Tonight on the Detroit Evening Report, we cover a local event commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day; city officials in Hamtramck considering the use of police drones and more.

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Belle Isle Prayer Walk

A solidarity prayer walk and potluck took place at Belle Isle for Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday. The day is meant to honor the history, culture and contributions of Indigenous communities. The Prayer Walk for the Water event started off in Ralph Wilson Gateway, with stops along the path to pray and reflect. Michigan is home to about 240,000 Native Americans, with 12 federally recognized tribes. 

Hamtramck considers drone use by police

The Hamtramck Police Department wants to get a drone to help solve crimes. Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri says the measure was brought before the city council, but was not approved initially. 

A poll was posted on the police department’s Facebook page, asking people if they thought a drone would be beneficial for the police department. About 300 people responded – 80% voting yes.

Altaheri says the measure will be reintroduced to the city council at its next meeting.

Ohio man arrested for Hamtramck threats

An Ohio man was arrested after allegedly making threats against immigrants in Hamtramck. The man told fellow churchgoers in Toledo that he planned to harm people in Hamtramck last Saturday.

Chief Altaheri says there were extra police on hand in the city during the Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival and Night Bazaar activities in the city that day.

The Toledo Police Department informed the Hamtramck Police Department, who both monitored the situation along with the FBI. The man, identified as 69-year-old William Darocha, then drove to Michigan and was arrested in Taylor and is facing charges of Making Terroristic Threats.

Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness walk

The local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is hosting a community walk on Belle Isle this weekend. The Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness Walk aims to raise awareness about those impacted by suicide for a day of support.

The community walk takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Belle Isle. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m.

New Detroit hosting racial equity conference

The racial justice organization New Detroit is hosting the “Just Lead: Advancing Racial Equity Moving Forward Together” conference on Thursday, Oct. 17 at The Icon in Detroit. The conference has themes of health care, Detroit parks, and philanthropy. Awards will also be given to leaders for advancing racial equity.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Hamtramck Historical Museum soft launched an exhibit on the Bengali diaspora last month with a nakshi kantha hand embroidery workshop. It’s a type of quilt that’s embroidered by Bengali or Bangladeshi people in the Indian subcontinent.

Fiber artist Fatema Haque says that although the Bangladeshi community has been in metro Detroit for decades, this is the first time a full-fledged exhibit of this type will be featured at the museum.

“It doesn’t have a large presence of Bangladeshis, even though Bangladeshis have been in the metro Detroit area since, well, going back as far as 1971 when Bangladesh became a country. But even before that, when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan, and then before that, India,” she said.

Haque says the workshop was one way to show different types of art that’s representative of the Bangladeshi diaspora.

“And given that this craft is a huge part of family life as well as community life in Bangladesh, it’s something that’s prevalent in pretty much every household in a variety of ways, so we thought it would be a good way for people to learn about Bangladeshis and something that is such a integral part of their life,” she said.

Haque says the exhibit will feature stories of the Bangladeshi diaspora in metro Detroit, focusing on Hamtramck where the museum is located.

“We are hoping to represent both Bangladeshi culture in terms of religion, art, activism as well as entrepreneurship, and show the ways in which people are connected to this particular land,” she said.

She says that will include businesses and the mural on Carpenter between Hamtramck and Detroit.

Haque says anthropologist Rumana Rahman reached out to the museum to curate this exhibit, which is run by volunteers.

“I came up on her radar because I had a portrait exhibit of Bangladeshi Americans in the last year, and I did some oral history interviews. And so once I heard that she was working on this, I was so excited to get involved, and I joined the committee, and we’ve been working on it since January, actually.”

Haque says this is just the beginning.

“Our goal with this exhibit is that it’s not going to be an end all exhibit… it should be a living exhibit that people can continuously contribute to and keep growing, because our history is a living history,” she said.

Haque says she hopes people come to the exhibit to learn about neighboring communities.

“Get to know your neighbors and get to know other folks who live around you, so if you’re not Bangladeshi, it might be worth it because your neighbors are Bangladeshi, and you can learn something really cool about their land,” she said.

She says it’s also an opportunity to allow Bangladeshi Americans to see themselves represented in a meaningful way.

“There’s so many Bangladeshis who are in this community. And I’m wondering, like, how often do we see ourselves represented in places like museums, right? How often is our history documented? And so our hope is that people feel a stronger sense of belonging by seeing themselves in this space,” she said.

Haque says she hopes second and third generation Bangladeshi Americans also have a chance to explore Bangladeshi history, art or activism.

“I really hope that they also feel inspired and proud and gain a sense of self through this exhibit, like I can be proud to be Bangladeshi in this space,” she said.

The exhibit’s full launch is slated for November 2. Find more information at hamtramckhistory.com.

The Hamtramck Historical Museum is getting a new exhibit based on the Bengali diaspora, focusing on communities in Hamtramck. 

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The museum had a soft launch on Saturday to get people excited about a full exhibit. 

Rumana Rahman is an anthropologist who serves on the committee for the new exhibition. She says the museum can capture more Bengali representation in a city with a large Bangladeshi community. 

“We want to really capture the diversity of our Bangladeshi heritage, our linguistic diversity, or textile diversity,” said Rahman. “So, yeah, I’m just really excited when I kind of feel like this is sort of the beginning. We’re just kind of scratching the surface.”

Rahman says the exhibit will feature rickshaw art, textile art, and sports like cricket. It will also incorporate different spiritual traditions of Bangladesh from the Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu communities.  

The exhibit’s launch is slated for Oct. 29.

Other headlines for Monday, Sept. 23, 2024:

• Salina Intermedia School in Dearborn is hosting “Pollution Has No Boundaries: Where Do We Go From Here?” — a conversation about climate change with journalists, community activists and artists — from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. 
• Northwest Detroiters are invited to a community roundtable at Simanek Park from 6-7 p.m. Sept. 26 to share feedback on the city’s park design and improvement plans.
• The Detroit Police Department is looking for individuals ages 15-24 to join the Youth Advisory Panel by the Sept. 30 deadline. Participants will serve as resources for the Board of Police Commissioners, help with civilian oversight and get educational, civic and networking opportunities. Youth should be in high school or college.
• The Detroit Public Library main branch is hosting a free youth public safety town hall from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 to discuss students’ concerns and thoughts on violence at home, in schools and traveling between home and school.
• The city of Detroit is hosting a Healthy Home Resource Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 28 to share information about HOPE application assistance, water affordability plans, foreclosure prevention and more. The resource fair will take place at the Northwest Activity Center, 18100 Meyers St., Detroit.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Frontier International Academy is hosting a safety training session for parents this week, following ongoing concerns from community members about road safety.

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Guest speakers will be Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri and Wayne County Undersheriff Mike Jaafar. Many residents have expressed anxiety after multiple incidents of children being hit by cars in Hamtramck.

In July, a 3-year-old girl died after being hit by a Hamtramck school bus. That same day, another child was struck by a car in a separate incident, CBS Detroit reports. A third child was struck in August, suffering only minor injuries.

The training will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, at Frontier International Academy, 13200 Conant St., Detroit. 

Other headlines for Monday, Sept. 16, 2024:

• Hamtramck residents will vote on a $2.75 million millage renewal this November. The funds go toward a 10-year plan for operating costs for the Hamtramck Public School District.
• The Kalasho Education & Youth Services held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new MIND Garden on Friday in Warren. The organization has served the Chaldean community — specifically immigrant and refugee communities — in mental health, education, and legal services for the past 23 years.
• Anthropologist and Legacy Keepers Movement Founder Zarinah El-Amin is hosting a free masterclass for older adults and their family members who want to learn how to write their life story.
• The Detroit + Dearborn Community Block Party is set to take place on Miller Road and Tireman Avenue from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, featuring free food, activities, games and vendor resource tables.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

On the latest episode of the Detroit Evening Report, we cover this week’s extreme heat and severe storms that have enveloped southeast Michigan; Labor Day festivities to look forward to this weekend and more.

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Hydrate, keep cool in extreme heat

Fall is right around the corner, but summer isn’t in the rear-view quite yet. Temperatures reached the mid-90s earlier this week and there may be more days like that ahead, as Detroit has recorded 90-plus degree temperatures in September before.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying hydrated and limiting time spent outdoors during extreme heat events to prevent the risk of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion, heat rash and heat stroke. Health officials in Detroit are also reminding residents to check on their family, friends and neighbors during extreme heat events — especially the elderly, those with medical problems or those who live alone — and be on the lookout for signs of heat-related illness such as nausea, confusion and rapid or slow heart rate.

The CDC offers a “HeatRisk” calculator on its website to help individuals determine their risk of extreme heat exposure. Visit cdc.gov for more information about heat-related illness.

Read more: ‘Heat island effect’ contributing to warmer temperatures in Detroit, research shows

More severe storms ahead

Strong storms are expected to return this afternoon and evening, with clear skies returning on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures and humidity will remain high this weekend, with highs in the mid- to low-80s expected.

Approximately 10,000 metro Detroit households were still without power as of 4 p.m. on Friday, according to outage maps from DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. Customers who experienced extended outages this week may be entitled to credits from their utility provider.

Hamtramck Labor Day Festival kicks off

The 44th annual Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is taking place from noon to 10 p.m. all weekend, Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, featuring live music, carnival rides, food vendors and more. The festival will close out on Monday with a performance by Jack White accompanied by Detroit garage rockers The Hentchmen — featuring WDET’s own Mike Latulippe, host of The Detroit Move.

For a full schedule of events, visit hamtownfest.com/schedule.

Celebrate the new Lunar New Year at metro Detroit’s Water Lantern Festival

Metro Detroit’s annual Water Lantern Festival is taking place next Saturday, Sept. 7, at Lake St. Clair Metro Park in Harrison Township. The family-friendly event, inspired by Chinese tradition, marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year.

Tickets, starting at $28 for adults, will get you a wristband for entry, a floating lantern kit, lantern retrieval, water cleanup and more. Those who purchase tickets over Labor Day weekend can get 15% off using the code LABORDAY15. For more information about the festival, visit waterlanternfestival.com.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.