The day is also known Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Around metro Detroit, grocery stores and bakeries (especially local Polish bakeries) are ready for the paczki action.

Monday is Day 1 of Metro Detroit's biggest construction project, eastbound Interstate 696, and drivers are bracing for years of changes.

The National Weather Service forecasts a rainy midweek for Metro Detroit and a brief warm-up. Meteorologists for the agency said a slow-moving storm system is expected to bring periods of rain to the region through Wednesday. NWS also issued a hazardous weather outlook for southeast Michigan.

Yes, that was a giraffe that was spotted in the bed of a pickup truck in Macomb County.

Did your team advance? Here are reported MHSAA state playoff high school girls basketball scores involving teams in the Metro Detroit coverage area on March 3.

DETROIT – The countdown is over as MDOT crews launched the final phase of the I-696 project Monday. A stretch of eastbound I-696 -- between M-10 and I-75 -- will be closed for about two years. It’s not just drivers who are concerned about navigating the challenges.

Here are the top 10 girls basketball teams in the Metro Detroit Coverage area and county rankings for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb as of March 3.

This Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, also known as Pączki Day in metro Detroit. Find out where you can chow down on pączki throughout the day across the area.

The eastbound I-696 construction is set to begin Monday that will close traffic in its busiest nine-mile stretch from Lahser Road to I-75.

February saw a cool neighborhood spots open, including a Mexican restaurant in Ferndale and a Colombian one in Royal Oak. As always, new fried chicken concepts opened their doors, both in Plymouth and Troy. Another trend this month, was the debut of second locations from Trap Vegan, Rosita's Treats and Ferlito's.

Two tier-one hockey teams battled it out Wednesday. While Little Caesar's 14U team took home the win over Belle Tire's 14U, the final score of 43-0 has been a talker.