Mold Remediation in Dearborn Heights, MI

Growing up in the 90s, going to the video store every week was a tradition many of us shared. There was just something special about going to your local blockbuster or one-dollar rental store every week and picking out your favorite movies, the ones that you’ve never watched for super cheap.

However, with the evolution of digital media and streaming services, VHS and DVD rental places all went out of style and were replaced with things like Netflix. There’s still a certain part of all of us that is a little bit nostalgic for rental places, especially those who can’t afford all of the new streaming services, which we have been forced to subscribe to just to watch one show in particular.

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That’s why it blew me away to find out that there is actually a DVD and VHS rental store in Dearborn Heights that is keeping that nostalgia alive.

It’s called Video Exclusive and is located at 6609 Telegraph Rd. in Dearborn Heights and has been bringing people in through the doors for over 33 years and has everything you can think of,, including an adult section as crazy as that sounds.

The prices aren’t even that bad, as people can rent a single DVD for three dollars or three for $7.50, according to a report that was done by the Detroit Free Press. Going through the video store is a lot more thrilling than sitting and looking at your TV to try to find something to watch, according to the owner Doran Konja:

It’s either cheaper to do it through us, or it feels more holistic. A lot of people find just walking down the aisles, you find movies faster than you would on Netflix. You get so much fatigue scrolling down, letting that algorithm try to tell you what to watch, and it’s like you don’t find anything interesting and you don’t want to watch any of this.

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On April 17, 2025, "The Global Front Of Resistance Youth," an Iran-backed group that promotes anti-U.S. and anti-Israel "resistance" ideology among youth, posted on its Arabic- and Farsi-language Telegram channels a one-minute promotional video describing Dearborn, Michigan, as the central point of support for Palestine in America.[1]

The Global Front for Resistance Youth: "Here Is America…"

"Dearborn, Michigan, is America's first city with a Muslim majority. It is the place where the banner of Hussayn, peace be upon him, always flies, and the outcry of support for Palestine the oppressed rises up, making the heart of America tremble," reads the post, which promoted the hashtag: #An_Outcry_Without_Frontier.

Imam Hussayn is the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the son of the fourth Caliph, Ali Ibn Abi Talib. He is regarded as the third imam in Shi'ite Islam. His suffering and martyrdom became a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong.

The video documents pro-Palestine protests and gatherings, as well as scenes from the "March for Justice Annual Procession," held in July 2024, organized by the Ashura Project, a Shi'ite institution that promotes the values of Imam Hussayn in the Detroit-Metro community. Camera drones and a helicopter flying an "O Hussayn" banner were used during the event:

"The Ashura Project is an effort of dedicated individuals of all ages to reflect on the legacy of the event of Ashura, raise awareness of its messages for humanity, and help the Detroit-Metro community understand its life-changing significance,” according to the Ashura Project website.[2]

Significant Outreach Potential: Ties To The Iranian State, IRGC, Palestinian Groups, And Iraqi Militias

"The Global Front for Resistance Youth," which describes itself as a popular movement based in Qom, Iran, claims to have thousands of Shi'ite youth members from around the world. The group is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is believed to be a state-run organization that conducts annual conferences and events aimed at mobilizing youth in support of Iran's international and regional agenda.[3] The organization runs two Telegram channels, in Farsi and in Arabic, with subscribers numbering 166,942 and 159,514 respectively.

The organization's director, Ismail Bor Hawashimi, maintains close ties with militia leaders in Baghdad, such as Hadi Al-Ameri, the head of Iraq's Iran-backed Badr Organization, whom he met in Baghdad on August 13, 2024.[4]

During the first few weeks of the Gaza war, The Global Front for Resistance Youth's Telegram channel in Farsi has been sharing fliers suggesting that supporters could hand out fliers at "gatherings" to influence public opinion about the Hamas attack on Israel, codenamed "Al-Aqsa Flood."[5] The Arabic channel also promoted posts featuring anti-Israel, and anti-U.S. slogans in English, suggesting that they be used at anti-Israel student protests.

On October 21, 2023, the group platformed Hamas's representative in Tehran, Khalid Al-Qadoumi, filming a video of him urging supporters around the world to donate, describing the group as a popular support group that comprises young elites and which has a good reputation for providing social work and humanitarian aid.[6]

A keffiyeh-clad attendee at a pro-Palestine fundraiser in Michigan vowed that people at the event are willing to fight and die to bring down the 'American empire.'

A resurfaced video shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) shows a man at the Stories for Liberation event in Dearborn Heights on February 7 called for the United States to be brought down.

The event, hosted by the Palestinian Youth Movement at Newora Cafe, was a poetry night and raffle fundraiser to 'strengthen the steadfastness of the people of Gaza.'

Dearborn Heights - as well as the neighboring city of Dearborn - have some of the highest populations of Muslims in the United States.

Dearborn was dubbed the U.S. 'Jihad Capital' by The Wall Street Journal and made headlines last year when protesters at a pro-Palestine rally chanted 'death to America.'

The video showed the attendee promising to work towards and even sacrifice themselves to end America.

'We do feel like change needs to come, because change must come. And in the form that it must come is that this empire, the American empire that's been hurting our people since the beginning, the imperial Western powers that have been hurting our people since the beginning, they must fall,' the man said.

'And inshallah, inshallah, they will fall. And my message to people of Gaza and oppressed people across the world is that there are people here, both young and old, who are going to be willing to fight and are willing to put their lives and everything they can on the line to bring these empires down. Because they must come down.'

A keffiyeh-clad attendee at a pro-Palestine fundraiser in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, vowed that people at the event are willing to fight and die to bring down the 'American empire'

Neighboring Dearborn was dubbed the U.S. 'Jihad Capital' by The Wall Street Journal and made headlines last year when protesters at a pro-Palestine rally chanted 'death to America'

Dearborn Heights Fundraiser and Poetry Night for Palestine: This American Empire Must Fall; People Here Are Willing to Fight and Put Their Lives on the Line to Bring These Western Empires Down pic.twitter.com/sr8gxD1szC

— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 15, 2025

The alarming message sparked immediate backlash online, with some calling for the federal government to investigate his claims.

'This guy is speaking calmly & clearly & the lady next to him had that Squeaky look in her eyes. TRUST he means what he’s saying people,' actor Michael Rapaport said.

'I’ll never get used to the hypocrisy of the people calling for the fall of America while living in America - particularly the ones that moved here,' said another.

A third person said, 'I have such a tough time understanding this. How do you live in America, benefit from everything it offers, but then want it to fall? Why not just go live in a country that has the qualities you desire?'

'These people are dangerous hateful idiots,' added a fourth.

Even those who said they are pro-Palestine slammed the man for his beliefs claiming he is hurting the movement.

'You're going to get Dearborn blown up. We're with you on stopping our Country from being complicit in genocide, but the stand you're taking is making it a no choice situation,' one person said.

'We don't want your ideology or Israel's. We want to restore the Constitutional Republic.'

Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2024 election after attending a campaign event with Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi and local Imam Belal Alzuhairi in October.

'We, as Muslims, stand with President Trump because he promises peace, not war,' Alzuhairi told the crowd of a few thousand, who cheered loudly.

'The bloodshed has to stop all over the world. And I think this man can make that happen. I personally believe that God saved his life twice for a reason.'

Many voters in Dearborn refused to vote in the primaries because residents are fiercely divided over the war in Gaza.

Storms dropped up to 3 inches of rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning on southeast Michigan, flooding streets, front yards and basements across the region and setting daily records on Wednesday for Flint and Detroit.

The National Weather Service reported that the rains set a new daily maximum record for April 2 in Detroit with 2.18 inches, greatly surpassing the previous daily record of 1.44 inches set on April 2, 1945.

A new record also was set for the day in Flint, where 1.75 inches of rain fell Wednesday, besting the previous daily record of 1.62 inches, in 1945.

Lake Orion in Oakland County was drenched the most, with 3.21 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, according to the weather service.

The agency also reported that more than 2.62 inches of rain fell in Dearborn Heights over 24 hours, resulting in flooding on Hanover Street near Van Born Road and Pardee Avenue. It said that homes and cars were flooded.

City officials said they monitored overnight flooding into Thursday.

"Any resident in need of help can contact the city's non-emergency number, 313-277-6770, Option 3, and we will respond as expeditiously as possible," they said in a statement on the city's website.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi said Thursday that three or four households have called the city to report flooded basements, but he thinks there are likely more that flooded.

He also said that a lot of streets flooded overnight, but the water on most streets has since receded.

"Anytime our residents are affected, it's a big issue for me," he said.

Bazzi said the hardest hit streets were Currier and Hanover streets, which are adjacent to the Ecorse Creek. He said there was still about 2 feet of water on Currier, just west of Telegraph Road, as of midday Thursday.

"If the creek is certain levels, then the water just goes into the street, because the water can't get anywhere in the creek," he said.

He said he talked to some residents and they said the flooding there is “a little bit better than what it has been for the last few years."

He said Dearborn Heights purchased some properties by the creek and turned them into detention areas for stormwater.

Bazzi said that the city is offering residents free, through the Red Cross, cleaning materials to clean up their basements. The materials are available at the Richard A. Young Recreation Center at 5400 McKinley and at Dearborn Heights Public Works at 24600 Van Born Road.

Meanwhile, residents reported flooding in neighborhoods in Dearborn as well as Plymouth.

Northeast Sterling Heights in Macomb County saw slightly more rain than Dearborn Heights, 2.64 inches, according to the weather service.

Elsewhere, 1.33 inches of rain landed in Oakland County's White Lake Township, where the National Weather Service has its Detroit office, over 8.5 hours. There was slightly more rain in Burton in Genesee County, where 1.37 inches of rain fell in 7.5 hours.

The flooding also washed out and closed roads around the region.

Several spots along 26 Mile Road in Macomb Township were closed due to flooding, officials said.

In Oakland County, officials said on X that M-24/Lapeer Road was closed between Silver Bell and Dutton roads due to downed power lines.

Meanwhile, Consumers Energy said about 235,107 customers remained affected by outages across the state. In nine counties in southeast Michigan, about 3,700 electric customers had interrupted service as of 5 p.m.

DTE Energy reported 1,684 customers without electricity, mostly in western Wayne County.

The weather service issued a hazardous weather outlook Thursday for 17 counties in southeast Michigan. The warning noted that gusty winds up to 40 mph are expected into continue into Thursday night across the area.

After Thursday's sunny but windy weather, the weather service's forecast for Metro Detroit calls for another round of showers and thunderstorms Friday night and into Saturday. Officials said the rain may be heavy across the region's south and there's a 50% chance totals could reach an inch or more.

And there could be more rain next week, the agency said. "Cooler conditions ensue early next week with an opportunity for some rain/snow showers Monday before high pressure settles in mid-week," NWS said in a statement.

Jim Sawyer of Canton Township and former Detroit News staffer, said he lives in the new Grandview Estates subdivision near Geddes and Denton roads and his home's basement flooded, for the third time in 45 months.

Hearing there was more rain on the way was the last thing he wanted, he said.

Sawyer said officials told him the flood in 2021 was caused by a 100-year rain and the one in 2023 was caused by a 500-year rain.

He said after the second flood, he and his wife learned to put all of their valuables up higher. He said they lost furniture, oak cabinets and desks, even an heirloom oak chest, in the floods.

"The interval between floods in Canton seems not to be measured in centuries or even years," Sawyer said. "It seems to be measured in months."

Extended forecast

Friday: Mostly cloudy; high 54, low 44

Saturday: Rain; high 57, low 38

Sunday: Mostly cloudy; high 49, low 34

Monday: Partly sunny; high 48, low 27

Tuesday: Mostly sunny; high 43, low 30

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high 53

Source: National Weather Service

cramirez@detroitnews.com

@CharlesERamirez

Record rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems in southeast Michigan, leaving many in metro Detroit to wake up Thursday to what forecasters had warned them about: flooded streets and homes.

A newscaster, who was reporting for Channel 7 in waders and tall rubber boots, said the water was so deep on one eastside Detroit street that it "looked like a river." He also described a Lincoln Park homeowner using a bucket to bail basement water.

A brief respite from the rain appears to be coming later Thursday. A flood warning for four counties — Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw — ended at 10 a.m., and the temperatures are expected to rise into the mid-60s.

More downpours, on Friday and Saturday, are expected, leaving residents and officials to wonder not only what comes next, but whether more should be done to try to prevent it, especially as climate scientists warn the threat of more intense storms is real.

"It's going to be a pretty active next few days going into next week," National Weather Service meteorologist Sara Schultz in White Lake Township said early Thursday, as flooding reports began to come in. "Detroit and Flint both broke a record for daily max rainfall."

Talk about April showers.

In some parts of the Thumb, there also was hail.

Thunderstorms pummeled southeast Michigan, bringing 1-3 inches of rain.

Flooding reports have been trickling in, Schultz said, including Detroit, Dearborn Heights — and parts of Downriver, all low-lying areas that often flood whenever there is a heavy downpour.

At Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, where official rainfall measurements are taken, a new record — 2.18 inches — was set for Wednesday, breaking the previous record of 1.44 inches in 1945.

In Flint, the new record was 1.75 inches, besting the record of 1.62 inches also set in 1945.

There was more rainfall, Schultz said, in other areas: Pittsfield, near Ann Arbor, had 3.07 inches, and Sterling Heights, 2.64 inches. It was not clear whether the downpours set records there.

In many places, by early morning, the standing water was beginning to drain away.

But rising global temperatures are leading to more severe and frequent storms, more rainfall, and flooding, what various reports in the last year have called "hidden risks" to cities and millions of homeowners.

Flooding poses infrastructure risks and may require building code updates.

Insurance Business magazine reported in May that premiums are rising, while profit margins for insurance companies across the country are falling, prompting some carriers to drop coverage in certain areas.

And in Canton, one Grandview Estates homeowner who was flooded overnight emailed the Free Press, writing that it was the third flood for him in less than four years and is concerned that it will only get worse as more subdivisions are built.

The added concrete, the homeowner speculated, will "diminish the area's ability to absorb rainwater and our situation will become even more dire" and weather events once considered "a 100 year occurrence" are occurring within years and perhaps just days.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This story was updated with new information.