Dearborn Heights police chief resigns, cites harassment and retaliation amongst reasons for his departure
July 5th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Following an intense budget battle that almost resulted in a government shutdown, Dearborn Heights Police Chief Jerrod Hart has resigned. Hart submitted his notice of “constructive termination” to be effective immediately, stating that his departure comes as a result of, “... the continued harassment,...
City of Dearborn Heights approves budget just days before deadline
June 29th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - The city of Dearborn Heights has finally reached an agreement and approved a budget for fiscal year 2024 to 2025. As the city’s administration was preparing for a government shut down due to the budget not being approved on time, at a last minute meeting held on June 28 that lasted almost four hours long, the City...
City of Dearborn and Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit reach agreement to be voted on by the City Council
June 28th, 20240 DEARBORN — Just days before the contract between Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit and the city of Dearborn was set to expire, the two have reached a four-year agreement. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said in a Facebook post that the agreement is a win for all. “This agreement is a win for all of Dearborn, and establishes a robust...
Islamic Institute of America builds new center in Dearborn Heights, aims to be an Islamic icon with purpose
June 28th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – As the construction of the new headquarters for the Islamic Institute of America on Beech Daly Road in Dearborn Heights is nearing completion, the center's imam, Sayed Hassan Qazwini, urged the Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area to contribute to building this state-of-art center. This center will be a...Fate of Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit unclear as contract deadline looms
June 28th, 20240 DEARBORN — The Dearborn animal shelter, Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, has a contract with the city ending on July 1 and currently no contract agreement. The June 26 City Council meeting ended in a stalemate over a more than 50 percent budget increase requested by the nonprofit that runs the shelter. Friends for Animals of...Dearborn Heights braces for possible government shut down
June 28th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — As the budget deadline looms, the city of Dearborn Heights has failed to approve a budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30, 2025. During a nearly two and a half hour-long City Council meeting on June 25, Councilwoman Nancy Breyer was the only Council member to move for the...
Wayne State BOG meets virtually amid Pro-Palestine protesters’ concerns
June 28th, 20240 Members of the Wayne State University community have been advocating for the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel since November. WSU’s Board of Governors met virtually in its first meeting since the removal of the pro-Palestine campus encampment and discussed what the investment process looks like. It also hosted...
SMART unveils bus wrap dedicated to Arab American leaders
June 28th, 20240 DETROIT — In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), is unveiling an empowering bus wrap featuring notable Arab American individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. "Honoring the Arab American community's contributions is essential to...
A report finds 41 percent of Michigan residents facing poverty and financial struggles
June 22nd, 20240 A report released by the Michigan Association of United Ways in partnership with United for ALICE, the Consumers Energy Foundation and local United Ways throughout the state shows 41 percent of Michigan residents are living in poverty or financially struggling. This report assesses how the economic conditions influence people using...
Trump turns to his Lebanese son-in-law’s father to woo Arab American voters in Michigan
June 21st, 20240 A report published by the Associated Press highlighted the growing role of Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos in swaying Arab voters in Michigan to vote for former President Trump in the upcoming presidential election. This effort is amid their strong dissatisfaction with President Biden's policies towards the brutal Israeli war...
Plymouth public defender sues 35th District Court for alleged bias and harassment against lower-income defendants
June 21st, 20240 Public Defender Sundus Jaber filed a lawsuit against the Regional Managed Assigned Counsel Office (RMACO), RMACO’s director and judges from the 35th District Court in Plymouth for alleged bias against lower-income defendants, harassment and retaliation for reporting harassment. The lawsuit states that the defendants violated...
MMA fighter Abe Alsaghir achieves first pro title, winning the Lights Out Championship
June 19th, 20241 Dearborn Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Abe Alsaghir achieved a pivotal win in his latest fight. The Lights Out Championship, fought by Alsaghir against Jimmy Sandlin, took place at Hype Athletic Center in Wayne. The fight was scheduled for five rounds. Alsaghir stopped the fight in the second round due to a technical knockout...
Summer property tax bills to include corrected school levies
June 14th, 20240 DEARBORN —While Dearborn Public Schools is only collecting 2.3352 mills of its recently reapproved operating millage, some property owners in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights will see higher rates this summer after it was discovered that the tax was left off some bills last year. For the 2024-25 tax cycle, the district’s operating...
Court denies Beydoun’s request to reconsider placing his name on Michigan ballot in U.S. Senate primary
June 14th, 20240 DETROIT – The Michigan Court of Appeals has denied the petition of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Nasser Beydoun to have his name placed on the ballot for the August primary election. This decision follows his disqualification by state election authorities due to a technical error in his nomination petition. The Michigan Board of...
New House bill would increase fines for loud cars and showy drivers in Michigan
June 14th, 20240 LANSING – As the school year ends and high school graduation parties take place during a period that annually sees a significant increase in reckless and annoying driving behaviors, the Michigan legislature is moving towards passing a new bill aimed at tightening the pursuit of noisy drivers. Under......
Arab American Civil Rights League board elects Nabih Ayad as its new chairman
June 14th, 20240 DEARBORN – On June 11, the Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) board elected Nabih H. Ayad, Esq. as the new chairman of the civil rights group. Ayad, the founder of the ACRL, served as the chairman for the organization's first five years and now resumes this pivotal role. With more than 25 years of private practice at Ayad Law,...
“We are both victims of the same colonial, imperialist power”: Metro Detroit Holocaust and Nakba survivors advocate for Palestinian rights
June 14th, 20240 Ismael Noor and Rene Lichtman may come from different backgrounds and regions, but in their eyes, their past traumas are reflections of one another's experiences. The Michigan residents are survivors of their respective people’s most harrowing tragedies: Lichtman, 86, is a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, and Noor, 75, is a......
Dearborn Public School Trustee Jim Thorpe appointed to volunteer state board
June 12th, 20240 DEARBORN - Dearborn Public School Trustee Jim Thorpe has been appointed to help govern a statewide organization for school board members. The Michigan Association of School Boards appointed Thorpe to its Board of Governors as a representative for District 8. His fellow trustees on the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education had...
Crestwood High School vandalized as part of a senior prank
June 7th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — As part of a common senior prank, several students were caught vandalizing Crestwood High School on May 24. Through a thorough investigation conducted by the Crestwood administration, multiple students were identified vandalizing the school with spray paint. “The investigation consisted of camera footage,...
Dearborn Heights student earns nearly $10 million in scholarship money
June 7th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Star International Academy student Ahmed Jawad has a set a new record for the amount of scholarship money earned in the district. Jawad earned $9,926,344 in scholarships. "We are incredibly proud to announce that Ahmed Jawad, a distinguished senior at Star International Academy, has achieved an...
Aetna donates $60,000 to support culturally-informed services for diverse communities in Southeast Michigan
June 4th, 20240 DETROIT — Aetna Better Health of Michigan, a CVS Health® company, announced that Aetna made donations totaling $60,000 to ACCESS (the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) and Centro Multicultural La Familia to provide culturally-informed services, workshops and resources for under-resourced communities in Southeast......
Next Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission virtual town hall meeting to explain proposed Senate maps
June 4th, 20240 WHO: The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) will host another virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, June 6 to provide details about election district maps for the Michigan Senate. WHAT: Commissioners will share insight about how 12 draft maps for Senate districts 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 11 were drawn. In...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers helpful travel tips ahead of Hajj travel
June 4th, 20240 DETROIT – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations reminds travelers preparing for their pilgrimage to the Hajj to be aware of important travel tips to help ensure a smooth return into the United States. Travelers should familiarize themselves with current money reporting requirements and be......
Police break up protest and encampment on Wayne State University campus
June 1st, 20240 Police broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment at Wayne State University and arrested 12 people. Tents and fences were previously set up on the lawn outside the Wayne State undergraduate library. Police in riot gear removed the fences and broke down the tents constructed last week, following several warnings issued, according to...
Dr. Ghada Beydoun: a trailblazer in the field of dentistry
June 1st, 20240 DEARBORN — Dr. Ghada Beydoun has embodied the American Dream, which fills the hearts of immigrants all over the world looking to build better lives for themselves and their families. The daughter of Lebanese immigrants, she is a first-generation American and the first in her family to attend college. She told The Arab American......
