Dearborn School Board member Hussein Berry launches early bid for Michigan’s Second District Senate seat
August 8th, 20250 DEARBORN – In an unusually early move, Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education member Hussein Berry recently announced his candidacy for Michigan’s Second Senate District, which includes all of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, as well as parts of Allen Park and Detroit. The district is currently represented by Democratic State...
Dearborn man Jafar Almaarej arrested after alleged kidnapping his daughter in Pennsylvania
August 8th, 20250 After four days of continuous searching, authorities arrested an Iraqi American man from Dearborn on charges of kidnapping his daughter from his ex-wife’s home in Pennsylvania last Sunday. Police had circulated a photo of Jafar Almaarej (39), who was wanted by the Millcreek Township Police Department in Pennsylvania on charges of...
Former Inkster mayor faces prison in $100K bribery scheme; former aide accused of lying to the FBI
August 7th, 20250 DETROIT – A former executive assistant to ex-Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly has resigned from his top Wayne County job amid an FBI investigation into a bribery scheme that could soon bring federal charges against him. Saif Alsenad, 33, of Dearborn Heights, stepped down Monday from his $103,781-a-year position as Wayne County’s...
As Medicaid turns 60, rollbacks threaten millions of Americans
August 7th, 20250 As Medicaid turns 60, the U.S. faces the largest federal health care subsidy rollback in its history. The One Big Beautiful Act, signed by President Trump on July 4, slashes federal Medicaid spending by 15 percent. Over the next decade, it will eliminate over $1 trillion from federal health care and food aid, largely by imposing work...
Dearborn Heights man sentenced to three years probation for harboring and sexually exploiting a teenage runaway
August 4th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – A 62-year-old Dearborn Heights man has been sentenced to three years of probation after admitting to harboring and sexually exploiting a minor runaway girl last spring. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy had charged Kamal Abou Darwiche with sexual exploitation of a minor, in addition to charges of harboring a...
The ACC names Odie Fakhouri CEO, ushering in a bold new era of inclusive leadership and community impact
August 1st, 20250 TROY — The America's Community Council (ACC) — one of Michigan’s most trusted and comprehensive humanitarian organizations, serving multicultural and underserved communities for almost five decades— has announced the appointment of Odie Fakhouri as its new chief executive officer, effective October 1. The appointment followed a...
Michigan imams urge Jewish leaders to speak out against Gaza siege, mass starvation
August 1st, 20250 Dearborn, MI — At a press conference Wednesday morning, the Imams Council of Michigan called on Jewish leaders in the state to break their silence and publicly oppose Israel’s ongoing siege and starvation campaign in Gaza, which the council and most human rights groups have recognized as genocide. Standing before reporters at the...
Chaldean American Tom Semaan seeks reelection as New Baltimore mayor, faces two strong challengers
August 1st, 20250 NEW BALTIMORE, MI – Incumbent Chaldean American Mayor Thomas (Tom) Semaan is running in the August 5 primary election to retain his seat for a third two-year term. He faces two serious challengers: City Council member Ryan Covert and Anchor Bay School Board President Patrick Green. The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance...
Dearborn petition to create election wards falls short on valid signatures; organizers dispute clerk’s rejection
July 27th, 20250 DEARBORN – Last week, due to an insufficient number of valid signatures, Dearborn City Clerk George Darany rejected a petition initiative aimed at restructuring how the City Council is elected. The group behind the petition, however, maintains that the submitted signatures should have qualified, arguing that commonly used Arab and...
Gov. Whitmer demands return of $8.2M from grant to Fay Beydoun amid fraud probe
July 27th, 20250 LANSING — In her first public statement regarding an ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, Governor Whitmer has called on State Attorney General Dana Nessel to recover $8.2 million from a $10 million grant received by Arab American businesswoman Fay Beydoun through a nonprofit she founded in 2022, which was...
Inkster launches first major housing project in decades to boost affordable homeownership
July 27th, 20250 INKSTER — The city of Inkster broke ground last Friday on a new housing project called Annapolis Pointe, located near the intersection of Middlebelt and Annapolis Roads in the southwest part of the city, in its first major residential development in more than 20 years. The investment aims to help low- and moderate-income families...
Michigan AG Dana Nessel escalates crackdown on pro-Palestine activists as students vow to resist
July 27th, 20250 LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is continuing to target student activists supporting Palestinian rights, despite mounting criticism in recent weeks, through what the TAHRIR Coalition — a broad coalition of student organizations at the University of Michigan — describes as an ongoing campaign of intimidation and...
Dearborn launches landmark health assessment to shape inclusive, data-driven city policies
July 27th, 20250 DEARBORN – The Dearborn Public Health Department has released a comprehensive assessment of residents’ needs, priorities, challenges and health experiences. This unprecedented initiative is part of an ambitious vision to embed public health at the core of municipal policy in the only city in Michigan — besides Detroit — to have...
Garden Farm Supermarket opens in Inkster to serve growing Arab, Muslim and other ethnic communities
July 27th, 20250 INKSTER – Near the intersection of three cities experiencing rapid growth in their Arab, Muslim and other ethnic populations, a new supermarket — Garden Farm — has recently opened at 30215 Cherry Hill Road, with the aim to meet the needs of the expanding Arab community in Inkster, Garden City and Westland. While there are no...
Local journalism in crisis: Detroit summit calls for rebuilding community
July 27th, 20250 At the Local News Crisis Summit in Detroit, journalists, media executives, scholars and philanthropists gathered to address the loss of local journalism, along with the democratic foundations it helps sustain. Local journalism is an essential bridge for civic engagement; it is the medium through which communities receive trusted news......
Community leaders demand urgent U.S. action to end starvation in Gaza, condemn Israel’s war crimes
July 27th, 20250 DEARBORN — Community leaders held a press conference on Wednesday demanding urgent humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza — a starving population. At the Henry Ford Centennial Library, local leaders expressed their dissent — and pleas to the federal government to help — over the worsening degrees of starvation the Palestinian...
A comprehensive look at primary elections in Metro Detroit municipalities
July 18th, 20250 DETROIT – As the August 5 primary elections draw near, voters across many Metro Detroit communities have begun casting absentee ballots to narrow down crowded fields of candidates in various local races. Seven cities are holding mayoral primaries to reduce the number of contenders to two finalists who will advance to the November......
Dearborn bans Airbnb-style rentals in residential neighborhoods starting in 2026, citing housing and quality-of-life concerns
July 18th, 20250 DEARBORN – On Tuesday, in a packed chamber, the Dearborn City Council voted unanimously to pass a new ordinance banning short-term home rentals through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo in all residential areas of the city — except for the East and West Downtown districts, which will be subject to special regulations. The ordinance,...
Mo Baydoun launches campaign for Dearborn Heights mayor: “This isn’t just a campaign — it’s personal”
July 18th, 20251 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Council Chairman Mo Baydoun has decided to take his dedication to the city a step further by running for mayor. Baydoun, who has lived almost his entire life in Dearborn Heights, is a proud Crestwood High School alum and earned his master's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University. The...
Federal court paved way for dismissal of lawsuit accusing Hamtramck of anti-LGBTQ bias: Flag restrictions on public property deemed constitutional
July 18th, 20250 DETROIT – In a ruling on Tuesday described by local officials as “historic”, a federal court in Detroit paved the way toward dismissing a lawsuit challenging Hamtramck’s policy prohibiting LGBTQ+ pride flags from being flown on public property — a decision hailed as a “complete victory” by the city’s leadership, which...
Elections 2025: Adam Alharbi runs for mayor to unite Hamtramck through service, reform and vision
July 18th, 20250 Adam Alharbi said that he is driven by a deep commitment to public service and a strong belief in the potential of the city where he was born and raised. Alharbi, who is an engineer and a community activist, has announced his candidacy for mayor of Hamtramck this year. His campaign vision centers on infrastructure development, improved......
Dearborn man charged with human trafficking after death of Brazilian woman in South Lyon
July 11th, 20250 A Dearborn man has been charged in connection with what the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is saying is the human trafficking of a Brazilian woman whose body was discovered in a South Lyon field more than a year ago. Fareed George Hajjar, 57, was arraigned Wednesday morning on one count of prostitution/transporting a person and one...
Survey: Detroit ranked most stressed city in America despite signs of recovery
July 11th, 20250 Despite progress in several areas over the past few years, the "Motor City" has topped the list of the most stressed and psychologically burdened cities in the United States, according to an annual survey conducted by WalletHub, which included 182 of the largest cities across the country. The survey was based on 39 indicators grouped......
Michigan House passes GOP bill to ban artificial additives in school meals by 2028
July 11th, 20250 LANSING – The Republican-majority Michigan House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ban several artificial food additives and dyes from school meals starting in the summer of 2028. The proposed legislation targets four additives: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and titanium dioxide; along with...
Michigan health officials warn of rising measles and whooping cough cases, urge parents to vaccinate
July 11th, 20250 LANSING – Following a significant rise in measles and whooping cough cases among children in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a statement on Wednesday urging parents to vaccinate their children according to the recommended immunization schedule to prevent further outbreaks. Ryan Malosh,......
