Dearborn Public Schools is providing free meals for students to take home for iftar, the break fast meal during the month of Ramadan.

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Many Dearborn students are Muslim and will abstain from eating and drinking until sunset, missing school lunch. Food service director Emi Kreste said that the district has wanted to provide Ramadan accommodations for years, but that it wasn’t possible until now.

“[The Michigan Department of Education] (MDE) and USDA has allowed, now, school districts to complete a waiver which will allow students to take the lunch at home,” he said.

MDE and the USDA have a rule stating that school lunches are only allowed to be eaten on school property.

This rule has now been amended for Ramadan.

–Reporting by Zahra Hassan, WDET.

More headlines for Tuesday, March 4, 2025:

• Broadcaster Roland Martin is planning alternative programming to President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, inviting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, labor leaders and activists to participate in “The State of Our Union,” airing on the Black Star Network and on Martin’s YouTube channel.
• Choreographer and MacArthur “Genius” Grant winner Kyle Abraham and his dance company A.I.M. will perform at the Wright Museum of African American History on March 28-29. The series of dances were inspired by the Wright’s collection and choreographed exclusively for the museum. 
• Detroit’s Ombudsman’s Office will hold office hours at businesses and recreation centers across the city this spring and summer. The Ombudsman’s Office serves as an independent oversight and investigative agency for the city, addressing complaints and advocating on behalf of residents. The office plans to visit community sites 20 times through July 23, with the next meeting taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at the A.B. Ford Community Center, 100 Lenox St.
• The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners’ Youth Advisory Panel is hosting a Young People & 21st Century Policing Symposium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 at the Wayne State University Law School, 471 West Palmer Ave. Discussions will focus on youth interactions with police, bias in law enforcement, public policy and more. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Register on eventbrite.
• The Detroit Parks Coalition and the Detroit Public Library are partnering for an inaugural Bookmark Design Contest. K-12 students are invited to design a bookmark that highlights the city’s parks, libraries and people. Designs can be submitted before the end of the month. Winning designs will be published and distributed in parks and libraries and shared on social media.  

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

Editor’s Note: Soon after the recording of this segment, Corewell Health reversed their previous announcement and will resume their previous policies on offering gender affirming care to minors. 

Corewell Health reversed its recent decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to minors, which had made it the first healthcare system the first in Michigan to limit care to transgender youth. 

Corewell Health said in a statement last week that they will not begin any new hormone therapy regimens nor perform gender affirming surgeries for minors. 

That statement came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that threatens to eliminate funding to hospitals who do such treatments for patients younger than 19 years of age. 

In 2023, approximately 3% of high school students identify as transgender according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Trump’s executive order is being challenged in federal court. 

Corewell Health hospitals will resume offering hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care for minors that has been approved by physicians and family members.

Detroit Fire Department advises caution when using alternative heat sources

As a winter storm passes through and frigid temperatures are expected this weekend, The Detroit Fire Department is advising residents to exercise caution when heating their homes to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Residents should not use their ovens to heat their homes and need to check that their heating source is not designed for outdoor use prior to turning them on inside.

Fire Chief Dennis Hunter says improper use of alternative heating sources like generators are the biggest danger.  

“Generators are great to use, if used properly. They need to be at least 10 feet away from your home, that exhaust needs to be pointed away from the windows, and do not ever put a generator in your home or in your garage. For that matter, that carbon monoxide is so strong from generators, it can even seep from the garage into the house.” 

Hunter says kerosene heaters meant for indoors are OK to use, but only for short periods of time, as they emit a lot of carbon monoxide.  

He says residents should also ensure their fireplaced are properly vented.  

Department of Natural Resources shares avian flu precautions 

More than 300 birds were found dead from bird flu in Michigan since the start of the new year, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Six samples tested positive for the bird flu as of January 30th. Birds that died from the virus have been found in Allegan, Shiawassee, Ingham, Eaton, and Washtenaw counties. The DNR says the risk of infection in humans is still low, but the virus can infect people who come in contact with infected animals or materials.

The DNR says if someone finds dead birds in their yard, they should double bag the carcasses and dispose of them in the trash for normal trash pickup. Be sure to wear shoes that can be disinfected and disposable or rubber gloves. Residents should protect their eyes and face with masks and eye wear to avoid accidental exposure to fluids that may contain the virus. If handling multiple birds, wear rain bibs, or a waterproof apron to protect clothing. 

Data shows the impact of red flag gun laws

New state data shows nearly three in every four red flag law gun requests in Michigan over the last year resulted in a confiscated gun. The Extreme Risk Protection Order Act was enacted last year. The law allows individuals to ask a judge to remove guns form a person who is deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. The State Court Administrative Offices reports that out of 391 requests, 287 were granted.

No petitioners were charged of filing false information and no respondents were charged with refusing or failing to comply with the order. 

Dearborn Public Schools awarded Meritorious Budget Award

Dearborn Public Schools was awarded the Meritorious Budget Award for the seventh year in a row. The award highlights the districts excellence for how they present their budgets. The district has a combined annual budget of 445 million dollars and 19,500 students. The award was presented by the Association of School Business Officials International. The groups MBA and Pathway to the MBA promote and recognize the best budget presentations practices in school districts.  

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