Dearborn City Council approves salary increases for mayor, Council members and city clerk
December 19th, 20250 DEARBORN — The Dearborn City Council unanimously approved significant salary increases for the mayor and City Council members at its most recent meeting, acting on recommendations from the city’s special Local Officials Compensation Commission (LOCC). Under the new pay structure, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud’s base annual salary will...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Dearborn launches Michigan’s first smart school bus safety program
December 19th, 20250 DEARBORN — In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Michigan, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud announced the launch of a smart technology program aimed at enhancing school bus safety and protecting students from drivers who violate traffic laws. The initiative was unveiled during a joint press conference attended by city and education...
Canton police bust counterfeiting ring, arrest three in Detroit raid
December 19th, 20250 CANTON — Last week, following an investigation launched by Canton Township police after noticing an increase in the circulation of counterfeit $100 bills at local businesses, prosecutors said authorities arrested a three-person ring at a Detroit home where the fake currency was allegedly being produced. Arrested were Darrion...
Judge sentences 75-year-old man to 7–15 years for attempted murder of Arab American child
December 19th, 20250 DETROIT — A Wayne County court sentenced a Detroit man to 7 to 15 years in prison for attempting to kill a then-7-year-old Yemeni American child in a Detroit park on October 8, 2024. Gary Lansky, 74, pleaded guilty last month to attempted murder but claimed he suffers from mental illness, a factor that led to a reduced...
Two men sentenced to life for killing jeweler Hussein Murray in his Rochester Hills home
December 12th, 20250 PONTIAC — On Tuesday, an Oakland County Circuit Court judge sentenced two men to life in prison for killing Arab American jeweler Hussein Murray and robbing his Rochester Hills home after posing as DTE gas workers in the fall of 2024. During the sentencing hearing, Carlos Hernandez, 38, and Joshua Zuazo, 40, remained silent as Judge...
Abbas Alawieh announces bid for Michigan’s Second Senate District
December 12th, 20250 DEARBORN — Arab American political activist Abbas Alawieh announced his candidacy for the Michigan State Senate, running as a Democrat in District 2, which includes Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and parts of Allen Park and Detroit. The seat is currently held by Democratic State Senator Sylvia Santana. Michigan’s State Senate elections...
Hamtramck Clerk Rana Faraj sues city officials, alleging retaliation and election misconduct
December 12th, 20250 HAMTRAMCK — In the latest lawsuit brought against the city, suspended City Clerk Rana Faraj has accused city officials of retaliation, defamation, voter intimidation and violating Michigan’s Whistleblower Protection Act — one month after she was placed on paid administrative leave over alleged “interference” in the November...
Dearborn community celebrates Divine Child’s state championship win
December 12th, 20250 Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud joined the victory parade on Monday celebrating Divine Child High School’s state championship win in the 2025 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 4 football season. The Falcons of the private, Catholic Divine Child High School achieved their first state title since 1985 after...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Commissioner Sam Baydoun presents $25,000 to boost Dearborn Goodfellows mission: “No Child Without a Christmas”
December 12th, 20250 DEARBORN — In a gesture that reflects the strength of community unity and the spirit of compassion toward low-income families during the holiday season, Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun succeeded last week in securing $25,000 to support the Dearborn Goodfellows, helping ensure that no child in the city goes without the joy and...
The AJWA celebrates second anniversary with cultural night honoring Jordanian American women
December 12th, 20250 LIVONIA — With a remarkable turnout of women from the Jordanian American community in Michigan, the American Jordanian Women's Association (AJWA) hosted a vibrant social and cultural evening on Friday, December 5, at St. Mary’s Banquet Hall in Livonia to celebrate the organization’s second anniversary. The event showcased...
How Sam Hussein helped Dearborn Heights save its Christmas tree lighting after a shipment delay
December 12th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Thanks to a generous donation from Arab American businessman Sam Hussein and the cooperation of a local Oakland County tree farm, the city of Dearborn Heights was able to light its Christmas tree on schedule on Friday, December 12 — just hours after the event was close to being canceled due to a delayed shipment...
Judge declines to block Michigan’s new 24 percent marijuana wholesale tax as the MiCIA vows appeal
December 12th, 20250 LANSING — In early October, Governor Whitmer and state lawmakers turned to the state’s booming marijuana industry as a way to finalize the state budget and avert a government shutdown, approving a steep new wholesale tax on marijuana sales beginning in early 2026. The tax is intended to generate new revenue for repairing Michigan’s...
Hamtramck mayoral recount confirms Alharbi’s win as Mahmood presses legal fight over disputed ballots
December 5th, 20250 DETROIT – Although the hand recount in the Hamtramck mayoral race did not deliver the result hoped for by Bangladeshi American candidate Muhith Mahmood, the City Council member remains determined to continue his effort to overturn the outcome. Mahmood is urging the courts to count 37 absentee ballots that Wayne County election...
DOJ suing Westland landlord for sexual harassment and retaliation against female tenants
December 5th, 20250 WESTLAND — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing a landlord for sexual harassment and retaliation against female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Former mayoral candidate William Asper allegedly began sexually harassing female tenants in 2018, offering housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, making...
Oakland County Dr. Oumair Aejaz sentenced to at least 35 years for secretly filming women and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl
December 5th, 20250 PONTIAC – On Tuesday, the Oakland County Circuit Court sentenced an Indian American physician to a minimum of 35 years in prison after he secretly filmed several underage girls and women in changing rooms at a local swim school, and after police discovered videos of him sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl. Dr. Oumair Aejaz, 41, of......
Michigan officials issue safety and environmental guidelines for snow and ice removal
December 5th, 20250 With the snowstorm that struck Michigan last week, local authorities across the state issued a series of guidelines to help residents avoid accidents caused by frost and ice buildup. Officials urged homeowners and business owners to follow local snow removal ordinances to avoid fines and protect pedestrians from slip-and-fall injuries,...
U of M deploys AI traffic signal system to ease congestion across Metro Detroit
December 5th, 20250 ANN ARBOR – Artificial intelligence may soon be managing traffic flow on major roads, as the University of Michigan prepares to deploy an innovative system that will adjust traffic lights at 40 key intersections across the Metro Detroit region in the coming months. The new system uses AI technology and GPS data to determine and......
Chaldean American leader Nabby Yono dies at 75
November 30th, 20250 SOUTHFIELD — The Chaldean Iraqi American community in Metro Detroit has lost one of its prominent figures with the passing of businessman and community leader Nabby Yono, who died on November 21, at the age of 75. According to the family’s obituary, Yono was, “a loving husband, father and proud grandfather. He was born in Basra,...
Rejecting religious incitement: Dearborn holds major press conference affirming city’s unity
November 30th, 20251 DEARBORN – In response to a campaign of hatred and religious incitement led by a group of anti-Muslim Americans, the city of Dearborn held an expanded press conference on Friday, November 21, with the notable participation of Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib and...
Far-right Islamophobe who tried to burn Qur’an in Dearborn sues city for $200 million
November 30th, 20250 DEARBORN — Jake Lang, the far-right Islamophobe who traveled from Florida to Dearborn and attempted to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an during an anti-Islam demonstration, has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Dearborn and its officials, claiming he was assaulted and that his constitutional rights were violated. He is...
Detroit Lebanese Consulate celebrates Lebanon’s 82nd Independence Day in Dearborn, honors leaders
November 30th, 20250 DEARBORN — After years of postponement due to financial difficulties and the devastating toll of Israel’s ongoing aggression against Lebanon, the Consulate General of Lebanon in Detroit revived its annual Independence Day celebration this past Tuesday at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn. The event drew an unexpectedly......
Three men convicted in deadly robbery of Hassan Salame outside Dearborn restaurant
DETROIT — On Tuesday, a Wayne County jury convicted three men on all charges in the September 2023 killing of Hassan Salame, a 29-year-old Arab American business owner from Dearborn, who was fatally shot during a robbery outside Xushi Ko restaurant in East Dearborn. The incident occurred late on Sept. 19, 2023, shortly after Salame...
Six votes trigger Hamtramck mayoral recount between Mahmood and Alharbi
November 27th, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – The Wayne County Board of Canvassers voted on Tuesday to authorize a recount in the Hamtramck mayoral election, at the request of City Councilman Muhith Mahmood, who lost by just six votes. The recount is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Wayne County Clerk’s Office. Five teams of two people......
Wayne County certifies Alharbi’s six-vote victory in Hamtramck mayoral race, Mahmood seeks recount
November 23rd, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – After two weeks of uncertainty and debate over the final outcome of Hamtramck’s mayoral election on November 4, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers officially certified the victory of Arab American candidate Adam Alharbi, by a razor-thin margin of six votes over his challenger, Bangladeshi American and sitting City...
Three young Dearborn men plead not guilty to terrorism charges
November 22nd, 20250 DETROIT — Three Arab American young men from Dearborn have pleaded not guilty to federal terrorism charges during their appearance in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Monday, as their defense attorneys continue to call for due process and caution against rushing to judgment. The defendants, Majed Mahmoud, 20, Mohmed Ali, 20, and his......
