New minimum wage for Michigan employees
DETROIT — Beginning Sept. 1, Michigan workers will see an increase in the minimum wage rate from $7.40 to $8.15, the first rate increase in six years. This new change to state law marks the beginning of a gradual 25 percent increase in the minimum wage resulting in $9.25 per hour by 2018. On May 27, the Workforce Opportunity Wage...
Youth helps needy through LAHC Feeding our Neighbors program
August 29th, 20140 DEARBORN — On Saturday, Aug. 23 the Lebanese American Heritage Club’s Youth Leadership Committee distributed bags filled with food and nutritional supplies to the needy.The effort, which has been ongoing at the LAHC, is part the group’s “Feeding our Neighbors” program. Through the program, LAHC members provide the less...
Detroit water shutoffs resumed Tuesday
August 29th, 20140 DETROIT — City water shutoffs resumed Tuesday, the same day a moratorium issued by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) ended. This week the Detroit Water Brigade requested that the city permanently extend the moratorium, which was initially given to allow residents more time to make payment arrangements. The Detroit...
Rasmea Odeh attorneys file motion to dismiss charge
August 29th, 20140 DETROIT – Attorneys representing Chicago’s Palestinian American community organizer, Rasmea Odeh, have filed a motion and brief in Detroit’s U.S. District Court to dismiss the indictment against her. The defense attorneys are saying the charges are the product of an illegal investigation targeting Palestine solidarity...
Oxford University Press publishes new Oxford Arabic Dictionary
August 29th, 20140 New modern standard Arabic dictionary features over 130,000 words and phrases, 200,000 translations, 70,000 real example phrases On Thursday Aug. 28 Oxford University Press will celebrate the print and digital publication of the Oxford Arabic Dictionary. Produced by an international team of expert translators and advisors...
FEMA leads damage assessment in Metro Detroit after flood
August 29th, 20140 Sandy Jasmund, a spokeswoman for the FEMA regional office in Chicago, said the agency relies on local officials to show its representatives the most hard-hit areas to assess the damage without going to all the affected homes. FEMA will submit its damage assessment to state officials upon its completion. Then, the governor makes a...
Ferguson opened the door to a discussion of Black equality
August 29th, 20140 Suddenly the nation is talking about black equality.It took Molotov cocktails in Ferguson, Mo., to forcefully penetrate our slumbering racial consciousness. Ferguson has become a metaphor for race relations in the 21st century; a signifier for the convergence of poverty, segregation, police brutality and federal and civic neglect. Most...
Militants sieze 43 Golan Heights peacekeeper
August 29th, 20140 DAMASCUS — Militants fighting the Syrian army have detained 43 U.N. peacekeepers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and trapped another 81 in the region, and the world body is working to secure their release, the United Nations said on Thursday.The affected peacekeepers are from the Philippines and Fiji, U.N. spokesman Stephane...Iraqi Christians taking action to protect vulnerable minorities their homeland
Over the last few months, the Chaldean community has held several rallies in metro Detroit hoping to raise awareness on the plight of Iraqi Christians. The community is also working closely together to protect the future of religious minorities in Iraq. This month the Adopt-A-Refugee charitable group, in collaboration with...Dearborn Board of Education approves appointments of Arab Americans to administrative positions
DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston announced the appointment of Shannon Peterson to executive director for secondary education, per board approval on Aug. 25. Peterson is currently principal at Bryant Middle School, formerly assistant principal at Bryant, and a teacher at Lowrey Middle School and...Dearborn Board of Education approves appointments of Arab Americans to administrative positions
DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston announced the appointment of Shannon Peterson to executive director for secondary education, per board approval on Aug. 25. Peterson is currently principal at Bryant Middle School, formerly assistant principal at Bryant, and a teacher at Lowrey Middle School and...Dental Office Shooting in Dearborn
DEARBORN — On Aug. 28 at approximately 9:10 a.m. Dearborn Police officers responded to a report of gunshots fired at the Advanced Dental Clinic located at 14639 Ford Road in Dearborn. The suspect, a 73 year old male Dearborn resident, was quickly taken into custody by responding officers. It was determined that the suspect entered...Dept. of Education offers tips on getting a good start to the school year
Summer is over and school is beginning again. It’s time to put away the video games and iPods and bring out the books and pencils.Preparing for another school year requires the cooperation of both the students and parents. Today, there is more then just buying new school supplies that goes into getting students ready for...
Muslims condemn ISIS, say terrorist group doesn’t represent Islam
August 26th, 20140 DEARBORN—Muslim Americans gathered at Dearborn City Hall Monday to condemn ISIS, and honor all the victims of the terrorist group including American journalist James Foley. Last week a video was released of Foley being beheaded by a member of ISIS in retaliation for American airstrikes on Iraq that were...
Health concerns, frustrations grow in flood aftermath
August 22nd, 20140 DEARBORN — The contents of 40 percent of Dearborn's basements are now on its streets in piles of trash bags and disposed furniture. unprecedented rainfall on Aug. 11 caused sewage backups that turned 8,000 basements across the city into swamps of filthy water.Thousands of basements in Dearborn have been converted into living spaces......
Local group returns from Ferguson, demands justice
August 22nd, 20140 DETROIT — Members of the National Action Network (NAN) returned to Detroit Monday after visiting Ferguson, Missouri over the weekend. Speaking at a press conference this week following the visit, Rev. Charles Williams II of the NAN said residents in Ferguson are protesting peacefully and accused anarchist groups of inciting...Detroiters encouraged to make payments before shut-off moratorium expires Monday
DETROIT – City residents are encouraged to attend the Cobo Water Fair this Saturday to make payment arrangements and access help before the shut-off moratorium expires on Monday.Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council President Brenda Jones, in conjunction with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), will present the Water Fair at...
Renisha McBride’s family files $10M lawsuit against Wafer
August 22nd, 20140 DETROIT — On Tuesday, the family of Renisha McBride filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Theodore Wafer in Wayne County Circuit Court. McBride, a Detroit resident, was shot and killed by Dearborn Heights resident in November. The civil lawsuit seeks damages in the 19-year-old’s death. Earlier this month,...
Immigration conference to discuss profiling at border next month
August 22nd, 20140 DETROIT — The Northern Borders Coalition (NBC) Immigrants Rights Conference will take place Tuesday, Sep. 16 at the United Auto Workers Ford National Training Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event, entitled “From North to South: Civil Rights Along the Border”, will focus on the issue of profiling at the......
“Islamic State” denounced at interfaith candlelight vigil
August 22nd, 20140 BIRMINGHAM — On Thursday, Aug. 14, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh clergy members, among other religious leaders of various faiths, held an interfaith candlelight and prayer vigil at Shain Park in Birmingham and denounced the terrorist group IS. Representatives from human rights and civic organizations also...
Dearborn Scavengers to receive $500 ticket for going through residents’ trash after flood
August 22nd, 20140 DEARBORN — The Dearborn City Council on Wednesday approved an emergency ordinance that prohibits curbside scavenging of trash in the city. The punishment for violating the ordinance is a $500 fine and 93 days in jail. The emergency ordinance will expire in 61 days, unless the council takes further action. City ordinance......
Closings, pay cuts proposed for Detroit schools
DETROIT – The Detroit Public Schools System will be cutting the paychecks of administrators and teachers in October. The 10 percent pay cut needs to be approved by state Superintendent Mike Flanagan before it goes into affect. The salary for the top DPS teacher would decrease from $66,000 to $59,400 per year. Part of the plan involves...Wayne County: More than $340M in flood damages
DETROIT – Wayne County officials currently estimates that the August 11 storm that severely impacted parts of Southeastern Michigan resulted in more than $340 million in flood damages in the County. More than 35,000 private residences were impacted, resulting in more than $332 million in damages, with an additional $12 million in......
