The City of Dearborn says new absentee ballots will be mailed to residents after a printing error was discovered. 

City Clerk George Darany says the original ballots included the name of a city council candidate who dropped out of the race. 

Darany says people should throw away the old ballot and fill out the new one. Voters who have already submitted their ballot or those who do not send in the correct ballot will have their ballot ‘duplicated’—which does not mean counted twice. 

“So in other words, we will have two people assigned to remove the ballot and put it into the duplicate new ballot, so everything they chose would be transferred to the new ballot,” says Darany.

Voters should receive the new ballots in the next ten days. 

Early voting begins in Dearborn October 25.

Additional headlines for Thursday, October 2, 2025

  Mosques encouraged to increase security

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Michigan chapter is encouraging local mosques to step up protection after an individual threatened to burn down a mosque in Dearborn Heights this week. 

CAIR Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid says he’s concerned in light of the political climate and the attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc on Sunday. 

“We encourage all mosques in the state of Michigan to review the care community safety kit an to make sure that they have the property security measures for the Friday congressional prayers.” 

Walid says he hopes Dearborn Heights Police investigate the threats at The Islamic Institute of America as a potential hate crime. 

He says several mosques in Michigan have received threats in recent weeks. 

 Detroit Public Schools fills District Board of Education seat

The Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education voted not to start a lengthy selection process to fill a vacant seat and will instead offer the seat to the runner up of the last special election.

Current board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo is expected to resign and start as the city of Detroit’s next Ombudsman.

During a special meeting the board recommended leveraging the finalist from the July 2025 vacancy process, because it has been less than 90 days since a thorough, transparent, and public search was conducted. 

Local business pitch competition

The Arab American Women’s Business Council and the New Economy Initiative are announcing their 2025 Pitch Competition. Local Small Businesses and entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas and compete for seed money. Cash prizes between $1000 and $3000, and a grand prize of $5000 will be offered.

The application deadline is October 17. Eligible applicants must be in the ideation phase or have a business less than five years old.

The event will take place at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn on November 19. Visit the Arab American Women’s Business Council’s Facebook page for more information and to apply.  

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Ford Motor Company announced Monday that its moving its headquarters for the first time in 70 years. The new headquarters will be located west of Greenfield Village in Dearborn.  

The new Henry Ford II World Center is a 2.1 million square foot state-of-the-art building. It will serve as a global center to promote innovation, collaboration, and transformation. Among the changes are six Design Studios and a Design Showroom, which can hold 10 vehicle turntables with 64-ft micro LED screens for product review. 

The new facility will have 4,000 employees and 12 acres of greenspace.  

The building is a Net-Zero Energy Building, using a central energy plant for hot water and steam and DTE MI Green Power Program to have a net-zero carbon goal. There are also energy-efficient systems, including water saving measures and waste reduction strategies in place.  

The headquarters is on a historic site—the 1953 Product Development Center, where the Mustang, F-Series and Ford GT were created. The former headquarters known as the ‘Glass House’ will be torn down over the next 18 months, with plans to repurpose it for community use. 

A public grand opening of the new building is scheduled for November with some employees shifting to the new location. 

The project is slated to be completed in 2027. 

Additional headlines from Monday, September 15, 2025

Dearborn career fair

The Arab American Women’s Business Council and Dearborn Economic Development are hosting their annual career fair. Registration is required as spots are limited.

There will be on-site recruiting, scholarship opportunities, and expert career guidance. There is also resume writing assistance and prizes available.  

Refreshments will be provided.  

The career fair takes place at the University of Michigan – Dearborn Fairlane Center South in the Michigan Room East on September 24 from 6-8 p.m.

Hispanic Heritage Month 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer recognizes September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Michigan. The designation aims to celebrate the “rich history, vibrant culture and bright future of our Hispanic community,” Whitmer says in a release. 

Whitmer has appointed 18 Hispanic and Latino people as judges and to various boards and commissions in the state.  

Michigan’s Center for Data and Analysis estimated the Hispanic or Latino population is nearly 600,000 people in Michigan. 

Parts of Southwest Detroit are designated as historic areas, commemorating decades of entrepreneurship in the city. 

End of Summer Fiesta

La Jalisciense is hosting a patio party. The End of Summer Fiesta will host local vendors, a DJ, food and drinks.

The party will take place on September 27th from 2-8:30 PM at the La Jalisciense 3923 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI. 

District 1 meeting this week

The City of Detroit District 1 is hosting a charter-mandated community meeting on Wednesday. There will be resource tables for Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental (BSEED), land bank, and public works, along with the water and sewage department.

The meeting will be held on September 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. in person at the New Saint Mark Baptist Church, located at 24331 Eight Mile West in Detroit or virtually on Zoom.  

DDOT meeting this week

The Department of Transportation or DDOT is hosting a virtual community meeting this week. The meeting is to gather feedback about DDOT services, fares and routes.

The meeting takes place on Thursday, September 18, at 5 p.m. The Zoom call-in number is 1 (312) 626-6799.  

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.

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