1. The flip of a calendar year means a pay raise for those who make minimum wage.
On Monday, the minimum wage in Michigan went up to $9.25 an hour.
Increases also took effect in Washington State, California, and Maine.
Many of the wage bumps are from ballot measures, with backing from unions and workers rights groups.
A number of the pay raises are scheduled to continue to rise in the coming years.
2. While many people were heading home from their New Year's festivities, one local mom was giving birth.
Erica Thrasher gets the honor of having the first 2018 baby born in Kent County, with little Leyton being born at 1:10 a.m. Monday.
Erica went through 20 hours of labor, and Leyton's father said the couple was treated to a view of the fireworks in Grand Rapids, right outside their hospital window.
The family plans to head home Wednesday, where an 8-year-old brother is waiting for him.
3. Jim Caldwell is officially out as the Lions head coach, in a decision that many were expecting.
Monday's announcement comes after the Lions finished 9-7 this season, and failed to make playoffs, despite haveing back-to-back winning seasons.
The Lions actually had three winning seasons during Caldwell's four years as head coach, but the team's general manager Bob Quinn said the standards are higher now, and having winning seasons just aren't enough anymore.
Caldwell's regular season winning percentage was the highest of any full time Lions coach in the Super Bowl Era, and several players made it pretty clear on Sunday that they were behind Caldwell 100 percent.
4. Girls can officially join the Boy Scouts of America now.
The Board of Directors made the unanimous decision back in October, allowing girls into the cub scouts program.
The organization says part of the reason for the decision is to help busy families consolidate programs for their kids.
By 2019, the organization plans to let older girls earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
5. For people who didn't make a resolution that involved eating less, head on out to stuff your face with food on National Buffet Day.
According to DaysOfTheYear.com, National Buffet Day actually originated during the middle of the 16th century in Sweden as a pre-dinner event.
Apparently the buffet would be in separate rooms for men and women.
The more modern buffet began around the beginning of the 19th century.
