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OBITUARY: Lawrence ‘Abe’ Sousa, 1932-2025 »
Barbara Thomas Smith Nienburg was the daughter of William and Lois Thomas
Her father bought a small ranch on Tompkins Hill in Fortuna
She loved being on the ranch with all the animals
later her sister Marilyn (Duval) came along
She enjoyed having a younger sister to watch over
She was a homemaker for many years raising the children in Carlotta
When we were younger she would sew most of our clothes
She divorced George in 1973 and married Frank Nienburg
He had a house painting business in the Bay Area
We would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt for their care in this difficult time
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Barbara Nienburg’s loved ones
The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge
chats with Downers Grove library board member Marti Sladek during a February coffee with board members at the Downers Grove library
The Downers Grove Village Council voted 4-3 April 16 to remove Nienburg from the library board
The final chapter of Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a member of the Downers Grove Library Board was written last week when the Village Council voted 4-3 to remove Nienburg from the board
The April 16 vote came about six weeks after library trustees voted 5-0 to censure Nienburg and recommend his removal from the board. Nienburg did not attend that meeting.
Village Commissioners Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, Mike Davenport, Chris Gilmartin and Greg Hose supported the resolution calling for Nienburg’s ouster. Mayor Bob Barnett was joined by Commissioners Danny Glover and Martin Tully in opposing the measure.
The resolution calling for Nienburg’s removal cited his misconduct or neglect of office.
Nienburg was out of town and did not attend the council meeting. His brother-in-law, Norm Sidler, read a statement on Nienburg’s behalf.
“To those of you who justify your support for this action as a necessary step for the good of the library, it’s a self-serving narrative that is nothing more than a weakness in willingness to stand up for principle. You think the board has become too dysfunctional. I think your tolerance for democracy and free speech needs a serious check,” Nienburg said in the statement.
“Tonight’s vote is without shred of due process,” Nienburg said in the statement. “The [library] board’s censure was a blindsided attack on me, orchestrated to happen when I was out of town so I could not defend it.”
Sidler said that removing Nienburg from the library board sets a bad precedent because individuals asked in the future to serve on village commissions will ask themselves, “Why am I going to subject myself to what just happened to Bill Nienburg?”
Tully said the library board should not have voted to censure Nienburg at a meeting he was unable to attend.
“The other thing that has always troubled me about this is that the library’s resolution, and I have yet to hear a good excuse for this from anybody other than that we just didn’t want to, is why was [the censure] voted on the one time Bill Nienburg couldn’t attend,” Tully said.
Tully said there’s no evidence to support the allegation of misconduct or neglect of office.
“That standard isn’t even being close to being met here, not even close, and I haven’t heard even one thing yet that comes within a time zone of that statement,” Tully said.
“I wish the library had dealt with this themselves in a better way without bringing the divisiveness here,” Tully added.
Sadowski-Fugitt outlined several reasons to support Nienburg’s removal from the board.
“There’s ample evidence to support that Trustee Nienburg has not acted in the best interest of the Downers Grove Public Library and, in some cases, disparaged marginalized populations and minimized their harassment by board meeting attendees,” Sadowski-Fugitt said.
Darien resident Noel Manley, a frequent critic of the library board, said Nienburg never received due process.
“We’re here in Downers Grove tonight where it appears due process does not apply,” Manley said. “Bill did his job for the taxpayer and now he’s being smeared and fired for it.”
Hose said Nienburg had ample opportunities to address the Village Council.
“If Mr. Nienburg wanted to come address us, that podium is available three times a week between 7 p.m. and whenever we gavel out. ... Folks come and talk to us about any manner of things and he has not taken advantage of it. I can’t speak as to why,” Hose said.
Hose went on to explain his rationale for supporting Nienburg’s removal from the library board.
“Mr. Nienburg through his words and actions has chosen to join with those in the community who have created a hostile environment in our library with the goal of driving away staff. Mr. Nienburg cannot be permitted to destroy the institution he was appointed to protect,” Hose said.
Gilmartin echoed Hose’s sentiments, saying Nienburg was an ineffective library trustee, had a poor attendance record and lost the trust and faith of his fellow trustees.
At library board meetings, Nienburg “lambasts his fellow trustees and library staff, often done by twisting and ignoring facts,” Gilmartin said. “These charged tirades, which he has every right to do, demonstrate his desire to pander to a disruptive minority, feigning victimhood, stoking disruption and seeking to generate a false narrative about the operations and safety of our library.”
Barnett said removing Nienburg “is a difficult thing. It is not the kind of thing your council wants to do. I’m sure it’s not the kind of thing anyone in this room wants to do this evening either.”
“My biggest problem with this whole thing is who owns this mess,” Barnett said. “I do, to some degree. Each of these people that are on [the library] board, I had a role in either appointing or reappointing. This council does because we’ve had a role in appointing or reappointing [and] either approving or actually selecting people.”
The library board members failed to discuss their differences and inability to get along, Barnett said, adding he would have preferred if the council had a chance to mediate.
“There’s obviously a problem within the library board of trustees and we’ve been asked to take this one action and I’m not ready to take it unless I have more involvement in getting to that point,” Barnett said.
Glover defended Nienburg and said he did not deserve to be removed from the library board.
“I just don’t believe Mr. Nienburg said anything wrong, offensive or illegal,” Glover said. “It is my opinion, regardless of how we twist words or their intent, that Mr. Nienburg often provided a perspective that is often not shared by the rest of the board and, in actuality, has not violated any of the said bylaws or acted in a way that I feel is inappropriate [of] his position.”
The library board initially planned only to censure Nienburg for “leaking or attempting to leak on Feb. 17 a draft policy document to a resident,” according to a resolution to censure. The draft document was presumed confidential as it was sent only to trustees for review.
Nienburg also failed to “separate personal opinion from his position as trustee on at least one occasion while identifying himself as a library trustee,” according to the resolution.
Nienburg made those comments on X on Dec. 28 regarding Illinois’ new law on book bans.
Before the vote to censure, Library Trustee David Humphries called for Nienburg’s removal from the board.
“I don’t believe he ought to continue to represent the community as a member of this board,” Humphries said at the time.
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Germany this year will celebrate 25 years as sister cities
The relationship, which is now in its 31st year, developed from the German American Partnership Program youth exchange between high schools in Las Cruces and Albert-Schweitzer-Schule in Nienburg
18 students and two teachers from Albert-Schweitzer-Schule will arrive in Las Cruces to complete a three-week stint at Arrowhead Park Early College High School and Arrowhead Park Medical Academy
an official delegation from the city of Nienburg will come to Las Cruces to help celebrate the 25th anniversary
German instructor Ingrid Luchini introduced the GAPP exchange to Mayfield High School in the 1986-87 school year and sponsored it for the last 15 of her 30 years at MHS
Her colleague Hermann Martens started the exchange on the German side and had the idea of a partnership between the two cities
MHS German teachers continued the program for several more years
who is the chairperson for the 25th anniversary celebration
helped transfer GAPP to then brand-new Centennial High School in the fall of 2012
the program went to APECHS and APMA where it’s now in its second exchange cycle
with German students visiting for three weeks in the fall and American students returning the visit in May. The current GAPP sponsors at Arrowhead are teachers Jeffrey Johnson and Tamara Miller-Dwake.
The GAPP exchange and the Las Cruces-Nienburg Sister Cities program have led to many long-lasting friendships across the ocean
The experiences of Knut Brüggemann and daughter Merle from Nienburg with their American family of Marina and Sophia Moore are just one example
Knut Brüggemann (translated from the German): “I returned to Las Cruces after 31 years
I participated in the first GAPP student exchange between Mayfield High School and Albert-Schweitzer-Schule/Nienburg
Today my family and I are visiting the American host family of my daughter Merle
who participated in the student exchange 30 years after me. Just as I had been very fortunate to be placed with the Perry family and their son Mark
my daughter has found the perfect host family in Chris and Katya Moore and their two daughters
even the American and the German parents have gotten to know each other in person
This is what an exchange program should look like. Danke sehr (thanks so much)!”
Merle Brüggemann: “Before going to Las Cruces
I really had my doubts about being in a different country and living with complete strangers for three weeks
but all that doubt vanished when the Moores picked me up from the airport
They made me feel as if I was coming home and belonged with their family. Now
Marina’s and my parents have been able to meet
The Moore family will even visit with us in Germany
I think this is what a foreign exchange program should be about
It is so much more than just visiting a country as a tourist.“
Marina Moore: “Upon my return to the United States from my pleasant and successful trip to Nienburg
I began looking for opportunities to return to this charming country
Germany is Europe’s main innovation hub and because of my interest to pursue a degree in chemical engineering
it is my dream to take up an internship in Berlin
I have found out that the department of languages and linguistics at New Mexico State University has a summer internship program offered to juniors and seniors majoring in engineering. It is my dream to travel back to Germany and work with great engineers in my field of study
I would have never thought about interning in a foreign country — stepping into the unknown is sometimes a challenge
during my exchange stay in Germany last year
the people were very friendly and respected my efforts to speak their language and experience their culture.”
Sophia Moore: “After I heard about my sister’s GAPP experience
I wanted to join the exchange group as well
a stark contrast to the desert around Las Cruces
She described the wonderful food and how you can never really choose anything that doesn't taste good. The people my sister talked to were very kind and many spoke English
The curriculum at Albert-Schweitzer-Schule is very advanced
and I am excited to participate in the math and science classes
I cannot wait until my German exchange student
comes this fall because we plan to go to the Albuquerque balloon festival and to a concert among all the things we will do with the GAPP group.”
Ingrid Luchini is the youth exchange organizer for the Las Cruces-Nienburg Sister Cities Affiliation
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Hauptfeldwebel (HFw) Marcel Arndt is serving as a maintenance sergeant in the 912th Electronic Warfare (EW) Battalion in the north German town of Nienburg (Weser)
His and his team`s service is needed whenever a sensitive and state-of-the-art Electronic Warfare system have to be maintained-ranging from antennas to complex overall systems
“We are responsible for the EW equipment of vehicles
for the antennas and receiver systems and for all the technical equipment built into vehicles and mobile containers
rather than for the vehicles themselves.” Arndt and his team measure the signal paths and find faults to help German EW forces accomplish its important mission of reconnaissance in the cyber and information space
The 1st company of the 912th EW Battalion is located in Nienburg (Weser)
“Our companies have a wide range of state-of-the-art systems
For instance for the detection location and analysis of radar sets”
armoured wheeled transport vehicles equipped with multiband radio sets to small antennas.” What signal reconnaissance personnel need most to accomplish their mission apart from expertise is serviceable equipment
they look after the approximately 30 systems
HFw Arndt is a communications electronics technician by profession and a mission-experienced specialist sergeant today
“This means that I have considerable expertise in electronic systems
but we need much more to keep EW equipment serviceable”
HFw Arndt and his team deal with the whole range of material from the engines for deploying antennas to the highly sensitive antennas themselves and the grilles that protect sensitive sensors
“We are often asked to provide services of electronics technicians
we are asked to provide services of mechanics”
“And when systems have to be built into vehicles or cabins
we are even asked to provide services of design engineers.”
HFw Arndt has acquired his extensive knowledge in different areas during training courses and through private study
“We were trained to detect and analyze faults
“But our systems are so numerous and diverse that maintenance personnel cannot be trained to maintain all of those systems.” HFw Arndt and his team have often been asked to solve unknown technical problems quickly
“We try to solve such problems by trial and error and by relying on our common expertise”
“but it is these unknowns that make our work interesting
We can always rely on the wide-ranging knowledge of the team.”
“Our expertise is unique in the Bundeswehr”
“the battalion’s maneuver companies have material no one else in the Bundeswehr has.” The 2nd company is the 912th EW Battalion’s “seafaring” company
Its members are posted aboard intelligence collectors to gather information above and below water and in coastal areas in different deployment areas
The 3rd company provides the German air force with the information it needs during exercises and operations
The 4th company is capable of mobile reconnaissance of radio relay links and of radar emissions with its armored vehicle-based systems
That capability is needed to support operations of ground forces in particular
we always support our maneuver companies with our mobile maintenance shops during exercises and deployments abroad”
there is no serviceable material.” Only the 912th EW battalion has these reconnaissance systems
Arndt has repeatedly shown his abilities during deployments abroad
which he regards as the biggest challenges he has faced during his career
The diversity of the work and the initiative that is needed to solve unknown problems with systems
My first deployment abroad because it was a completely new situation for me
An officer once told me I would never be a professional soldier
It motivated me immensely to prove him wrong
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ExpandDowners Grove Library Board Trustee Bill Nienburg
and community member Ed Pawlak during a recent coffee with board members at the Downers Grove library
The library board has called for Nienburg's removal from the board
a decision that rests with the Downers Grove Village Council
Bill Nienburg’s tenure on the Downers Grove Library Board remains uncertain although the Village Council last week approved a resolution to discuss his removal
The council passed the resolution March 5 by a 4-3 vote with commissioners Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt
Chris Gilmartin and Mike Davenport supporting the measure
Mayor Bob Barnett was joined by commissioners Martin Tully and Danny Glover in opposing the move
Library trustees voted 5-0 Feb. 28 to recommend Nienburg’s removal from the board, a move that requires the approval of the Village Council. Nienburg did not attend the library board meeting.
“My focus is due diligence and due process and I’m not ready to support this because while the library’s process, as Martin [Tully] said, is theirs, not ours, I think it’s lacking. That’s my opinion,” Barnett said.
“It would not be my choice,” Barnett added. “I think it’s an error. I think we deserve more out of the library, but here we are.”
Tully said that although the library board approved a resolution to remove Nienburg from his seat, it is the Village Council that ultimately is accountable for the decision and accountable to the community. He added the library board is not a recommending board to the Village Council.
“This is very serious stuff and deserves serious attention,” Tully said. “There have been some serious accusations made.”
The library board initially planned to only censure Nienburg for “leaking or attempting to leak on Feb. 17 a draft policy document to a resident,” according to a resolution to censure. The draft document was presumed confidential as it was sent only to trustees for review.
Nienburg made those comments on X, formerly Twitter, on Dec. 28 regarding Illinois’ new law on book bans.
But before the vote to censure, Library Trustee David Humphries called for Neinburg’s removal from the board.
“I don’t believe he ought to continue to represent the community as a member of this board,” Humphries said.
Sadowski-Fugitt, who introduced the library board resolution to the Village Council, laid out several reasons for supporting the measure.
“I have several reasons for putting this motion forward in addition to the statements [made] by the library trustees,” Sadowski-Fugitt said.
She said she is “particularly concerned” that Nienburg has refused to speak to Library Trustee Barnali Khuntia or refer to her by name.
“As those of us up here understand, work grinds to a halt when people cannot behave as respectful adults and our community deserves better,” Sadowski-Fugitt said.
Gilmartin said it is the council’s obligation to consider the library board resolution.
“I believe it is our responsibility to heed that request in order to demonstrate to our village whether we are a do-something or a do-nothing council,” Gilmartin said.
Supporters and opponents of the resolution addressed the council. Those who back Nienburg believe he is being singled out for questioning Library Director Julie Milavec as well as the library budget and policies. They also believe his conservative points of view are unacceptable to his fellow trustees.
“Other than Bill Nienburg, no one questions Julie Milavec,” Ilene Briner said. “There’s a sense of cult worship of the director and of the library as if it’s a place of worship. They love diversity unless it’s diversity of thought. That is never allowed.”
“We need Bill on the board and more like him to question the budget, patron policies and personnel matters at the library,” Briner said.
Noel Manley, a Darien resident, urged the council to dismiss the resolution calling for Nienburg’s removal.
“I urge the Village Council to see this for what it is: political theater and dismiss this resolution,” Manley said. “Sadly, the current board is using an email with a Downers Grove resident as a pretext to cancel him. To be clear, using this email as a means to remove Bill sets an exceedingly low bar for removing a board member.”
Manley singled out Library Trustee Carissa Dougherty for pointing out at the Feb. 27 meeting that Nienburg does not have a library card.
“This action raises several troubling questions,” Manley said. “How did Miss Dougherty know this? Did someone provide her this information? Did she have special access to library systems to query and, if so, who granted her that authority?”
Dougherty said information about Nienburg’s library card is a matter of public record.
“The fact that Trustee Nienburg did not have a Downers Grove Library card is a matter of public record and does not require any special access to library systems or conversations with library staff,” Dougherty said in an email.
She also said that making the information public does not violate the Library Records Confidentiality Act, which she reviewed before speaking at the meeting.
The act states that “registration and circulation records of a library are to be confidential and cannot be published or made available to the public.”
“[The act] further defines registration records as ‘any information a library requires a person to provide in order for that person to become eligible to borrow books.’ In the case of the Downers Grove Public Library, that information includes one form of proof of residency, like a drivers license or state ID, a current utility bill, a piece of first-class mail or a mortgage or lease. None of which I shared nor do I have access to,” Dougherty said in the email.
Norm Sidler, Nienburg’s brother-in-law, also criticized the attempt to remove Nienburg from the library board.
“Did he break a law? And if the answer is ‘no,’ then why are we here?” Sidler said.
He said removing Nienburg could set a bad precedent and lead to unintended consequences. For example, future appointees to village boards and commissions may be hesitant to speak out for fear of reprisal, he said.
Sidler also said Humphries’ call to remove Nienburg from the board rather than just censure him may have been discussed among library trustees ahead of the time.
“To me, it’s amazing how quickly it’s come together and it almost seems like it’s been orchestrated,” Sidler said, adding any such discussion would be a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Jim Wool summarized the portion of the February library board meeting where he was asked to leave and police were summoned when he refused.
“I refused to leave. What was my sin? Criticizing the director,” Wool said.
At that meeting, Wool repeatedly was asked to follow the rules for public comment and address the library board, but not the director. When he continued to address the director, police were called.
“The library board is requesting that you remove a board member,” Wool said. “What this Village Council needs to do is remove the other library board members for lying to police, not holding the director of the library accountable for her actions and attempting to deny citizens their First Amendment rights.”
Those who support Nienburg’s ouster said he not only violated library bylaws, but is partly responsible for a divisive environment on the board.
Robin Tryloff said Nienburg “colludes with people who bring vitriol, hate and outright lies to public meetings and make personal attacks on library staff and trustees on the streets, at their homes and at every public meeting.”
Hilary Denk, who like Tryloff attends most library board meetings, said opponents of the library board employ a strategy to disrupt the meetings.
“It’s painful to go to these meetings,” Denk said. “Questions that are asked are irrelevant, make no sense. They’re meant to frustrate. They’re meant to create chaos.”
“I hear the harassers becoming the victims. This is straight up abuse type of behavior that we see. It’s very typical behavior when you are the abuser to take on ‘I am the victim.’ That is not the case here. [Nienburg] is not a victim,” Denk said. “This gentleman comes to these meetings. He’s not prepared when he does come to these meetings and he asks questions that are not relevant or helpful when it comes to the operation of the library.”
The Village Council did not set a time frame to further discuss the resolution.
Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a Downers Grove Library Board trustee ended last week when the village council voted 4-3 to remove him from the board
The April 16 vote came roughly six weeks after library trustees censured Nienburg and recommended his removal from the board
Village commissioners Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt
Chris Gilmartin and Greg Hose supported the resolution calling for Nienburg’s ouster
Mayor Bob Barnett and village commissioners Danny Glover and Martin Tully opposed the measure
The resolution calling for Nienburg’s removal cited his misconduct or neglect of office
Nienburg was out of town and did not attend the council meeting
“To those of you who justify your support for this action as a necessary step for the good of the library
it’s a self-serving narrative that is nothing more than a weakness in willingness to stand up for principle,” Nienburg said in the statement
“You think the board has become too dysfunctional
I think your tolerance for democracy and free speech needs a serious check.”
Tully said there’s no evidence to support the allegation of misconduct or neglect of office
“That standard isn’t even being close to being met here
“I wish the library had dealt with this themselves in a better way without bringing the divisiveness here.”
Sadowski-Fugitt outlined several reasons to support Nienburg’s removal from the library board
“There’s ample evidence to support that Trustee Nienburg has not acted in the best interest of the Downers Grove Public Library and
disparaged marginalized populations and minimized their harassment by board meeting attendees,” Sadowski-Fugitt said
In explaining why he supported Nienburg’s removal from the library board
Hose said Nienburg “through his words and actions” joined with “those in the community who have created a hostile environment in our library” to drive away staff
Nienburg cannot be permitted to destroy the institution he was appointed to protect,” Hose said
Barnett said removing Nienburg “is a difficult thing
It is not the kind of thing your council wants to do.”
The mayor said library board members failed to discuss their differences and inability to get along
He said he would have preferred if the council had a chance to mediate
“There’s obviously a problem within the library board of trustees
and we’ve been asked to take this one action,” Barnett said
“I’m not ready to take it unless I have more involvement in getting to that point.”
Glover defended Nienburg and said he did not deserve to be removed from the library board
regardless of how we twist words or their intent
Nienburg often provided a perspective that is often not shared by the rest of the board and
has not violated any of the said bylaws or acted in a way that I feel is inappropriate (of) his position.”
The library board initially planned only to censure Nienburg for “leaking or attempting to leak” a draft policy document to a resident
The draft document was presumed confidential as it was sent only to trustees for review
Nienburg also failed to “separate personal opinion from his position as trustee on at least one occasion while identifying himself as a library trustee,” according to the resolution
28 regarding Illinois’ new law on book bans
Eine vermeintlich gesunde Gemüsepfanne hat eine Frau aus Stolzenau (Landkreis Nienburg) ins Krankenhaus gebracht
In die Pfanne hatte sie eine Zucchini aus dem Garten einer Freundin gegeben
Das Gemüse enthielt den giftigen Bitterstoff Cucurbitacin
Obwohl die Seniorin nur wenig gegessen habe
Die Ärztinnen und Ärzte dort diagnostizierten eine mittelschwere Vergiftung
Bei Zucchini aus dem Handel sei der giftige Stoff entweder gar nicht mehr oder in unschädlichen Mengen enthalten
Anders könne das aber beim Selbstanbau sein
beispielsweise wenn alte Samen verwendet würden
Ihr geht es den Angaben zufolge inzwischen wieder besser: Sie konnte aus dem Krankenhaus entlassen werden
either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter
or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
A shocked farmer has revealed how he dug up a deadly British hand grenade as he harvested his crop of asparagus in Germany
36 - was unearthed in a field in Lavelsloh
Nienburg district of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany
the farmer called police to help get rid of the grenade
which saw widespread use in the First and Second World Wars
Experts said the bomb was too unstable to travel and decided to detonate it on site in a controlled explosion
Police cordoned off the area and evacuated 23 neighbors while bomb disposal experts made the grenade safe
The Nienburg/Schaumburg Police Department said in a statement obtained by Zenger News (in German): "On Tuesday (May 10
a hand grenade was found during ongoing harvesting work in an asparagus field in Lavelsloh
The finders alerted the police and fire department around 7 p.m
"After the emergency services had consulted with the specialists from the explosive ordnance disposal service in Hanover
they classified the grenade as untransportable from a distance and decided on controlled detonation
the site on Mindener Strasse was cordoned off and cleared within a radius of 300 meters."
"With the support of the fire brigade and other police forces from the riot police
residential buildings in the radius were evacuated
"A total of 23 people had to leave their homes for the duration of the measures
those affected showed understanding for the security measures taken by the emergency services
The fire station in Diepenau was made available to them as a contact point
the all-clear was given: the British Type 36 hand grenade had been successfully detonated
"The area of operation was released again by the police and the residents were able to return to their homes
"In order to be able to inform the affected citizens about the current situation in a timely manner, the use of the social media was accompanied via the Twitter and Facebook channels of the Nienburg/Schaumburg Police Department."
"Mills bomb" is the popular name for a series of British hand grenades that were the first modern fragmentation grenades used by the British Army
developed and manufactured by William Mills
They were manufactured at the Mills Munitions Factory in Birmingham in 1915 and were in service from that year until August 2021
they were still being used in combat as recently as 2004
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground
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« OBITUARY: Barbara Thomas Smith Nienburg, 1937-2025
OBITUARY: Jason Evan Kirkpatrick, 1975-2025 »
Lawrence “Abe” Sousa — beloved husband
great-grandfather and great-great grandfather — went home to Dorothy on Tuesday
having celebrated his 93rd birthday just a few days before
he was born on the first day of spring in 1932
Many years with Operating Engineers Local 3
Abe was a member of the Eureka Moose Lodge
We lost track of how many antique cars he bought
Abe was predeceased by the center of his universe
great-granddaughter India Rose Pidgeon James
sister Margaret Johnson and her husband Jack
sister Eleanor Klein and her husband Harold
He is survived by his son Robert and his wife Wanda Sousa
There will be a private family gathering to celebrate his life
his family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association
There will be an open celebration of his life at the Eureka Elks Lodge at 445 Herrick Avenue on July 27th from 2 to 5 p.m. Please RSVP to robsousa53@gmail.com to make sure we have enough seating and food for everyone.
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Abe Sousa’s loved ones
talks with fellow Trustee Marti Sladek during a recent Coffee with the Trustees
28 to recommend Nienburg's removal from the library board
a move that requires approval of the Downers Grove Village Council (David Toney/David Toney for Shaw Local)
The book may soon close on Downers Grove Library Trustee Bill Nienburg’s tenure on the board.
Library trustees Wednesday voted to recommend Nienburg’s removal from the board, a move that requires the approval of the Downers Grove Village Council.
The village council is expected to discuss the recommendation at its meeting on Tuesday.
Library board trustees are appointed by the mayor, and the appointments are approved by the village council.
The library board initially planned to censure Nienburg for “leaking or attempting to leak on Feb. 17 a draft policy document to a resident,” according to a resolution to censure. The draft document was presumed confidential as it was sent only to trustees for review.
Trustee David Humphries called for Nienburg to be removed from the library board at Wednesday’s meeting.
“I would ask him, ‘Why are you serving on this board? Is it to share in the work of this library and the community or is it because you are on a mission to recast the library and fashion it in a way that you see fit and agrees with your own world view, which may or may not share the values, all the values, shared in our wider community,” Humphries said.
“I don’t believe he ought to continue to represent the community as a member of this board,” he added.
Nienburg did not attend Wednesday’s library board meeting.
Humphries was not alone in his criticism of Nienburg, who was appointed to a six-year term on the board in June 2022.
“I have been deeply troubled by the misinformation, the unwillingness to work with others, creating false narratives, disrespect for fellow trustees, and especially disregard for the staff,” said Trustee Barnali Khuntia. “I’m sad that it had to come to this because we are a board and we want to work together, but Trustee Nienburg will not even acknowledge me by my name. So, his unwillingness to even acknowledge me makes it hard for me to be able to work with him on any issues.”
Trustee Carissa Dougherty said the board’s actions against Nienburg are not politically motivated.
“He’s the only one who interrupts our board president and treats her with disrespect and he’s the only one of us who attempted to leak confidential draft documents...to an individual who is known to have sworn at one of our staff members after our last meeting,” Dougherty said.
“None of these facts has to do with a difference of opinion. It has everything to do with that basic requirement of trustees per our bylaws: to act in the best interest and uphold the purpose, values and services of the library,” Dougherty added. “In my mind, this is neither a political thing or a First Amendment thing, it’s a matter of ethical behavior… .”
Downers Grove resident Jim Wool, the individual to whom Nienburg attempted to send the draft policy document, opposed censuring Nienburg.
“Ironically, you want to censure Bill Nienburg for making me aware of a public document: the long-awaited window painting policy,” Wool said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Why do you not want the residents of Downers Grove to see a public document before it is voted on? This is just one more deceitful behavior on the part of (library director) Julie (Milavec) and this board.”
Wool, a frequent critic of the library board, accused trustees of “groveling toward Julie” with the exception of Nienburg. He then compared board meetings to the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” with Milavec playing the role of Nurse Ratchet, the main antagonist in the novel.
“It is comical how all of you bow to Julie with the exception of Bill. The rest of you goose step to the commands of director Julie,” Wool said.
Wool repeatedly addressed Milavec during his remarks, a violation of the rules governing public comment. Library board president Swapna Gigani asked Wool to complete his comments, but he ignored her request and continued to speak.
“You may leave now,” Gigani said, which caused some meeting attendees to object.
“Why don’t you stop this? Stop them. I’m talking,” Wool asked Milavec.
“I’m not going to go over the rules again. I don’t want to hear anything from anyone. I need everyone to abide by the rules I set forward. It’s not that hard,” Gigani said.
“Take a Valium,” a member of the audience shouted. Gigani responded by telling the individual to shut up. She later apologized for the behavior during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“First of all I want to apologize for the way public comment transpired this evening,” she said. “I pride myself on being someone that likes to always move forward with respect and consideration first and foremost, and it’s very frustrating when that is not returned. I find it interesting that people are allowed to shout and heckle at us, but when I get frustrated I’m the problem.”
Trustee Marti Sladek again chided individuals who criticize library board members, the director and library staff at meetings, on social meetings and, in some cases, when encountering them on the street.
“There are people who come to these meetings who are contributing to the very problems that they purport to be complaining about by sheer lack of decency and good manners,” Sladek said.
“Well, how about the staff and trustees who can’t go down the street as Dave (Humphries) said without verbal abuse, harassment, threats on the street, sometimes at our homes, social media. How about minorities and (members of the) LGBTQ (community) who have heard hate speech month after month after month at these meetings. That sense of entitlement has no place in civil discourse at this library or any other public institution and we’ve had enough.”
Editor’s Note: This past May and June
12 Arrowhead Park High School (APHS) students and two teachers spent three weeks with host families and attended Albert-Schweitzer-Schule (ASS) in Nienburg/Weser
which is Las Cruces’ German sister city
They returned last fall’s visit of 16 students
a teacher and the principal of their German partner school
in its 30th year between ASS and high schools in Las Cruces
is now taking place within the framework of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) and the Las Cruces-Nienburg Sister Cities Affiliation
The following report was written by Marina Moore
one of seven APHS students who received travel scholarships from the Nienburg Affiliation and Friends of the German Language:”
In a brief meeting just before the departure
our advisors instructed us that it is rude to be late and use too much water (long showers are a no-no)
Being constantly late and taking notoriously long showers
I knew that I was already seriously handicapped in the three important areas
so I was determined to make up for it in appearance
sweater and T-shirt that I had in my closet in addition to the most sophisticated makeup Target carried and was genuinely surprised when I was told my luggage was seven pounds over the weight limit
the students at Albert-Schweitzer-Schule (ASS) were not too concerned with their variety of makeup or clothing
classes at our German school lasted close to the end of June
We were there in what would be considered the final weeks of the school year
I went to a variety of classes that were offered to the students
The most intriguing of the classes was chemistry
The class was structured in a way that the lecture would be done during the first part of the class and the experiment in the second half
Because the lab and the class were held in the same lesson and the same room
all the lab equipment was stored in the classroom
The first time the students began to assemble their lab equipment in front of us
Things like wooden test tube holders and sketchy Bunsen burners were enough to make us wonder how the school hasn’t been burned down yet
the experiment was a lot of fun and everybody seemed to enjoy it
Another class we attended was math class in which they were learning calculus
a class that isn’t required for high school graduation in the States
I sat down feeling calm and confident until the teacher whipped out a worksheet that contained word problems
smart boards and other forms of technology that are deemed necessary for teaching in the US
The classes did not have a separate lab or sophisticated equipment
yet my German classmates studied advanced concepts in every subject and everybody was fluent in at least two languages
Taken back by the thought of the school cafeteria food in the States
Walking into the ASS cafeteria for a snack
I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a variety of fresh sandwiches
and baked bread and butter topped with tomatoes
mozzarella cheese and seasoning for a total of close to 1 euro (including their delicious coffee)
I found out from the staff that the bread used for sandwiches and baked breads are donated (fresh) daily by a local baker
Later I found out that all the people who work in the cafeteria are volunteer parents; no wonder the food looked and tasted so delicious
Let’s just say I was the one who was seven pounds heavier flying back to the States)
To give you an idea of the beauty of Nienburg and the area
you need to imagine yourself on the set of the latest Beauty and the Beast movie
I felt as if I went to sleep and woke up in the middle of a fairytale village
I felt like Belle walking on the cobble stone streets through the farmers’ market
I was hoping to get lost and never find my way back
As a part of the exchange program I had an opportunity to travel all over Northern Germany
Hannover boasts one of the largest modern shopping centers in Germany and even though Calvin Klein
Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch stores were calling my name
none of them compared to the town hall and a 13th century church that we visited
My day visit to Hamburg with my host family was amazing as well
I found out that a large majority of the occupants of Hamburg are very well off after I saw a Maserati and a Lamborghini drive by me casually while we were on our way to the boat tour in the Hamburg harbor
The Hamburg Elbphilharmonie is one of the most amazing buildings I’ve ever seen
It stands as one of the tallest buildings in Hamburg and houses several multimillion-dollar flats and a hotel in addition to the concert hall
The highlight of our trip to Bremerhaven was the tour of the Emigration Museum
which features realistic exhibits of the conditions on boats from Germany to North and South America in the late 19th century
Our group’s stay in Berlin was four days long
We traveled all around the city (unintentionally when we got lost a few times)
The most intriguing characteristic of Berlin is the gradual degradation of infrastructure from West to East
Most of my stay in Germany involved spending time with Merle Brüggemann (my host student) and her family who were generous enough to let me live with them in the village of Liebenau (and eat most of their bread) for almost three weeks
Each day Heike (my host mother) would greet me with a smile
she would ask me if there was anything particular that I would want to eat when we got back from school
I realized quickly that there was no need to be picky because she was an exceptional cook and everything she made was wonderful
Knut (my host dad) is no stranger to the GAPP exchange
He was a part of the first group of students that traveled from Nienburg to Las Cruces in April 1987
He enjoyed his three-week stay with the Perry family
Their group visited famous landmarks in the area such as White Sands
Trinity Site and traveled up north as far as the Grand Canyon
He said that if there was one time of his life he would relive
it would be his three-week stay in our area
I learned that we shared a common love for New Mexico’s salsa and sunny weather
I loved every moment of my trip to Germany and am happy to have experienced the culture through full immersion
The GAPP exchange has been a great eye opener for many members of our group
I would like to thank everybody who made this trip possible
especially the Las Cruces-Nienburg Sister Cities Affiliation
Arrowhead Park HS teachers Tracy Bennett and Jeffrey Johnson
Albert-Schweitzer-Schule teacher Thomas Volkhausen and principal Dr
I would like to thank Frau Ingrid Luchini for all the effort she put into teaching German to eight sleepy students every Wednesday morning before school during two semesters
I hope this exchange program will continue for the benefit of students from both Arrowhead Park HS and Albert-Schweitzer-Schule
My experience is that such presentations generally are delivered at pretty high level
and in the end don't really tell us a whole lot - in part because they are just too scripted
I am sure that usually comes from lots of "help" from corporate communications
So I had tepid expectations before a presentation by Bill Nienburg
VP of Global Merchandise & Sales Planning at Under Armour
at the Logility Connections user conference in Atlanta two weeks ago
was well off in this case - this was a fantastic
almost in your face presentation (in a good way) that in effect said: "This is where our supply chain is headed
and how it is an core element in driving rapid growth
See if you can catch us."
I love that - it simply says "We are playing to win." There is a level of supply chain energy and ambition here that is not common
Under Armour the company is of course quite a story
on its way to being a $4 billion company in 2016 and $10 billion by 2020
it has had a cumulative annual growth rate of 31%
That's a lot of sneakers and work out gear for sure
Nienburg came to UA from Sara Lee and before that Procter & Gamble
and told them "supply chain collaboration was going to be a core competence" at Under Armour
referring to both internal and external collaboration - and let me tell you that objective is very real
I don't believe I have ever heard anyone say they were going to make collaboration a core supply chain competence
Where does your company stand on the collaboration excellence scale
Under Armour the company was built on the idea of speed in terms of its products and now its growth
and it has built a supply chain to match that velocity
You simply can't have a high-velocity product and growth strategy without the supply chain operating at the same clockspeed
The company is obsesses in a good way on making fast decisions
"Speed is the order of the day," Nienburg said
"We want to make fast mistakes," he said
The formula for growth at Under Armour - and maybe most everywhere - is growth equals speed x innovation
The key point and challenge is how you combine speed with control and predictability
I have not heard anyone state the mission quite like this before
I don't have any magical approach for getting to that place
but it is clear Under Armour has this as a defining mission
and something they are aggressively combining people
made more challenging (as for all apparel companies) by the notion of seasons: Spring/summer and Fall/winter
but Under Armour is planning five such seasons at some level at any given time
obviously with increasingly levels of granularity the nearer-in a season is
Nienburg used the analogy of jets landing on an aircraft carrier to explain these multiple planning horizons
The current season is a plane approaching the runway - it is double checking to ensure nothing has changed with the existing plan prior to its landing
and then focusing on execution of the landing and monitoring feedback loops
But behind that plane is another that will land in a few more minutes
- but all five planes are being planned and tracked simultaneously
Nienburg said he was going to give the audience something of real value to take back
which Nienburg called "4D Collaboration," as shown in the graphic below
Here is what is different about this model - it puts "data" at its center
Neither internal nor external collaboration will work without accurate
So that is where UA started its collaboration efforts
by investing in the data (master data management
along with tools to leverage the data) that its sees as the foundation of collaboration competence and excellence
When the barriers to effective collaboration are mentioned
the discussion usually starts with things like "trust" and "benefits sharing" and "processes" - maybe all of those and more are in the end largely symptoms of a lack of data
The other elements in the model are basically people
but I think Nienburg added some excellent additional insight to those common elements
UA has defined the critical competencies its people must possess to execute the level of collaboration and supply chain excellence it wants to achieve (moving targets
as it progresses down various maturity models)
It then builds skills development and training programs to ensure its staff has those critical competencies
Nienburg reports to chief supply chain officer James Hardy
by the way - I am sure he deserves much of the credit for all of this too
The executive team is fully on board with this supply chain strategy
Nienburg said that in the last seven quarterly earnings calls the company has held
the supply chain planning system (Logility) that Under Armour has deployed as the technology foundation for its supply chain excellence has been referenced as a key component of the company's strong results
Interesting story and a trend that I see across industries as both the need for speed becomes more critical and the capabilities of the technology allow for greater visibility and collaboration
owning design and the production all the way up to and sometimes including the retail stores
Fashion apparel has always been challenged by long supply chains that chase cheap production while having to make commitments to produce far ahead of retail demand signals
Anything they can do to enhance the connection from actual demand through to DRP and production orders will pay off
Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: 4D Collaboration at Under Armour
Aggressive Supply Chain Interestingly Puts "Data" at Center of Collaboration
SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore was very impressed with a presentation by Bill Nienburg, VP of Global Merchandise & Sales Planning at Under Armour, at the Logility Connections user conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago (See Under Armour's Athletic Supply Chain.)
he showed a model Nienburg has developed for what he calls "4D Collaboration," suitable for both internal and external collaborative efforts
We liked that model so much we are going to repeat it here as our Supply Chain Graphic of the Week
the discussion usually starts with things like "trust" and "benefits sharing" and "processes" - maybe all of those and more are in the end largely symptoms of a lack of data
as it progresses down various maturity models)
How does your collaboration model stack up
Any Feedback on our Supply Chain Graphic of the Week
Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback Button below
By Ben Crair
the medieval German town of Nienburg crowned a new asparagus princess in the garden of the Lower Saxony Asparagus Museum
It was the day after the annual asparagus run
and the winners of other local pageants put on party dresses and sashes to welcome the Spargel Prinzessin to their royal court
There was an herb princess in a green skirt
and two rhododendron princesses in red gowns
“I can get used to being around so many beautiful women,” the potato prince
who wore a brown suit and was the only male pageant winner
had an exalted place among her peers: In Germany
Every year the German people eat 140,000 tons of asparagus
German farmers devote more land to Spargel than they do to cabbage for sauerkraut
you find white asparagus on the menu of nearly every restaurant
prepared almost always the same way: boiled and topped with hollandaise or brown butter
served with a side of boiled peeled potatoes and a plate of sliced ham
What is it about this colorless vegetable that drives Germans crazy
a 460-mile path that grows more asparagus than any other part of Germany and attracts thousands of pilgrims every spring
Nienburg’s attractions include not only the Spargel museum but also a Spargel fountain in the center of town
This year’s Nienburger Spargelfest fell on one of the first warm days of an overdue spring
and sunshine soaked the museum garden so intensely that the shrubs and flowers seemed to bleed around the edges
Attendees sat at picnic tables among old statuary from the House of Hanover
They proclaimed Nienburg Spargel to be the best in Germany and attributed white asparagus’ popularity to its nutrient content
and the arrival of the harvest with warm weather every spring
Some lauded the beauty of the white stalks
while a German friend noted their undeniable resemblance to a phallus
“That’s why Germans love it so much,” she said
Many people emphasized the vegetable’s delicate and nutty flavor
And what did the new princess have to say about the national obsession
Cybin wore a pink dress and carried a basket of asparagus
She was easy to pick out in her tiara among all the heads of gray hair
I asked her why Germans love white asparagus
a large man from the Consortium of Nienburg Spargel interrupted with a loud and long-winded explanation in German
Cybin translated his monologue into a few tentative words of English: “Asparagus cleans the body and allows the sun to come in.”
Everyone emphasized the healthfulness of Spargel as they mopped butter and hollandaise off their plates
And they praised the simplicity of a vegetable whose cultivation is actually painstaking
a farmer named Ernst August Theisinger took me into an asparagus field
He had buried the asparagus plants in mounds of soil
in order to block out the sunlight that would produce chlorophyll and turn them green
He waited two or three years for each asparagus stalk to mature
at which point he and his workers harvested them individually by hand
His demonstration reminded me that the popular stereotype of German efficiency is not really accurate
What Germans love even more than efficiency is procedure
White asparagus embodies this trait at every step from farm to table
Markets sort white asparagus into different “choices,” like cuts of meat
with the thickest stalks commanding the highest price
And the straightforward boiled preparation of Spargel belies the fact that every stalk of white asparagus must be peeled
The difficulty of this task has allowed Germans to scratch another national itch: the construction of extremely specialized machinery
The German company Hepro manufactures nine different models of asparagus-peeling machines
It is hard to imagine such a labor-intensive food really catching on in a country as convenience-obsessed as America
where most people would probably rather stick to frankfurters
It tastes like an asparagus grown on a cloud rather than in the soil
It’s less like eating green asparagus and more like fresh lobster: The flesh is wan and tender
It is a shame white asparagus is not as iconic as other German foods
the Nienburger Spargel Princess would be as famous as the St
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Homepage > States > Lower Saxony > Mittelweser: From farm store to farm store
The Middle Weser region stretches along the river from Achim in the north to the Mittelland Canal in the south
On your way through the agricultural region you will find numerous mills
"Fresh to the table" is the program at the Mittelweser farmers
many farms also have a café where delicacies such as waffles with Bickbeern
coffee from their own roasting or fresh Nienburg asparagus are served
Here we introduce you to five culinary specialties of the Mittelweser region:
Table of Contents:1. Bickbeernhof in Brokeloh2. The weekly market in Nienburg3. Nienburg asparagus4. Catucho coffee and cocoa specialties in Bücken5. Bünkemühle farm in Warpe
the fields around Brokeloh are buzzing and humming
Fat bumblebees fly low over the flowering meadows
and bees circle in the blueberry bushes in search of blossoms
the insects are replaced by harvesters and visitors
who carefully pick their way through the 22.5-acre cultivated area
Only the deep blue berries go into the yellow harvest baskets; the unripe fruits are still allowed to hang
Lower Saxony is Germany's largest producer of blueberries
with around 2,000 hectares under cultivation
as you have to bend over to reach the berries.
Summer is the most intense time on Sylke Herse's Bickbeernhof
Then the parking lot fills up already in the morning
Some visitors just want to quickly buy a jam for breakfast in the farm store
The flow of visitors remains constant until the evening
there is also a large farm café with a terrace that could accommodate a whole party
The smell of fresh waffles emanates from the kitchen
such as venison sausage with dried bickberries.
you can also buy organic berry compote and fruit mulled wine
By train and bus comfortably to Brokeloh: Plan arrival
While the café guests relax over coffee and fresh rolls
the market stalls across the street are already bustling with activity
a handful of crunchy runner beans are being weighed and packed
at another a child is sticking its nose into a colorful bouquet of flowers
and in the bakery cart the last Nienburg bear paw is just disappearing into a paper bag
the Lange Straße in Nienburg's historic old town has regularly been transformed into a colorful promenade
That's when more than 60 regional and local traders set up their stalls
flowers and plants are also on offer - and particularly successfully
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Nienburg: Plan arrival
"I helped build this asparagus!" The man who says this is standing with his daughter in front of the 4.5-meter-high wooden sculpture in the Lower Saxony Asparagus Museum
the graduating class of the Realschule Nienburg spent almost a year carving the 900-kilogram delicacy
it was unveiled and shortly thereafter declared the largest wooden asparagus sculpture in the world.Every fifth German asparagus grows in Lower Saxony
Long asparagus fields dominate the landscape from March until well into the fall
The 750-kilometer-long Lower Saxony Asparagus Route connects the growing areas
The well-known "Nienburg asparagus" there has been marketed under its own seal of quality for over 20 years. Many producers sell it directly from the farm, some offer it as a meal. For example the Asparagus and strawberry farm Nuttelmann in Steyerberg
the farm hosts thousands of people to participate in the asparagus dinner
The importance of asparagus for the region and the state can be seen in the Asparagus Museum in Nienburg
you can learn everything you need to know about the seasonal vegetable
you can take part in the Nienburg Asparagus Festival and witness the election of the asparagus queen
The smell of fresh popcorn fills the historic half-timbered warehouse
In addition to the loud whirring of the machines
although it is the coffee beans that are bouncing against the coffee roaster's glass
It is the so-called "first crack," a magical moment in coffee roasting
the initially green coffee bean takes on a dark brown color and develops over 800 different aromas
The coffee roastery and cocoa factory Catucho is located in a pretty clinker brick building in Bücken
The family business was founded in 2006 by Ulrike Eckhardt and is now run by her daughters Laura and Elena
Names like "Pacha Mama," "Indian Monsoon" and "Chicas Coffee" stand out from the high shelves of the farm store
All coffees are purchased directly from the growers
bottled and distributed under their own design
you can also taste the coffee and chocolates
Exciting background information and great advice are available free of charge
For those who want to learn more about the fine beverage
Elena and Laura offer coffee seminars and roasting demonstrations
By train and bus comfortably to Bücken: Plan arrival
Visitors stand in front of the large glass windows
They are watching an employee of the farm who is currently working on the large pasteurizing machine
He needs just under 10 liters of milk to produce one kilo of cheese
which is sold in the farm store after six weeks of ripening
Bünkemühle farm is a traditional family business
It has been run by the Derboven family for 60 years and has been constantly expanded
The initial milk production was joined by cattle breeding and finally cheese production.The cheese is sold
along with regional products such as mustard
Green deciduous trees line the long access road
Cows graze in a pasture framed by a white board fence
And at the end of the driveway are idyllic red and white farm buildings
when the stables are open and the calves can be stroked or you can watch the cheese being made
By train and bus comfortably to Warpe: Plan arrival
Click here!
Cover photo: Fresh and regional: Farm stores sell delicious products directly from the producer © adobestock.com/ industrieblick
who wouldn't want to travel through time as easily as Marty McFly from "Back to the Future"
Four healthy places in the Osnabrück region: a spa for connoisseurs in the Wiehengebirge and one with a castle in the Teutoburg Forest
Lower Saxony's small towns are full of big surprises: In Papenburg on the Ems Canal
No other state offers mountains and sea at the same time
in no other can you scramble on peaks in the morning ..
boundlessly beautiful: the state in the north is officially one of the top 3 most popular states for cyclists
Lower Saxony's nature is diverse: In the north the seemingly endless Wadden Sea
in the south the Harz Mountains with its untouched forests
Mit dem Boot über die Elbe gleiten und die Stille genießen
Am Ufer kleiner Flüsse seltene Tiere entdecken
How much snow is on the Braunlager ski slopes
you can travel to Lower Saxony relaxed and without traffic jams with 100 percent green electricity from all over Germany
Einbeck is considered the home of bock beer
But the town on the edge of the Weserbergland region still has ..
through the magnificent greenery stretches a sea of flowers from ..
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The Gambia government meanwhile states it is deeply concerned over the killing and says it is currently investigating the matter
“The government wishes to inform the general public that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and will provide full details in due course."
“The government wishes to assure the public that the life
A recent statement released by the Nienburg/Schaumburg police station regarding the shooting incident involving a 46-year-old Gambian man (Touray) in Lower Saxony stated that it is deeply troubling and misleading
was not threatening his girlfriend with a knife
nor did he attack police officers," Yahya Sonko
Migration & Human Right activist in Germany said
“As a leading Gambian migration activist in Germany
I have personally spoken with Lamin's mother and wife
both of whom vehemently dispute the police's account of the events
Lamin's wife actually called the police seeking assistance to take him to the hospital due to concerns about his mental health
as he had been feeling unwell and was carrying a knife in his pocket."
instead of providing the necessary support and assistance
resulting in Lamin's unjust and untimely death
Lamin's wife explicitly informed the police that he was not a threat to her and was simply in need of medical attention
the officers chose to respond with lethal force
treating Lamin like an animal in the forest rather than a human being in distress."