Students from across the state gather at Capitol to demand gun law change and mental health aid
February 23rd, 20220 LANSING — Students from across the state joined March For Our Lives, a national youth-led movement to end gun violence, at the State Capitol on Wednesday. The group was lobbying lawmakers for changes to state law to decrease gun violence in Michigan. The primary proposals the students supported were safe gun storage laws in homes...Imam Omar Suleiman to present at Oakland University
February 23rd, 20220 ROCHESTER — Imam Omar Suleiman is scheduled to present a lecture on the challenges and opportunities of being Muslim in America. The event will take place March 17 at Oakland University and will be followed by a book signing. The event is being hosted by Oakland University’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Islam is the...Local anti-human trafficking organization to host workshop to address racial disparity in sex trafficking
February 21st, 20220 PLYMOUTH — The Pearls of Great Price Coalition, a 501c3 non-profit based in Plymouth, is dedicated to helping fight human trafficking and help surviving victims. In its efforts, the Pearls of Great Price Coalition will be hosting a March 31 workshop examining the racial disparity in sex trafficking incidents. “Studies have...Wayne County announces new program to tackle potholes
February 21st, 20220 WAYNE COUNTY — County residents should see increased road repair work from a new annual program that aims to address the potholes emerging from freezing weather. The Wayne County Department of Public Services' new program begins the week of Feb. 21 and will see Wayne County expanding staff schedules to 10 hours per day/six days a...Arab American National Museum and Center for Arab American Studies launch “Seen Jeem” podcast
February 21st, 20220 DEARBORN — In a new collaboration, the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and the Center for Arab American Studies have launched a new podcast. The podcast, "Seen Jeem", means question and answer in Arabic and episodes contain part conversation and part author reading exploring the work of contemporary Arab American...Dearborn Public Schools to lift mask mandate on Feb. 23
February 18th, 20220 DEARBORN - With the county rescinding the mask mandate, Dearborn Public Schools will make wearing masks optional effective Feb. 23 when students return from mid-winter break. Under federal law, masks will still be required on all school buses. Masks will still be required for anyone returning from quarantine less than 10 days after...Mosque arsonist identified as local Arab American, former U.S. army translator in Iraq, with history of mental health issues
February 18th, 20220 DEARBORN — The local community was shocked by a disturbing incident last weekend when an armed man set fire at a mosque, shot at responding Dearborn police officers and was subsequently killed after a pursuit. The Arab American News later learned from sources that the suspect in the attack on the Al-Huda mosque last Saturday...Teacher of the Year nominations open in Dearborn
February 18th, 20220 DEARBORN — Nominations for the annual Alberta Muirhead Teacher of the Year Students Choice Award have now opened for teachers in the Dearborn Public School District. The award is sponsored by the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by LaFontaine Automotive Group. The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, March 8 at 5...Warren Valley Golf Course closed until further notice due to a breach in contract
February 18th, 20220 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The city announced in a Facebook post that due to a breach in contract, the Warren Valley Golf Course is temporarily closed. The city obtained the golf course from Wayne County in September 2018, but prior to the county transferring the golf course to the city, the county had entered into a concession agreement...State Rep. Jewell Jones pleads guilty to charges stemming from a drunk driving incident
February 17th, 20220 INKSTER — After a nearly year-long legal battle, State Rep. Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a vehicle incident last year. The incident occurred in April when Jones had driven his vehicle into a ditch on I-96 in Livingston County and had a blood alcohol content of 0.17 percent, more than the...Dearborn Mayor Hammoud declares snow emergency as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17
February 17th, 20220 DEARBORN — The city of Dearborn has declared a snow emergency, effective 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17. The emergency will remain in effect until 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud made the announcement ahead of possible of snow accumulations between four and eight inches, according to the National Weather...Michigan Supreme Court throws out part of conviction in 2013 porch shooting death of Renisha McBride
February 17th, 20220 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously threw out part of a Dearborn Heights man's 2014 conviction in the shooting death of a woman the previous year, saying his constitutional rights were violated. The court, which began reviewing the case in October, decided that Ted Wafer, who was sentenced to 17 years in...Wayne man charged in connection with the death of a Dearborn man
February 16th, 20220 DEARBORN — A 31-year-old Wayne man has been charged in connection with the homicide of a Dearborn man that occurred on Feb. 11. Michael Steven Hicks was charged on Feb. 16 in the suspected homicide and faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of felony murder. He faces life in prison without parole if convicted. At...Dearborn Police Department swears in three new officers, promotes three others
February 16th, 20220 DEARBORN — On Monday, the Dearborn Police Department welcomed three new police officers and promoted three additional longstanding members to higher positions within the department. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Police Chief Issa Shahin addressed a gathering of family and colleagues at the swearing-in ceremony. In a heartfelt...State health officials update COVID mask requirements after “post-surge recovery phase”
February 16th, 20220 LANSING — The state’s health authority said this week that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline since this winter’s surge brought on by the spread of highly infectious variants and that it is adjusting its approach to the pandemic in the recovery phase. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services......
Dearborn trash and recycling collection schedule unaffected by Presidents’ Day: Monday, Feb. 21
February 16th, 20220 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Administrative Center, the 19th District Court and all branches of the Dearborn Public Library will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21, in observance of the Presidents' Day holiday. Curbside trash and recycling pickup will not be disrupted by the holiday and will be on its normal schedule during the week of Feb....Dearborn Heights purchases and demolishes four more homes in Ecorse Creek area in an effort to mitigate flooding
February 16th, 20220 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The city of Dearborn Heights is continuing its efforts to mitigate flooding by demolishing flood-prone homes along the Ecorse Creek corridor. In this effort, the city demolished four more homes on Currier Street, bringing the total number of homes demolished along and near the creek to more than 20 since the...New program covers up to $25,000 in expenses for homeowners experiencing COVID hardship
February 15th, 20220 LANSING — The state’s housing authority has launched a new program to help homeowners experiencing pandemic-related financial hardships get current on housing expenses and avoid foreclosure. The Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF) is expected to help more than 8,300 homeowners stay in their homes by giving them direct...Updated: Local mosque arson suspect believed to be Arab American, may have suffered mental health episode
February 12th, 20220 UPDATE: The Arab American News has learned from sources that the suspect in the attack on the Al-Huda mosque Saturday morning is believed to unfortunately be a member of the Arab American community. Authorities believe he may have been suffering a mental health episode at the time of the fire attack. Local and federal law......
Dearborn Heights welcomes new human resources director
February 12th, 20220 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Over the last year, there have been several new faces in City Hall and most recently the city welcomed a new human resources director. Margaret Hazlett has served in human resource management for more than 25 years, with 20 years of experience in assisting school districts negotiating union contracts and...Dearborn Public Schools releases 2022-23 school calendar
February 12th, 20221 DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools is helping parents and students get a head start on their summer plans by unveiling the 2022-23 school calendar. The school year will again start with a half day on the Monday before Labor Day, which this year falls on Aug. 29, and the last day of class will fall on June 14, 2023. This year’s......
Wayne County opens five hybrid COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites
February 12th, 20220 WAYNE COUNTY — Wayne County will be opening five hybrid sites throughout the county to offer both COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. The sites will offer first doses, second doses and boosters. The sites will have both the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and tests and Antigen Rapid Tests. COVID-19 vaccines are available for...Mask mandates in Wayne County to be rescinded by Feb. 28
February 12th, 20220 WAYNE COUNTY — Wayne County officials said in a press release that they are expecting to lift the mask mandate by Feb. 28, joining counties like Oakland and Washtenaw. The decision comes from a downturn in daily COVID-19 cases over the last month and the most significant decline over the last week. “We are encouraged by the......