“Leading While Muslim” author, scholar to speak in Dearborn
November 17th, 20190 DEARBORN — Longtime New York City educator, administrator and diversity expert Debbie Almontaser is expected to speak at the University of Michigan-Dearborn on Monday, November 18. Almontaser is the author of of “Leading While Muslim”, which will be the title of her discussion. The founding principal of the Khalil Gibran...
Recreational marijuana shops could begin sales this December
November 17th, 20190 LANSING — Recreational marijuana shops could start selling product as soon as Dec. 1 after state regulators said Wednesday they could transfer some of their medical marijuana products to their new adult use supplies. Medical marijuana shortages are now being feared by some industry stakeholders. Those store owners with an...
Wayne County ballot to include DIA millage renewal in March
November 17th, 20190 DETROIT — Voters in Wayne County will consider a renewal of the Detroit Institute of Arts millage on the March election ballot, Wayne County officials announced. The Wayne County Art Institute Authority voted unanimously on Wednesday to put the renewal of the 10-year, .2-mill tax on the ballot next year — two years before it is...
Sen. Gary Peters meets with Michigan faith leaders to discuss securing houses of worship
November 17th, 20190 SOUTHFIELD – On Friday, November 8, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, met with faith leaders and law enforcement officials to discuss his bipartisan efforts to improve security for faith-based institutions in Michigan. A fact sheet compiled by the National...
Nessel kicks off robocall crackdown effort with State and Federal partners
November 15th, 20191 LANSING — State and federal partners joined Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in Lansing on Friday to kick off a statewide crackdown on illegal robocalls targeting the state's residents. Michigan residents have received 1.3 billion robocalls in 2019 to date, a problem Nessel said requires action. “There is nothing more...
Dearborn Heights Police Chief Dan Voltattorni to retire Nov. 21
November 14th, 20190 DEARBORN HEIGHTS —Police Chief Dan Voltattorni will be retiring later this month after a year on the job. While his tenure as chief was brief, he has been with the Police Department for more than 32 years. Voltattorni began his career as a police cadet and then became a patrolman. In 2013 he became a captain and in 2017 he was...
Arab American poet’s first book relates how she survived domestic violence
November 14th, 20190 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Sara Raad, an Arab American poet from Dearborn Heights, released last week her first book, “My squeak. My Shout. My Roar.” The book is a three-part chronicle of her experience with domestic violence. “Anyone who has been in an abusive relationship could relate to the book,” Raad told The Arab American...
Governor Whitmer appoints Alyia Marie Hakim to the 39th District Court
November 14th, 20190 LANSING — On Thursday, Gov. Whitmer appointed Alyia Marie Hakim to the 39th District Court. Hakim is a partner with Hakim & Hakim, PLLC. She is also of counsel at Aloia & Associates, PC. Before she began her private practice, which specializes in criminal defense, estate planning, juvenile law and family law, she worked...
Catastrophic claims auto fee in Michigan to be cut in half or eliminated in 2020
November 14th, 20190 LANSING — Michigan drivers will see their catastrophic claims fees cut in half or eliminated in 2020, as part of a series of changes that advocates say will lower costs to drivers, the Detroit News reported. Those who decide to pick lifetime, unlimited medical benefits will pay $100, down 55 percent from $220, and others will pay no...
Federal court rules in favor of Arab American family: Suspicionless searches of phones and laptops unconstitutional
November 12th, 20190 BOSTON — A federal court in Boston ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU of Massachusetts on behalf of 11 travelers on Tuesday. The court ruled that suspicionless searches of travelers' electronic devices by federal agents at airports and other U.S. ports of...
Preliminary exam for Ibrahim Aljahim continues, defense seeks dismissal
November 9th, 20190 HAMTRAMCK – Both sides rested their cases at yet another continuation of a preliminary exam for Yemeni activist Ibrahim Aljahim's sexual assault case, with the defense attorney reminding the court that he had filed a motion to dismiss earlier in the week. Tension were high and objections and interruptions caused 31st District Court...
Dearborn based poet finds beauty in ruin in her poem “Thawra: a whatsapp message gone viral”
November 9th, 20190 DEARBORN —As the Lebanon protesters clash against elite institutions and moneyed influence in their country, local Lebanese expats have come together to bring fresh perspectives on the political storm unleashed across their homeland. Many have gathered in Dearborn’s most recognizable institutions, with its municipal buildings...
Three in, three out: Hamtramck to see new faces on its City Council
November 9th, 20190 HAMTRAMCK – With City Councilman Saad Almasmari losing his seat in Tuesday’s general election, all three incumbents will now be replaced by three new faces. One, of course, belongs to a well-known Hamtramck politico. Young, well-spoken and tenacious, Nayeem Leon Choudhury's second go at a City Council seat proved wildly successful...
2019 Election Roundup: Controversial Mayor Fouts re-elected in Warren, Wimberly defeats Nolen in Inkster and Neeley unseats Weaver in Flint
November 9th, 20190 WARREN — Mayor Jim Fouts, the controversial leader who has been accused of making racist and discriminatory remarks in the past against African Americans and mentally disabled people, was reelected in Michigan's third most populous city, defeating challenger Kelly Colegio on Tuesday and winning his fourth term. Fouts took home...
Dearborn Schools BRICS bond fails, supporters and opponents pledge to move forward in search of solutions
November 9th, 20191 DEARBORN — A hotly discussed and debated race to improve the infrastructure of schools in Dearborn failed on Tuesday, leaving the Dearborn Public Schools District's top educators wondering how to move forward without what they said were much-needed funds and the opposition committee emboldened to find new solutions without the......
Election 2019: Incumbents Abdallah, Hicks-Clayton and Muscat Re-elected in Dearborn Heights, Crestwood millage fails to pass
November 7th, 20190 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Voters took to the polls in Wayne County Tuesday, casting their votes for Dearborn Heights City Council among other local races. Voters in the city, which includes a growing Arab American population and has become a hub for local business owners, also rejected a millage proposal for the Crestwood School...
Arab American teen with Lafora body disease passes away at home
November 7th, 20190 ANN ARBOR - Arab American teen Haitham Breadiy, who was diagnosed with Lafora body disease, passed away last week at the age of 17, his family confirmed. Azeza Kasham, Haitham’s mother, told The Arab American News that her son passed away in his sleep at home. “He was unresponsive,” Kasham said. “We called an ambulance and...
Dearborn charity founder Najah Bazzy named a 2019 Top 10 CNN Hero, voting runs now through December 3
November 6th, 20190 INKSTER — Najah Bazzy, the CEO and founder of the local nonprofit Zaman International, has been named a 2019 Top 10 CNN Hero. The announcement was made October 30 on the cable network's “New Day by Anderson Cooper” show, which showcased the impact Bazzy has brought to hundreds of thousands of women and children living in...
Bills introduced by Hammoud, colleagues to ban harmful vaping chemical
November 5th, 20190 LANSING — State Reps. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn), Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park) and Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) introduced House Bills 5159-5161 this week to ban vaping products containing vitamin E acetate in Michigan. The chemical has been linked to recent health issues across the country by the Food and Drug Administration. A......
It’s election time: Exercise your right and perform your duty
November 2nd, 20190 The following editorial is a collaboration between our newsroom and our editorial board: Voters from Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Inkster, Hamtramck and many of the surrounding communities in Southeast Michigan will go to the polls this Tuesday to exercise their constitutionally protected right and to perform their duty of voting on...
Nov. 5, Elections time in cities across Michigan, including some with Arab American presence
November 2nd, 20191 DEARBORN — Several municipalities in Michigan will hold elections on Tuesday, November 5, with key positions up for grabs in many of the state's and Wayne County's most populous cities. New to this year's election is a state law that allows voters to register to vote on the day of the election, although the state encourages voters......
Remembering former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, a civil rights advocate and friend of the Arab American community
November 2nd, 20190 DETROIT —During his five decades in Congress, former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, who died Sunday at age 90, played a major impact in both local and national politics. In the wake of his passing, those who knew him and/or worked with him spoke out about him and his accomplishments. “John Conyers lived to serve Detroit, his community...
Wayne County Sheriff raids drug house on Dearborn border known to have Arab American clients
November 2nd, 20190 DEARBORN – A drug house in Detroit near the city's border with Dearborn that had a known Arab American clientele was raided on Thursday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. As drug overdoses prove to be a public health epidemic in the Arab American community, with recent tragedies showing Dearborn and Dearborn Heights to be......
