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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for July 19

Posted at 11:02 AM, Jul 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-19 11:03:04-04

1. Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park is turning to fans to help name its newest addition.

The park's reticulated giraffe, Ginger, gave birth to a male calf July 8. It's the first giraffe born at Boulder Ridge.

The baby giraffe is already approximately 6-feet-tall and 200 pounds.

Starting today, Boulder Ridge is launching the contest to name the giraffe. Visitors to the park's Facebook page can submit name ideas. They'll take five to 10 of its favorites and announce the winning name July 30 during its Baby Animal Day.

2. Hotels aren't the only way to stay overnight somewhere, those choosing Air BNBs over hotels in Kent County will soon have to pay more.

County officials announced that they will enforce a tax on all rentals through the online service.

This is similar to other deals Air BNB made with hundreds of communities around the U.S.

In 2017, about 22,000 people rented through Air BNB in Kent County, that's a 76 percent increase from 2016.

The new tax goes into effect on August 1, and will be collected automatically from all bookings.

3. One of the world's top fitness franchises is set to open its newest location in West Michigan today.

The Grand Opening for the Orange Theory Fitness Studio will be in Knapp's Crossing off East Beltline.

The fitness center focuses on high-energy interval training. Participants wear a monitor, with the goal of keeping their heart rate in the "orange zone," meaning you're burning more calories.

The grand opening celebration begins at 5 p.m., so RSVP on their Facebook page to take advantage of some discounts.

4. Lay's is releasing eight new flavors, the most the company has ever released at the same time.

The new "Tastes of America" flavors showcase local cuisines across the nation. Some flavors include deep dish pizza, cajun spice, fried pickles with ranch, and New England lobster roll.

They'll be in grocery stores July 30 through September 23. The catch is the flavors will only be available in the regions they represent.

5. Starbucks and McDonald's are teaming up for a brand new item, but it's not for eating. The food giants are joining forces to reinvent the cup, and they want your help fighting waste.

McDonald's and Starbucks are calling on entrepreneurs to build a fully recyclable, compostable cup. Promising new cup designs and material proposals will get grants from the NextGen Cup Challenge.

Both companies distribute a combined four percent of the world's 600 billion cups annually.