Briefly: news hits, Tweet of the Week + Clay Jones’ comic

PHOTO BY ROBIN ULERY

Winter Garden woman takes top prize in Audubon.org photo contest

A Winter Garden woman beat out thousands of applicants to win the Audubon Institute’s annual bird photography award.

Across categories for amateurs, professionals and children, more than 8,000 photographs were entered. Robin Ulery walked away with the top prize for non-professional photographers. Ulery captured the above shot of a sandhill crane and its colt while kayaking near her home.

“For three years I’ve watched a pair of sandhill cranes that nest near my house, observing and photographing them from my kayak,” she told Audubon. org. “On a blustery day this spring, I took my camera and paddled out to check on them.”

Ulery said that the rough waters on the morning that this shot was captured on Johns Lake made the unlikely shot feel all the more special.

“Two colts had finally hatched. The wind, though, made for a challenging photo shoot. There was no solid land to anchor to, and I bounced up and down, sometimes missing the birds completely. So I increased my shutter speed and ISO to compensate,” she said. “Capturing this scene under those conditions felt like a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

A glance at Ulery’s online photography portfolio shows that she’s got plenty of experience with wildlife photography — and photos of these cranes in particular. — Alex Galbraith

California venue boots Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s ‘America First’ rally

What do a California event venue and most of the GOP have in common? They want nothing to do with Matt Gaetz.

The Florida congressman is searching for a venue in the other Orange County after a hotel there gave Gaetz and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “America First” rally the boot. While the Pacific Hills Banquet & Event Center in Laguna Hills initially allowed the booking, they pulled the plug after learning that Gaetz and Taylor-Greene were speaking. “As soon as we found out who the speakers were we immediately canceled it,” said manager Javad Mirtavoosi in an interview with the Orange County Register. “We just want to stay clear of that.”

Taylor-Greene’s spokesperson told Business Insider that they are seeking a new location for the July 17 event.

“Although the accounting of the venue cancellation is totally inaccurate, we’re very close to securing a location that will proudly host our America First Rally with Congresswoman Greene and Congressman Gaetz,” they said.

Gaetz is currently under investigation for potential sex trafficking of a minor. His former associate Joel Greenberg recently pleaded guilty to a host of federal charges and agreed to cooperate with the investigation as part of his plea deal. Apparently, the one-time Seminole County politician has a lot to talk about: he asked a judge to move his sentencing date so that he could have more time to snitch. — AG

Orlando rents have seen some of the largest increases in the nation in 2021

The City Beautiful is growing, expanding and welcoming new residents. Unfortunately, that’s brought along a massive increase in the average rent.

Average rents in Orlando have risen 13.3% since the start of 2021, according to a new report from commercial real estate company CoStar. The report found that average monthly rent in Orlando is $1,514 per unit. The vacancy rate has fallen to 5.9%, the lowest since 2018.

Although Orlando isn’t as expensive as other cities, it entered in the top 50 of the least affordable cities in the nation, ranking No. 49 in RealtyHop’s monthly housing affordability index. A recent study found that Orlando rents are less affordable than San Francisco, when the average wage of residents is taken into account. — Nelly Ontiveros Cervantes

Mobile vaccine sites coming to Orlando neighborhoods

The City of Orlando will offer mobile vaccine sites in Orlando neighborhoods to make sure that families are all vaccinated ahead of the start of the school year. The vaccines will be administered at seven City of Orlando neighborhood centers, offering the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines. Residents 18 and up can receive the vaccine of their choice. However, children ages 12-17 must receive the Pfizer vaccine, and only with parental consent.

“It’s critical we continue to make the vaccine available to as many of our residents as possible, especially families, now that teenagers are eligible to receive it,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “Our neighborhood centers are conveniently located throughout the city and it only takes about 30 minutes to get the vaccine there.”

To learn more about mobile vaccine sites in your neighborhood, visit orlando.gov/mobilevaccines. — Maria Briceno

TWEET OF THE WEEK

‘CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES’ BY CLAY JONES