Hamtramck cancels vote on censure of councilman
September 29th, 20170 HAMTRAMCK— The Hamtramck City Council’s proposed resolution to censure Councilman Ian Perrotta over controversial comments he made about immigrants earlier this month was removed without any explanation. The council did not vote Tuesday on the resolution introduced by Councilman Anam Miah that called for Perrotta to be “publicly...
Henry Ford College to host sixth annual career expo
September 29th, 20170 DEARBORN — Henry Ford College is partnering with Glacier Hills Senior Living Communities to host a career expo on October 12 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event is open to current students, alumni and the public. This year’s expo “promises to be the biggest and most user-friendly ever”, according to a press release. Henry Ford...
Director of Michigan State Police apologizes for anthem protest comments
September 29th, 20170 LANSING — Colonel Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the Michigan State Police, has apologized for a Sept. 24 Facebook post that disparaged athletes kneeling during the national anthem. “It was a mistake to share this message on Facebook and I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended,” Etue wrote in a message released Tuesday...
Michigan Legislature debates the right to carry concealed guns
September 29th, 20170 LANSING — A debate on the right to carry concealed weapons appears to have taken shape in the Michigan legislature. Amber McCann, the spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive), told the Free Press that carrying a gun on a school campus is disruptive, so allowing a concealed-carry gun would be a logical...
Dearborn warns about the removal of trees without city approval
September 29th, 20170 DEARBORN— the city highly encourages tree planting because it helps in reducing the intake of energy as well as maintaining an attractive image. Dearborn has been recognized as a “Tree City U.S.A” for almost 30 years for encouraging the sustainment of healthy trees and environment. However, homeowners planning to remove trees...
Toddler shoots two children in Dearborn home daycare
September 27th, 20170 DEARBORN— Dearborn police confirmed that two 3-year-old boys were shot by another child who was playing with a firearm at a Dearborn home daycare on Harding Street at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The firearm was reportedly inside the home. One child was sent to Beaumont Hospital, but then airlifted to the trauma center at Children's...
Proposed auto insurance plan could cut rates by 50%
September 26th, 20170 LANSING ― Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, along with groups like the NAACP to the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and legislators from both parties, announced a plan Monday morning to reduce drivers’ car insurance bills in Michigan. Michigan residents bear the highest insurance premiums in the nation. The new bipartisan legislation to...
Supreme Court cancels arguments on Trump travel ban
September 25th, 20170 NEW YORK ― The Supreme Court canceled oral arguments scheduled in October to decide the legality of President Trump’s previous travel ban, signaling the court might dismiss the case. The Court acted after the White House announced on Sunday it was replacing the temporary executive order with a more tailored ban on eight countries...
Rasmea Odeh deported to Jordan
September 22nd, 20171 DETROIT — Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh, was deported to Jordan and left the U.S. from Chicago O'Hare Airport on September 19. Odeh was convicted of lying on immigration forms and sentenced last month. Federal prosecutors said Odeh lied about being convicted in Israel in the late 60s for two bombings, one of which killed two...
Ford teams with Domino’s on self-driving pizza delivery test
September 22nd, 20170 ANN ARBOR — Ford Motor Company and Domino's Pizza Inc. will begin testing consumers' reactions to having their pies delivered by self-driving vehicles, the companies said late last month. It will not be the first experiment with advanced pizza delivery technology. Australia-based Domino's Pizza Enterprises, the Ann Arbor-based...
$4.5M bond set for genital mutilation doctor
September 22nd, 20172 LIVONIA — A group of 17 supporters of Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, the Detroit doctor charged with performing illegal female genital mutilation, have put their homes and other assets up as collateral to raise a $4.5 million bond to release her from prison until her trial. Nagarwala performed two genital mutilations at a clinic in Livonia...
Teen allegedly killed his mother for being ‘too American’
September 22nd, 20170 FARMINGTON HILLS — During a pre-exam conference on Friday, Sept. 15, Judge Marla Parker of the 47th District Court scheduled a preliminary hearing for Nov. 17 to determine whether Muhammad Altantawi, 16, will be tried for the death of his mother, 35-year-old Nada Huranieh. Altantawi is accused of throwing his mother out of an upper...
Dearborn Historical Museum lacks Arab American presence
September 22nd, 20170 DEARBORN — For the last few months, all eyes have been on the city's government and how it will respond to calls for proper representation of Arab Americans, who make up about half of its population. Many also have deep roots in the community. As the city's residents and officials argue over the fate of the statue of famous...
AMER: First Muslim foster care facility coming to Dearborn
September 22nd, 20170 DEARBORN — The cries of a local mother's children as they were dragged away by state officials still echo after three decades. Wrongfully accused in 1985 of murdering her 2-year-old son, Rehab Amer relives the horrors of trying to bring her other children back every day. Now, she's making sure other children's distress calls do not...
Kalkaska peace group hosts interfaith event, denounces village president’s anti-Muslim remarks
September 22nd, 20170 KALKASKA — In the wake of several anti-Muslim sentiments posted by Kalkaska Village President Jeff Sieting, a group of Kalkaska County residents have formed a nonprofit organization to promote education and understanding. Established in July, Kalkaska for Peace (KFP) came about because of the negative image the village received,......
Plymouth hosts presentation on Muslims and their contributions
September 22nd, 20170 PLYMOUTH — The city of Plymouth invited the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) to present its Muslims for American Progress (MAP) project research findings and photo series at the Plymouth Cultural Center Sept 18-20. Prior to the event, Plymouth Mayor Dan Dwyer released a statement saying the city was looking...
Ashura: A sacred time of humanity and reform
September 22nd, 20170 DEARBORN — This year, Friday, September 22, marks the beginning of Ashura, the 10-day commemoration of Imam Hussein's (the Prophet Muhammad's grandson) martyrdom and his family and follower's sacrifice— known as a historical tragedy mostly observed by Shi'a Muslims. Every year there's an increase in social, political and economic...
Burger joints are the newest Arab American trend in Dearborn
September 22nd, 20170 DEARBORN — A new burger joint trend is developing in the Dearborn area. At least eight burger joints have opened in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, with a number of them opening in the last few years. The burger joints are popular in Dearborn because they offer halal meat on the classic American dish. The burger trend in...
Hamtramck protest, vigil demands end to Yemen war
September 14th, 20170 HAMTRAMCK – A crowd of about 200 people attended a protest and vigil in front of Hamtramck’s City Hall on Saturday, September 9. The event focused on denouncing all violence in Yemen, the internal and external wars that continue to cripple the nation’s population of more than 25 million. Hamtramck is about 30 percent Yemenis......
Dearborn School Board tables redistricting options, seeks community input
September 14th, 20170 DEARBORN- No community members shared their feedback at the September 11 Dearborn Board of Education meeting regarding the trustees’ possible solutions for overpopulated high schools, including boundary line changes and class additions, as the turnout was low. Still, board members expressed the hope that after the October 9 board...
Police militarization heightens chances of misconduct and brutality
September 14th, 20170 DEARBORN— During his campaign, President Trump promised to revoke former President Obama’s executive order that demilitarized local police to remilitarize them once again— reportedly for their own and their communities’ safety. Only two weeks ago, Trump issued an executive order that rescinded Obama’s. Obama’s order had......
Hamtramck councilman under fire for blaming trash problem on immigrants
September 14th, 20172 HAMTRAMCK — A councilmember in one of the most diverse cities in the nation is facing a backlash after he blamed a trash problem on immigrant residents. "There is an issue with trash in Hamtramck," Councilman Ian Perrotta said in an interview on WWJ AM 950. "I think some of it comes from the fact that some of our immigrant...
9/11 town hall addresses Japanese internment camps and targeting of Muslims
September 14th, 20170 DEARBORN—The Arab American National Museum (AANM) hosted a town hall on September 8 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Japanese American detainment in internment camps and the 16th anniversary of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks in New York City. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, which entailed......
