Study seeks to understand Arab American health during COVID-19
December 24th, 20200 DEARBORN — A new research project seeks to better understand how social and behavioral aspects of everyday life affect the health and wellness of those aged 65 and older in Metro Detroit. A special component of this research, led by University of Michigan professor Dr. Kristine Ajrouch, will study the social components of health...
Over 37,000 healthcare workers immunized against COVID in Michigan
December 23rd, 20200 LANSING — More than 37,000 frontline healthcare workers have now received a COVID-19 vaccination shot in the state, the state’s health department announced on Wednesday. The immunizations of healthcare workers is a common strategy across the U.S., as the first doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, and later Moderna's...
Desperate communities targeted with income scams
December 23rd, 20200 With the U.S. in the grips of an unprecedented economic crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government grows increasingly concerned over scammers targeting desperate people. Experts at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have noted the spread of dangerous schemes that disguise themselves as legitimate ways to...
Dearborn Heights City Council remains at a stalemate in appointing a new member
December 22nd, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Despite it being the second time trying to appoint a new member, the Dearborn Heights City Council remains gridlocked. During a special meeting on Dec. 7, the Council interviewed four candidates: Zouher Abdel-Hak, Mo Baydoun, Nancy Bryer and William Zurenk. On Dec. 8, the Council held its regularly scheduled...
State approves food stamps use at restaurants for those eligible
December 22nd, 20200 LANSING — As a $900 billion federal pandemic relief package now awaits likely approval from President Trump, Governor Whitmer’s administration passed measures to soften the blow of COVID’s economic impact on Michiganders. The measures are similar to those passed during the first peak of cases in the state. This includes a...
Man shot during robbery at Fairlane Mall
December 21st, 20200 DEARBORN — A popular Dearborn mall became the scene of holiday violence on Monday. The Dearborn Police Department said that at around 5:50 p.m., a man was shot after an attempted robbery outside of the Fairlane Town Center. The shooting was non-fatal and the victim was transported to an area hospital where he is currently listed...
Dearborn Council President Susan Dabaja announces candidacy for mayor
December 21st, 20200 DEARBORN — After seven years on the City Council, Council President Susan Dabaja has announced her candidacy for mayor. Dabaja is a lifelong Dearborn resident born to immigrant parents in Dearborn’s Southend. Having grown up in public housing, Dabaja went to Salina Elementary School, and Stout Middle School and graduated from...
U.S. authorizes Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, elderly next in line for shots
December 19th, 20200 On Friday, Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine became the second to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), welcome news to a nation with a staggering COVID-19 death toll of more than 307,000 lives lost. Millions of doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to be added to the U.S....
Public health advisor talks vaccine myths and fact
December 19th, 20200 DEARBORN — The state of Michigan began immunizations against the COVID-19 virus on Monday, as quantities of the new Pfizer vaccine began reaching sites across the country this week. By Wednesday night, 1,078 vaccines had been administered to Michigan’s health care workers who are at high risk of contraction due to their routine...
Local schools provide plans for the second half of the school year
December 19th, 20200 DEARBORN/DEARBORN HEIGHTS — With one school district already returning to in-person learning, all districts have the same goal of returning for the second half of the year. Dearborn Heights’ D7 School District returned to in-person learning again last week after having to pause with the rest of the state. “We haven’t had...
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell hosts virtual town hall to discuss COVID relief, vaccines
December 19th, 20200 DEARBORN – U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) hosted a virtual town hall this week with health experts from Beaumont and Washtenaw County to discuss COVID-19. “I can’t wait to get back to the things we used to work on instead of COVID 24 hours a day, but it matters,” Dingell said. “Public health really matters. First and...
COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Michigan hospitals, Wayne County
December 18th, 20200 MICHIGAN — The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived at various Michigan hospitals this week, as immunization began in hard-hit epicenters of the pandemic in places like Wayne County. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun joined several frontline health care workers at...
Sky Lounge wins case against Dearborn Heights, hookah ordinance now void
December 18th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Sky Lounge, which owns hookah lounges in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, has won a lawsuit against the city of Dearborn Heights regarding an attempted ordinance to cap the number of such businesses in the city. Originally a Dearborn business, Sky Lounge broke ground on a second location in Dearborn Heights...
Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon dies of COVID-19
December 17th, 20200 DETROIT — Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon has lost his battle with COVID-19. He was 65. Napoleon had been on a ventilator since late November. "He was a beloved, iconic and respected law enforcement official. He was progressive and he was old school," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "He was tough and he had a heart of...
Dearborn Heights educator appointed to the Michigan PreK-12 Literacy Commission
December 17th, 20200 LANSING — Community native and Crestwood District educator Zainab Beydoun-Jawad has been appointed to the Michigan PreK-12 Literacy Commission. Beydoun-Jawad grew up in Dearborn and has lived in Dearborn Heights for more than 25 years. While Beydoun-Jawad has been an educator in the Crestwood School District for more than 16......
State officials announce extension of food stamp benefits through December
December 17th, 20200 LANSING — Families that are eligible for food stamps or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive additional benefits continuing through December. State officials announced that eligible households will see benefits on their Bridge Cards by Dec. 30, with some households receiving payments on Dec. 21, but...
MI COVID Alert app hits nearly half a million downloads in its first month
December 17th, 20200 LANSING — Just one month after the statewide launch, the MI COVID Alert app has reached nearly 500,000 downloads. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) announced that there have been 461,192 downloads of the app. “So much about......
Grand jury indicts six men for Michigan governor kidnap plot
December 17th, 20200 LANSING – Six men facing charges of plotting to kidnap Governor Whitmer were indicted by a grand jury this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan said. The men — Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta — were arrested and charged in October with conspiring...
Detroit Police announce co-response team for mental health crises
December 16th, 20200 DETROIT — In an effort to better serve the community and respond to calls appropriately, the Detroit Police Department has announced a co-response team. Collaborating with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, the department and health network will allow for police officers to respond to mental health crisis calls with a...
State officials provide vaccine facts and warn of scams
December 16th, 20200 LANSING — In a press conference on Tuesday, state officials provided facts about the COVID-19 vaccine and warned of new scams that have already started. With the Pfizer vaccine starting to be administered to healthcare workers throughout the state and the Moderna vaccine expected to be coming soon as well, Michigan Department of...
Secretary of State to expand online and self-services options in March
December 16th, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Secretary of State's Office is expanding its online and self-service options and is expecting them to be available in March. Some of the new options include renewing standard and enhanced driver’s licenses and state identification cards at self-service stations and online. Michiganders will also be able......
Wayne County Cares program to help at least 12,000 county residents
December 16th, 20200 DETROIT — While the application period has closed for the Wayne County Cares Program, there was a record number of applicants to receive $500 cash grants. The program was announced last week by Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans to assist workers and small businesses most impacted by COVID-19. “This pandemic has been...
Lawsuit filed against Michigan prisons for violating Muslim religious liberties
December 15th, 20200 DETROIT — The Michigan branch of the Council on American and Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has filed a lawsuit against the state’s prison system for violating religious liberties of Muslim inmates. The Civil Rights group initiated its lawsuit against the state’s prison systems after more than 15 Muslim and Moorish Science women......
FDA announces approval for over the counter COVID-19 tests
December 15th, 20200 WASHINGTON D.C. — A rapid, at-home COVID-19 test that can be purchased over the counter without a prescription will be available on store shelves soon. Regulators authorized the test, which can be done entirely at home. “The test will be sold in places like drugstores,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said, “where a patient...
Only two weeks left to apply for tuition-free college
December 15th, 20201 MICHIGAN — The application deadline for the tuition-free pandemic program "Futures for Frontliners" is fast approaching. The application deadline is Dec. 31. The program lets frontline workers apply for free college tuition towards an associate's degree or industry-recognized skills certificate at community college, even if they......
