Beaumont to open third COVID-19 vaccine dose appointments for immunocompromised patients
August 26th, 20210 DEARBORN — Beaumont Health has announced that it is opening up appointments for immunocompromised patients who want a third COVID-19 vaccine dose. Beaumont is also encouraging patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to get a third dose. The...
Oakland County issues emergency health order requiring masks in schools; parents protest in Macomb County after learning it will not be mandating masks
August 26th, 20210 OAKLAND/MACOMB COUNTIES — On Tuesday, the Oakland County Health Division issued a universal mask mandate for all students in PreK-12 schools. The emergency health order requires masks in daycares, elementary, middle, high and vocational schools regardless of vaccination status to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The new order is...
Dearborn Public Schools to require face masks
August 25th, 20210 DEARBORN — Following recommendations from federal, state, and local health officials, Dearborn Public Schools has decided on an approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. With more than 20,000 students returning to full, in-person learning beginning Aug. 30, all students, staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks...
HPS superintendent: Prepare your child for back-to-school success
August 24th, 20210 Waving summer goodbye is bittersweet, but the new school year is right around the corner and your schools are eager to welcome students back. You may find your family is already in back-to-school-mode, or maybe your children are trying to make summer last as long as possible. Either way, preparing for the school year can be simple. As...
Wayne County offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to immunocompromised residents
August 24th, 20210 WAYNE COUNTY — The Wayne County Health Department has begun administering Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to immunocompromised residents. Boosters are available at no cost to eligible residents at all Wayne County-sponsored vaccine sites. Boosters for immunocompromised residents are another safe and effective...
FEMA experts hold “Protect Your Property” workshop on rebuilding after flood damage, Aug. 26
August 23rd, 20210 Federal disaster experts are hosting a workshop on property damage mitigation and recovery after June's floods in Dearborn. Dearborn's government is encouraging residents and business owners to attend the community workshop at 6 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26. It promises to provide information on how to lessen the impact of future...
U.S. FDA grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
August 23rd, 20210 On Monday, the U.S. drug regulator granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine that had earned emergency-use authorization in December, making it the first to secure such U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) validation as health authorities struggle to win over vaccine skeptics. The FDA approved the two-dose...
Public health expert answers questions about COVID variants, boosters, back-to-school
August 21st, 20210 DEARBORN — The federal government is preparing to deliver "booster" shots of COVID-19 vaccines to Americans by mid-September, recommending that immunocompromised people take a booster even sooner. Health officials have acknowledged that protection from vaccines wanes, or diminishes over time, though they still remain highly...
Dearborn Heights continuing to purchase homes in the flood zone
August 21st, 20211 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The city has announced it is nearing the final steps in demolishing another four homes in the flood zone. The homes are near the Ecorse Creek flood zone, which will soon become green space to help absorb some of the Ecorse Creek’s overflow. The homes are being purchased with funds provided through the...
Dearborn Heights residents respond to tension-filled City Council meeting
August 21st, 20211 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — After a tension-filled City Council meeting on Aug. 10, residents have started to respond to comments made and meeting practices. During the City Council meeting and in a statement provided to The Arab American News, Council Chairwoman Denise Malinowski-Maxwell had referenced a resident named “Sam” who she...
Whitmer calls on energy companies to increase payouts for power outages
August 20th, 20210 LANSING - Governor Whitmer is calling on utilities companies to automatically credit Michiganders who experienced recent widespread outages and increase the amount paid out to them towards compensations. DTE Energy drew outrage from customers who lost power for days after last week's storm by offering a tiny credit to their next...
Dearborn returns to normal curbside bulk pickup, residents asked to call for special pickup
August 20th, 20210 DEARBORN - Dearborn's government is reminding residents that the city has returned to normal curbside bulk pickup, which may mean that a special pickup is needed for people that are still removing large amounts of flood-damaged materials from their homes. Residents should call 313-943-2150 for specific details, and for an assessment...
Judge denies Michigan corrections director’s motion to dismiss hijab lawsuit against her
August 20th, 20210 LANSING — A federal judge has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) Director Heidi Washington, who was sued by a group of Muslim women after being forced to remove their hijabs for public identification photos. The motion to dismiss the case, denied by Judge Paul Borman of the...
Chief medical executive recommends mask mandate for schools, state still allowing districts to decide
August 20th, 20210 LANSING — Despite a recommendation from the state’s top health official, the State Board of Education and the governor are still not mandating masks in schools. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun has issued a recommendation for the state to issue a mask mandate in...
Eric Doeh selected as new CEO to lead state’s largest behavioral health organization
August 19th, 20210 DETROIT — The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network’s (DWIHN) Board of Directors has named Eric Doeh as the organization’s new CEO. The DWIHN provides integrated behavioral health services and support to more than 75,000 people in Wayne County. Last year alone the DWIHN served nearly 200,000 individuals throughout the......
Dearborn artist Danya Zituni selected as WDET’s “Artist Next Door” fellow
August 19th, 20210 DEARBORN — Danya Zituni, a Dearborn-based Arab American artist, is one of six artists awarded a stipend in WDET's "Artist Next Door" project. WDET's website says the project highlights artists whose work "gives us a greater understanding of their cultural heritage and bring us closer as a region of neighbors." Zituni, a...
Dearborn Heights welcomes new DPW director
August 19th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Despite the city being flooded numerous times since June, Dearborn Heights has welcomed a new Department of Public Works (DPW) director. Bob Conrad, who grew up in Fraser and has lived in Wayne County all his life, started with the city on July 1. He graduated from Lawrence Tech in 1986 with a construction......
U.S. begins preparing to deliver COVID booster shots; immunocompromised urged not to wait
August 18th, 20210 Top U.S. health officials said on Wednesday that the protection offered by current available vaccines against COVID-19 wanes over time, as federal agencies have begun preparing to offer booster shots to all eligible Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20. The booster shots will have to be administered starting eight months after a...
Dearborn Heights resident accuses Council chairwoman’s fiancé, attorney of threatening him; Councilman walks out of meeting
August 14th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — During a nearly four-hour long City Council meeting on Tuesday night, tensions flared and after several disturbances, one resident filed a police report. The tensions began when Mayor Bill Bazzi mentioned that he had requested a closed session to discuss a few items, which were continually denied by Council...
Dearborn man loses more than 100 lbs in the last year
August 14th, 20210 DEARBORN — After having COVID-19 last year, Dearborn native Sam Ali and his family feared for his life and that fear led Ali to make some very big life changes. The 43-year-old Ali said that he has tried many different diets and workout plans before, but none of them were successful. Ali had tested positive for COVID-19 on July...
Dearborn Heights’ D7 and Crestwood School Districts address plans for the new school year
August 13th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — With the CDC changing its recommendations on mask mandates due to the rise of COVID-19 cases, local school districts discussed back-to-school options. Dearborn Heights’ D7 School District has been one of the few districts in the area to have allowed parents to decide whether their children would learn virtually......
Many in Dearborn, surrounding communities still out of power; dry ice available 1-6 p.m. for Dearborn residents
August 13th, 20210 DEARBORN — Many Residents in Dearborn continue to be out of power, after strong winds and rain took out infrastructure earlier in the week, causing outages throughout southeast Michigan and surrounding communities. DTE Energy's outage map shows massive outages on the west side of town, out into neighboring Dearborn Heights....
Dearborn to expand free GSRP preschool program
August 12th, 20210 DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools is again accepting applications for its Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) after receiving permission from the state to expand. The GSRP is a state-funded preschool program that students can participate in at no cost to eligible families. Dearborn is now adding four additional classrooms,......
Dearborn offers free physical activities for students with disabilities
August 12th, 20210 DEARBORN — A free physical activity program adapted for youth with disabilities is now being offered to students in Dearborn who are ages 5- to 18-years-old. The Program for Inclusive Physical Exercise and Recreation Strategies (PIPERS) is designed to increase access to opportunities for physical activity among Dearborn youth with...
Dingell, Tlaib announce $154,545 grant for Dearborn Heights Fire Department
August 12th, 20210 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D- Detroit) and Debbie Dingell (D- Dearborn) announced that the Dearborn Heights Fire Department will receive a regional grant. The grant will be for $154,545 through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and will be used to purchase......
