking place Friday 22^ndSeptember to Sunday 1^st October 

Celebrating the 10^th Anniversary of the Society for One-Place Studies, this unique event is spearheaded by the Society of Genealogists, the Society for One-Place Studies, Genealogy Stories, and the British Association for Local History.

“History is like a patchwork of different perspectives, techniques, and resources. Local history helps us to weave together the past and present, families and communities, big and small histories. It helps us to understand places in the present and connects us to the past” – Joe Saunders, BALH.

Join like-minded history lovers to explore the places your ancestors lived in, all from the comfort of your own home. Inside our pop-up Facebook Group you’ll be able to enjoy over 100 free recorded talks, delivered by a wide range of expert historians, such as Nick Barratt, Janet Few, Daniel Horowitz, Jen Baldwin, Gill Thomas and more!

With event sponsors including eminent organisations like The Genealogist, Name & Place, University of Strathclyde, Pharos Tutors, The Historic Towns Trust and Family Tree magazine, you can be sure to enjoy a truly engaging educational opportunity like no other.

This one-of-a-kind event isn’t just about idly watching though! It’s specially designed to help you to take part. Alongside the wide collection of talks on research tools, analytical techniques, and place history, you’ll be provided with motivating challenge instructions to help you explore local history. You’ll be able to download a free challenge workbook to record your learning activity and complete challenge tasks.

Plus, to celebrate your amazing progress you’ll be offered the opportunity to enter a prize draw consisting of a wide range of history goodies (1-year membership to the SoG, the Curious Descendants Club, BALH, Name & Place, My Heritage and 4 Historic Towns maps)!

To learn more and jump into the Facebook Group sign up here.

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com:                                 

Elizabeth Lotts has published an article that I think should be required reading to all newcomers to genealogy... and also can be very useful to old-timers as well. 

Before you spend money on your research, check into these ten genealogy resources.

You can find the list at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/10-ways-to-research-your-family-tree-for-free/ar-AA1gRC0Q 

The National Center for Biotechnology Information is excited to introduce Pebblescout, a pilot web service that allows you to search for sequence matches in very large nucleotide databases, such as runs in the NIH Sequence Read Archive (SRA) and assemblies for whole genome shotgun sequencing projects in Genbank – faster and more efficiently!  

Pebblescout uses short segments of your query sequences to identify database records with matches. Matches are based on the frequency of a segment’s occurrence in a database. Result produced for each query is a ranked list of matching records where the ranking utilizes informativeness of matching segments. 

You can read more at: https://ncbiinsights.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2023/09/14/introducing-pebblescout/ 

How many languages do you speak? Thanks to AI, that number could be as many as seven. Los Angeles-based AI video platform HeyGen has launched a new tool that clones your voice from a video and translates what you’re saying into seven different languages. If that wasn't enough, it also syncs your lips to your new voice so the final clip looks (and sounds) as realistic as possible.

Called Video Translate, the tool allows you to upload a video of yourself speaking in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hindi or Japanese. The requirements are pretty basic so you don’t need any fancy cameras, microphones or software. The clip has to be at least 30 seconds long and should ideally feature just one person. But other than that, you just upload your video and in a single click HeyGen can translate what you’re saying.

You can choose whether you want the output to be in Spanish, French, Hindi, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese or English. Support for even more languages is also expected by the end of September.  

You can read more in an article by Christoph Schwaiger published in the Tom's Guide web site at: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ai-video-tool-clones-your-voice-in-7-languages-and-i-almost-tried-it