November 5th, 20210This week, headlines regarding Tuesday’s election across local, national and international media included some version of the word "historic."
Not surprising when one takes into consideration that three Arab American candidates in some of the state’s densest cities enjoyed landslide victories for mayoral races: Amer Ghalib in...
November 3rd, 20211HAMTRAMCK — Amer Ghalib celebrated a decisive victory against a long-time incumbent mayor on Tuesday, in an election that marks the changing of political tides in the city's history.
Ghalib may also be the first fully Yemeni American to serve as mayor of an American city, though Montgomery Township, New Jersey's Sadaf Jaffer,...
October 30th, 20211Elections are always important. That is why, in every election since its inception, The Arab American News has encouraged the Arab American community to be involved in the decision-making process and to show up to vote and run for public offices. This local election is no different in terms of importance, but it is also unique in the...
October 30th, 20210Endorsing candidates for important offices is a major responsibility for local organizations and newspapers.
For an ethnic newspaper, the voice of the community we advocate for has to be taken into consideration, as should the issues that affect it the most. But decisions on endorsements cannot simply come about with a superficial...
October 30th, 20211The Arab American News interviewed the six candidates who are running for the three seats on the Hamtramck City Council and have decided to endorse the following three candidates for the four-year term.
Khalil Refai
Khalil Refai is the front-runner during this election, leading in the polls during the August primary. Recently, he has...
October 26th, 20211DEARBORN — After growing concerns over lead in drinking water in Hamtramck and Benton Harbor, the city of Dearborn is assuring its residents that its tested water levels meet federal standards for safety.
Dearborn’s government says its water lines are tested yearly and the results have always came back within acceptable federal...
October 23rd, 20210HAMTRAMCK — Hamtramck’s mayoral race has taken a historic turn during and after the primaries, with Yemeni American candidate Amer Ghalib emerging as front runner, competing against long-time incumbent Mayor Karen Majewski.
The Arab American News reached out to both, with questions geared towards their particular campaigns. The...
October 21st, 20210HAMTRAMCK — After elevated levels of lead in the city's water system were detected, the city of Hamtramck partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to distribute one free water filter with replacement cartridges, per address, to Hamtramck residents on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in...
October 6th, 20210
As superintendent, it is my honor to personally greet our children as they return to school each fall. This year is just as exciting to me—if not more so—as we are once more welcoming students back in person. Teachers, administrators and students alike have been eager to start school together again, and it’s a joy to experience...
September 27th, 20210— This article was written with generous support from the Education Writers Association's Reporting Fellows program
There is little doubt that the Arab American community in Metro Detroit has made great headway in gaining political and economic security as it grows and evolves. Much of this momentum can be attributed to a culture...
September 23rd, 20210This article also appears in Metro Times Detroit through a partnership with the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative and the Detroit Equity Action Lab at the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. It has been edited for style.
DEARBORN — Dave Serio, a third-generation Sicilian Lebanese American, came to better understand his Arab...
September 16th, 20210DEARBORN — The tragic kidnapping, torture and murder in Yemen of Abdulmalek Alsanabani, a Yemeni student who resided in California, sparked outrage and protests in the U.S. and Yemen this week.
Alsanabani was a 25-year-old living in Fresno, California and had decided to take an often dangerous journey across the south of Yemen to...
August 24th, 20210Waving 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...
August 3rd, 20212Correction: And earlier version of this story mistakenly noted that Amer Ghalib is the first Muslim primary front-runner in a Hamtramck mayoral election. Abdul Algazali beat current Karen Majewski by 31 votes in 2013's primary election.
HAMTRAMCK — Yemeni American mayoral candidate Amer Ghalib became the front-runner in the Aug. 3...
July 30th, 20210HAMTRMACK — The primary election to determine Hamtramck's next mayor is just days away. The Arab American News reached to all four mayoral candidates to ask questions regarding the city's financial challenges, property taxes, marijuana dispensaries and more.
Only Asm Rahman and Mayor Karen Majewski returned responses this week,...
July 29th, 20210The following information, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is up-to-date as of July.
Survivors who registered with FEMA for disaster assistance following the June severe storms and flooding will receive a letter explaining FEMA’s eligibility decision and the reason for that decision.
FEMA decision...
July 29th, 20210LANSING – On Thursday, Governor Whitmer announced a plan to utilize $10 million in state general funds to provide emergency relief to households impacted by June 25-26's heavy rainfall and flooding.
The funding will be allocated to the Detroit and Wayne and Washtenaw Counties to set up "residential gap funding grant...
July 24th, 20210Four candidates for Hamtramck mayor and eight for City Council are vying for four-year terms and will face off in the Aug. 3 primary election, after which the mayoral race will come down to two candidates and the Council race to six.
The city is also asking voters to decide on a ballot proposal which would increase property taxes to...
July 17th, 20210DEARBORN – On Tuesday, the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) announced endorsements for the local 2021 primary elections.
Formed in 1998 by a group of Arab American professionals, AAPAC is a non-partisan political organization that encourages Arab American participation in the political process and encourages Arab...
July 14th, 20210HAMTRAMCK — Hamtramck Public Schools (HPS) announced this week the purchase of additional property, the second such purchase this year.
The district, which services much of the area's diverse population, including Yemeni and Bengali families, has finalized the purchase of the property at 8633 Joseph Campau Avenue. This comes after...
June 16th, 20210DEARBORN/HAMTRAMCK — The Yemeni-American Michigan Democratic Caucus (YAMDC) announced its endorsements for Dearborn and Hamtramck City Council and mayoral candidates.
For City Council in Dearborn, the group is endorsing Mustapha Hammoud, Samraa Luqman, Khodr Farhat, Khalil Othman, Kamal Alsawafy, Saeid Alawathy and incumbent Leslie...
June 2nd, 20210LANSING — Governor Whitmer announced this week grants awarded to different Michigan communities to help upgrade drinking water infrastructure towards safe, affordable tap water across the state.
The grants come under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan. Under that plan Hamtramck receives $188,315 under the Drinking Water...
May 26th, 20210LANSING — On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer announced five appointments to the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs.
Of the five, three are reappointments and two are new appointees, namely Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed of Dearborn Heights and Dearborn’s Amal Berry, senior manager of global...
May 19th, 20210HAMTRAMCK — The city of Hamtramck, known to be the nation’s first Muslim-majority city, is the subject of a documentary set to makes its broadcast premiere on the WORLD Channel (formerly PBS WORLD) on Tuesday, May 25.
A synopsis for the documentary, titled Hamtramck, USA, says it "goes behind the scenes of small-town politics,"...
May 15th, 20210HAMTRAMCK — Hamtramck Public Schools (HPS) is partnering with Rite Aid to provide vaccinations for individuals 12 and older at the Hamtramck Community Center at 11350 Charest St. this upcoming Thursday. HPS recommends families schedule an appointment to receive a COVID-19 shot.
The clinic is offering the first dose of the Pfizer...
May 7th, 20210LANSING — In an effort to address exacerbated conditions faced by Michiganders since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, State Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck) and four other Detroit first-term House colleagues introduced a five bill package this week.
Aiyash joined Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.), Helena Scott (D-Highland Park),...
April 22nd, 20210HAMTRAMCK — After Tuesday’s filing deadline for the upcoming races for Hamtramck mayor and three Council seats, the city now has a tentative list of candidates for an important 2021 election.
The following candidate list is up to date as of Saturday, as candidates had the option to drop out by Friday, April 23.
Hamtramck City...
April 22nd, 20210DETROIT — According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, a Hamtramck man has been charged with the sexual assault of a young Detroit girl.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Fsle Saoeh, 38, of Hamtramck, with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree on Tuesday. A fourth degree criminal sexual conduct charge has a...
