The Heartland Marketplace grocery in Farmington Hills is closing Oct. 30, but an international market will be moving in.

Abdullah Alawdi, a partner in Al-Haramain International Foods, confirmed that the chain will open in the Heartland space, 33250 W. 12 Mile Road at Farmington Road, in mid-November.

An existing Al-Haramain location at 24065 Orchard Lake Road, near 10 Mile Road in Farmington, will remain open. There is also a store on Joseph Campau in Hamtramck.

Alawdi said the partners are excited about the new location because it will have more space.

Al-Haramain carries foods representing at least 25 countries, he said.

“We have Korean, Chinese, Middle Eastern, European, Indian, African and more.” he said.

Heartland representatives could not be reached for comment.

Heartland is an independent, family owned chain, according to its website. A location on Ford Road in Westland is remaining in business.

Bloomfield Township officers searched Bloomfield Hills High School after police received a threat of violence Wednesday, Oct. 16, but found no weapons or other evidence of a threat being carried out.

The threat came in at about 12:30 p.m. via the 988 national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to a release from the Bloomfield Township Police Department.

“While we are very early in this investigation, initial information leads us to believe that this was a ‘swatting’ incident,” the release said.

Swatting is when someone reports a fake, serious crime, usually in order to rush first responders to the scene.

The high school, 4200 Andover Drive, was notified and activated a shelter in place, the release said. No one can enter or leave but school functions as normal during shelter in place..

“Every police officer was immediately dispatched and they began searching the high school. A complete sweep of the high school was conducted; no credible threats or weapons were located,” the release said.

“The Bloomfield Township Police Department takes all threats to our schools extremely seriously. We will continue to investigate this case using every resource available.

“We are thankful to all of our area departments for their willingness to respond and assist us in this very serious call. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be exhibiting extra patrols at our schools for the remainder of the week.”

School was released early and families were directed to pick up their children at Kirk in the Hills Church, avoiding the high school to keep traffic clear, according to a post on the Police Department’s Facebook page.

Bloomfield Hills Schools said in a release that its social workers, psychologists and counselors would be available for students and staff.

“Bloomfield Hills Schools wants to commend our students, high school staff, and police partners for remaining calm and following district protocols. Ensuring a safe and secure learning environment remains BHS’s top priority for both students and staff,” the release said.
 

Several of Stephanie Fakih’s colleagues on the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees have joined Jewish groups in condemning an alleged post on a social media account with her name on it that was harshly critical of Zionists.

An image posted on X by the group StopAntisemitism showed a Friday, Oct. 4 message from an account featuring Fakih’s first and last name that read, “Israeli Zionists are the scum of the earth and the only people on par are American Zionists.”

The Oakland Press could not independently verify the post on X, formerly Twitter, or whether the account belonged to Fakih. The account is private and only approved followers can see messages. Fakih did not respond to a request to get access to the page, but she later said that the account is private because she has received death threats. She did not confirm or deny that she posted the remark about Zionists.

Response to the alleged post was swift.

StopAntisemitism countered with its own X post on Oct. 5 that read: “StopAntisemitism is disgusted to see Bloomfield Township Board of Trustee member Stephanie Fakih refer to 95%+ of Jews globally as ‘scum’. Bloomfield is home to one of Michigan’s largest Jewish populations. This vile hate must not be tolerated – Stephanie Fakih must step down.”

The group included a screenshot of the post, a link to Fakih’s bio on the township’s website, and a photo of the trustee.

Fakih said in a text message to The Oakland Press that she did not use the term “scum” to describe Jews and would not comment on whether she used it to describe Zionists.

She said she would make a statement at the board’s next meeting scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14 in the auditorium at Township Hall, 4200 Telegraph Road.

Zionism is a movement that had as its original aim the creation of a country for Jewish people; Zionists now support the state of Israel.

Critics of Israel, who sometimes call themselves anti-Zionists, say that speaking out about the country’s practices should not be equated with antisemitism.

Anti-Zionism should be viewed as anti-racist, according to the group Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for an end to Israel’s occupation of lands occupied by Palestinians.

“We maintain our obligation to call out antisemitism framed as anti-Zionism wherever we see it,” said Carolyn Normandin, regional director of the Michigan Anti-Defamation League, in a statement.

“This comment is deeply troubling. Vilifying those supporting Israel, as the vast majority of American Jews do, by calling them “scum” is damaging and irresponsible, especially at a time of rising antisemitism,” she said.

Bloomfield Township Treasurer Michael Schostak, Supervisor Dani Walsh and Clerk Martin Brook issued a joint statement Thursday, Oct. 9, in which they said they were “deeply disturbed” by Fakih’s alleged post.

“Her views do not represent us, nor did she speak in an official capacity on behalf of Bloomfield Township,” the three elected officials said.

“We are proud of our community’s diversity and we recognize that diversity as a source of strength.  While we recognize her right to free speech, as township trustees, it is our duty to represent and serve everyone equally and with respect. But, her divisive and dehumanizing rhetoric undermined those values and wounded many residents.”

Fakih’s term ends Nov. 20; the three officials urged her to use her remaining time on the board to “help heal those wounds.”

The Oakland Press reached out for comment from national and Michigan spokespeople for the Council on American-Islamic Relations but they did not respond.

Fakih won election to the board in 2020; she is not running for re-election on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Four years ago, she was among several Democrats – including Brook and Walsh –  who won seats on the board that had been dominated by Republicans for decades.

According to her profile on the township’s website, she also serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals. She grew up in the township, attended Birmingham Public Schools, and graduated from Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School and the University of Michigan.

After graduating from Fordham University School of Law in New York, she moved back to Michigan in 2014 and opened her criminal defense practice, Rights First Law.

On a website for her campaign for state representative two years ago, Fakih said her parents immigrated to the United States in the 1980s.

The Oakland County Health Division is reminding residents to prevent mosquito-borne illness by avoiding mosquito bites while they work or recreate outside during the fall.

Mosquitoes remain active until the first hard frost of the year, according to a release from the county.

“Keep protecting yourself against mosquitoes as we transition into fall,” said Leigh-Anne Stafford, Oakland County’s director of Health & Human Services. “As you enjoy outdoor fall festivities like football games and cider mills, take steps to prevent mosquito bites.”

Most people with mosquito-borne diseases have either no symptoms or experience a mild illness, such as fever, headache and body aches.

However, some people have a more serious illness, in which inflammation and swelling of the brain can develop.

Follow these prevention tips:

– Use an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent. All EPA-registered repellents are evaluated for safety and effectiveness, and will contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol as the active ingredient. Repellents containing a higher percentage of the active ingredient typically provide longer-lasting protection.

– Always follow the product label instructions.

– Use care when using repellent on the hands of children, as it may irritate the eyes and mouth.

– Turn over any container that can collect water. Once a week, empty items that hold water such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, flowerpots and trash containers. Eliminating standing water eliminates mosquito breeding sites.

– Clean clogged roof gutters, especially if leaves tend to plug the drains.

– Treat standing water, such as retention ponds or drainage ditches, with a mosquito larvicide. It is easy to use and can be purchased at most home improvement stores.

– Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.

– Limit outdoor activity from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

– Make sure there are no holes in window and door screens. Do not prop doors open.

West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis are mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes are infected with the viruses by biting infected animals, such as birds or deer. The viruses are spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

The county traps and tests mosquito pools at numerous locations. This year, one pool tested positive for WNV. Seven Oakland County birds also tested positive for the virus. Two human cases were reported.

For more information on mosquito-borne diseases, go to the Health Division’s website at oakgov.com/health or contact Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com. Nurse on Call is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Two text messages issued statewide that contained false or misleading election information have prompted the Troy City Clerk’s Office to remind residents where they can get valid updates.

One message directed the receiver to return the ballot as soon as possible, misleading because the Nov. 5 election is still weeks away.

The other message said the receiver’s ballot was invalid and should be destroyed.

The text messages were all in caps and appeared to come from a governmental agency, but they did not.

The city said in a release that the Troy Clerk’s Office wants to remind residents of the following:

– The Clerk’s Office does not send text messages.

– The Clerk’s Office does not call residents except to return messages. Those return calls are only from 248-524-3316 or 248-524-3317.

– If you are questioning the validity of a phone call or text related to election information, call the Clerk’s Office at 248-524-3316, send an email to elections@troymi.gov or visit troymi.gov/elections.

–  Email communication from the city is only from @troymi.gov email addresses; faxes are from 248-524-1770; mail is from 500 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48084 and will include the city seal, city logo or the official election mail logo.

Additionally, all valid and up-to-date election information can be found at troymi.gov/elections or mvic.sos.state.mi.us.