Detroit rapper Big Sean and music legend Usher are partnering to invest in a new $1 million entertainment production facility for Detroit youth. It will be called the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator and will be located inside the new Boys and Girls Club at Michigan Central.

The program will give young people from the ages of 14 to 24 access to a virtual production studio, special effects lab, creators lounge and more.

Both artists grew up going to Boys and Girls Clubs and are looking to give back with this effort. The new Boys and Girls Club location is slated to officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony in February according to a statement from representatives.

Additional headlines from Friday, December 5, 2025

Respite centers

As the weather drops, the city is reminding Detroiters in need that there are respite centers available. Recreation centers and public libraries serve as respite centers during their regular operating hours.

Some of the locations open this weekend include the Coleman A young Recreation Center at 2751 Robert Bradby, the Kemeny Recreation Center at 2260 S. Fort and the Bowen Branch of the Detroit Public Library at 3648 Vernor Hwy.

For more locations and more information go to detroitmi.gov.

City seeks sculptor

The city of Detroit is looking for someone to sculpt a second statue of Joe Louis that honors his achievements outside the boxing ring.

Officials already unveiled the first statue celebrating the Brown Bomber’s contributions to golf. He was the first amateur Black golfer to play in a PGA-sanctioned event.

The new statue will pay tribute to his impact on equestrian sports. Louis bought a horse farm in Shelby Township in 1939 and created the nation’s first horse show featuring Black riders and trainers.

Mahmood sues to count disqualified Hamtramck ballots

In Hamtramck mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi was deemed the winner by 11 votes after a recount this week. But the race may not be over yet. Alharbi’s opponent Muith Mahmood filed a lawsuit arguing that the city should count all 37 votes that were disqualified.

The ballots were found improperly stored in the City Clerk’s office and were excluded from the final count after the Wayne County Board of Canvassers deadlocked on the issue.

Former Michigan state elections director Chris Thomas says although there is a security concern about how the ballots were handled Hamtramck residents should not be penalized. “Apparently these envelopes were received, their date, time and date stamped. The signatures were compared and found to be valid. So these voters have been disenfranchised, so there’s no question about that. And the question before the court is, what are you going to do for these voters?”

Another hearing is scheduled to settle the issue.

Sports

NFL

The Lions bounce back from their Thanksgiving loss with a win against the Dallas Cowboys last night with the score of 44-30. The Lions haven’t had back-to-back losses since the 2022 season and now tie the all-time NFL record with 15 Straight wins after a loss.

They look to continue their playoff hopes as they face the Rams on Sunday December 14th.

NBA

The Pistons have back to back matchups as they face the Portland Trail Blazers today at 7:30pm and the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be at Little Caesars Arena.

NHL

And the Red Wings fell to The Columbus Blue Jackets last night with a 6-5 loss. They hope to bounce back against the Seattle Krakens tomorrow at Climate Pledge Arena. Game starts at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Merry Midtown

Tomorrow the city will be merry with the first ever Merry Midtown event. There will be dining and shopping experiences, Santa sightings, Christmas music, a roaming photo booth and more.

For more information go to citybirddetroit.com.

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A recount in the Hamtramck race for mayor shows that Adam Alharbi has won the election.  Alharbi beat City Councilman Muhith Mahmood by just 11 votes.   Muhith requested a recount because the initial margin of victory was so small.  The Wayne County Board of Canvassers recounted just over 4,000 ballots by hand Tuesday. 

Legal action continues in the case, though.  Mahmood has sued, claiming that 37 ballots found in the City Clerk’s office after the election should be counted. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Master Plan Meetings 

The City of Detroit is holding a series of meetings this week to give residents more information on its 20-year master plan.

The meetings, held by the Planning and Development Department, will also give Detroiters a chance to provide their input on proposals for land use in parts of the city. 

There’s a meeting for east siders tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Farwell Recreation Center on East Outer Drive.  Another takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday in Southwest Detroit at the Patton Recreation Center on Woodmere.  A virtual Zoom meeting will be held on Monday, December 9th.  Passcode: 900187

Detroit voter suppression sentence 

Two conservative political operatives have been sentenced to probation in a scheme to discourage Black Detroiters from voting by mail in the 2020 presidential election.

This week’s sentencing was the last court hearing for Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman in a multistate effort to generate and distribute thousands of robocalls. The pair were accused of creating robocalls that warned people they could be questioned by police, debt collectors and vaccine advocates if they voted by mail.

Wohl and Burkman pleaded no contest to several crimes after unsuccessfully challenging the charges on free speech grounds.

Ambassador Bridge fee rises 

The price for crossing the Ambassador Bridge will rise next year. 

Tolls for passenger vehicles traveling across the international bridge between Detroit and Windsor will rise to $10 each way starting January first.  That’s up from $9 right now. 

For motorists paying in Canadian funds, the toll jumps from $12 CDN to $14. 

State of Macomb address 

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel will deliver his State of the County address tonight. He’ll speak to an invitation-only crowd at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township. 

He’s expected to review events of the past year and preview the year to come.  Macomb County’s Black population is now at 12.4%.  That’s up from just around 1% in 1970.  Tonight’s speech is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.  You can watch it live at WDET.org. 

Cold spell coming 

Detroiters should brace for a deep cold spell over the next few days. 

The National Weather Service says the worst of it in the short run will be now through Friday night.  Lows tonight are forecasted to be around 15 degrees.  Highs tomorrow and Friday will only rise into the mid-20s.  Lows Thursday night will drop to around 6 degrees with wind chills of -2.  

If you’re headed outside, dress in layers.  Make sure you have a hat and gloves to keep you warm and avoid frostbite.

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Hamtramck’s race for mayor is over—for now.  The Wayne County Board of Canvassers has certified the results of this month’s contest. 

Adam Alharbi has won the election for mayor by just six votes.  The outcome of the contest was controversial, with more than three dozen ballots thrown out after they were found in the office of City Clerk Rana Faraj. 

Losing candidate Muhith Mahmood tells WDET that he will ask for a recount.  He says the 37 ballots should not have been ignored. “Canvassers denied a legitimate 37 votes.  That is concerning, because this is not the 37 people who made a mistake.  Since the race is so close to each other, they could find a way to count this ballot.”   

Incumbent Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib did not seek re-election.  He was nominated by President Trump to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Dearborn protests 

Anti-Islamic protesters clashed with Dearborn residents Tuesday. 

Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson initiated the protests after he called for an end to Sharia law governing Dearborn – even though there is no Sharia law governing Dearborn.  He has since backtracked on this statement.

Muslim residents came out to stand up against anti-Islamic sentiments.  Shouts were exchanged and in some cases there was shoving.   One man reportedly tried to set a Quran on fire. 

At a City Council meeting Tuesday evening, Mayor Abdullah Hammound said there’s room for all faiths to live together peacefully in Dearborn. 

Belle Isle Zoo demolition 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is tearing down the remains of the Belle Isle Zoo. 

The zoo was closed in 2002 when the city of Detroit decided it was too costly to operate.  Animal enclosures and other buildings at the site have been empty since then. 

They’ve been overgrown by weeds and vines.  Officials say the remaining structures posed a danger.  The DNR says most of the site will be returned to nature, although some parking spaces for other island attractions will be placed there. 

Muirhead retires 

Long-time public relations expert Georgella Muirhead is retiring.  She currently works at the 98Forward PR firm.  But she worked for years in the administrations of Mayors Coleman Young and Dennis Archer, helping to get their priorities out to the public. 

She left her government office in the late 90s to begin the public relations firm Berg, Muirhead and Associates with famed Coleman Young spokesperson Bob Berg.  They sold the firm in 2016.  Good luck in your retirement, Georgella! 

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Muhith Mahmood said he is filing a recount after yesterday’s official election results deemed Adam Alharbi the winner of the Hamtramck mayoral election by only 6 votes. 

The results came two weeks after election day because 120 absentee ballots had to wait on signatures and other small fixes before being counted. 

An additional 37 votes from absentee ballots were excluded from the official count after they were found improperly stored in City Clerk Rana Faraj’s office. 

Faraj was suspended and is now under investigation. 

Mahmood said he isn’t upset by the election results. He said someone has to lose. 

“That’s just what democracy should be,” Mahmood said. “But the way canvassers denied or rejected 37 votes, that is concerning…I think that was not the right thing to do.” 

Mahmood told WDET he is filing for a recount. 

Alharbi told WDET that he’s glad the election is over. He also said he plans on contacting the FBI and DOJ to help remedy the continuous legal issues in the city elections. 

“I plan to bring awareness to people that have that language barrier and tell them not to give out their empty ballot to any candidate or any person,” Alharbi said. “I’m just gonna try to find any way possible to fight voter fraud and ballot harvesting.” 

Alharbi sued Mahmood after the election claiming he doesn’t live in Hamtramck and is ineligible to run for Mayor. 

He also filed for a restraining order that would have prevented the Wayne County Board of Canvassers from certifying Mahmood as the winner. 

On Monday, a judge denied the temporary hold on announcing the election results. 

Mahmood said he does live in Hamtramck. 

Alharbi said he will continue his suit against Mahmood—for now. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Michigan chapter, reports an increase in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings in metro Detroit.

CAIR-MI officials say community members have seen ICE vehicles in Wayne County. ICE also announced an increase in enforcement in the area.

CAIR-MI advises community members to be vigilant and aware of their rights, including asking to see a warrant and remaining silent except to request an attorney. The civil rights organization says people should have emergency contacts memorized and plans in place for their family members in case of an emergency. 

Additional headlines from Monday, November 17, 2025

Hamtramck Elections

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers decided Friday not to count 37 ballots from Hamtramck’s mayoral race found in the city clerk’s office the day after elections. The board still has to count 120 cured ballots in the race, which could swing the vote in either direction.

Mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi sued opponent Hamtramck City Councilman Muhith Mahmood alleging residency fraud. The votes will be certified by tomorrow November 18.  

Closing parishes

The Archdiocese of Detroit announced a two-year process to reconstruct parishes in Southeast Michigan.

Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger said over the weekend that there has been a decline in Catholics attending Mass, in ordained priests and “participation in the sacraments.” The changes include downsizing from 200 parishes which once served 1.5 million Catholics to today’s population of about 900,000 worshipers, half of whom he says are not baptized nor attend Mass regularly.

Weisenburger says there are also several aging church buildings and a shortage of priests. The new structure will move from a Families of Parishes model to a “pastorate” model, grouping one or more parishes into a single pastor’s team.

Parishioners will have opportunities to share their input through two listening sessions at each parish. The new changes will be announced in early 2027. Changes will take place by July 2027. Restructuring can be monitored at restructuring.aod.org.  

Keith Center grant to expand AI tool 

Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350,000 grant to expand a disinformation tool.

The VERDAD: Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse AI-powered tool monitors U.S.-based ethnic radio stations for disinformation for Latino media. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awarded the grant to develop and enhance the tool. The expansion includes adding more states and adding languages including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.

The award-winning journalist Martina Guzmán founded the tool. Guzmán says the tool works as a civil rights safeguard to empower voters. Since the VERDAD tool’s inception last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the tool.  

Healing asthma event  

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Michigan chapter, is hosting a program for people with asthma.

HEAL Asthma MI is a free program to help Michigan residents with resources and tools. Participants must be medically diagnosed with asthma, be 18 and up and face challenges to getting fair or equal health care.

To sign up, contact 248-406-4254 or email aafahealasthma@gmail.com. 

Free turkeys

The Islamic Center of Detroit is hosting a Turkey distribution this weekend.

The distribution takes place Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1-4 p.m. The mosque is providing halal turkeys. The Islamic Center of Detroit also has a food pantry open every Saturday from 2-5 p.m., located at 14350 Tireman Street in Detroit.  

The Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, in collaboration with the Oak Pointe Church, is hosting a Turkey Giveaway on Monday, November 24 at 10 a.m. People can pick up a free turkey at the Brennan Pool Building at 21415 Plymouth Road in Detroit. First-come first-served.  

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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The Dearborn school system has named a new interim superintendent, Lamis Srour. 

She currently serves as the Executive Director of Student Achievement over the Edsel Ford Feeder Track, a position she’s held for the past three years.  Srour started working with the Dearborn School District in 1998. 

She tells the school board that her focus will be on improving attendance, stopping bullying and repairing infrastructure. 

Srour’s first day on the job will be Dec. 5.  She’s filling in after the departure of Glenn Maleyko, who’s leaving to become the new head of the Michigan Department of Education. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday November 12, 2025

Hamtramck election 

The controversy continues in Hamtramck’s mayoral election. 

The contest between Adam Alharbi and Muhith Mahmood has still not been decided more than a week after Election Day. There’s a difference of just 11 votes between the two candidates out of about four thousand ballots cast. 

Alharbi has sued, charging that Mahmood is not a Hamtramck resident.  And City Clerk Rana Faraj has been placed on administrative leave.  With Faraj on leave, Wayne County is checking dozens of absentee ballots. 

People Mover closed temporarily 

If you usually use the People Mover to get around downtown Detroit, you’ll need another way to get where you’re going. 

The system is shut down for a few days as workers make repairs and upgrades in advance of the traditionally busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  A new track switch will be installed for the elevated railway. 

The People Mover will resume operations on Sunday, Nov. 23.   

Shields fight deal 

Flint boxer Clarissa Shields has signed a multi-fight deal worth $8 million. 

She has a record of 17 wins and no losses.  That includes 3 knockouts.  ESPN says Shields’ next fight is expected to happen sometime early next year. 

Keep home safe while traveling

AAA Michigan says now’s the time to start thinking about holiday travel plans. 

The auto club says there are a few things you can do to keep your home safe while you’re away for a few days.  Make sure to place lights on a timer—indoors and outdoors—to make it appear someone is at home.  Set your thermostat lower, but not too low.  You can save some money by using less heat while you’re gone, but don’t set the thermostat below 55 degrees.  If the house gets too cold, pipes could freeze and burst. 

And don’t tell the world about your travel plans on social media.  There’s no need to advertise that your house is empty. 

Gas prices on the rise

Metro Detroit gas prices are fluctuating as we get closer to Thanksgiving.  AAA Michigan says the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $3.05.  That’s down four cents from the same time last week.  But it’s 12 cents per gallon more than a month ago. 

Industry analysts say, while demand for gas has fallen, supplies have dwindled, too. 

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