Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Super Mario Bros. 35 is unbelievably addicting. Its Mario battle royale in grand style. All you have to do is be the last Mario standing to win.

Of course, this might seem a little strange to people who are used to speedrunning this classic game. In fact, any of your standard strategies wont do you well here. You need to play Super Mario 35 as its own game, and here are a few tips to get you into that mindset.

Super Mario 35 is, actually, a resource-based game, and there are four resources to keep track of. They are:

Time is gained most effectively by chaining enemy kills. In standard Mario games, you would get a 1-up for bouncing from enemy to enemy, killing enough enemies with a shell, or running through an army with a star. Here, it will just give you more time the more enemies you kill maxing out at 400 seconds. Note, killing an enemy with a fireball only nets you one second, and reaching a goal gives you more time depending on how far up the flag pole you get.

Coins allow you to spin the item roulette. Later on, the screen will fill with too many enemies to reliably dodge. Using the item roulette will allow you to pull power-ups out of thin air, granting you more hits of safety. The item roulette can also grant you a star and a pow block, both of which double as attack maneuvers as well as defensive maneuvers. In a pinch, the roulette can be spun to try and get some extra time. Each redundant power-up you pick up is worth 15 seconds, so its worth spinning in a pinch.

Enemies get transferred to your opponents screen whenever you defeat them. The enemies you kill when you are looking to attack are different from the enemies you kill when you are looking to farm time. 1-1 and 1-2 are smorgasbords of goombas and koopas, but these probably wont present your opponents with any sort of challenge. Look for rarer enemies in later stages like lakitus, bloopers, hammer bros., and even Bowser himself to really put the pressure on. Piranha Plants are also decent since they simply hang out and make ledges inaccessible to anyone without a fire flower.

Finally, your power-up state determines how you can play the game. Large enemy waves are basically unable to be navigated without a fire flower, so you always want to figure out a way to have this power-up active. When you are in fire flower mode, you can easily wade through enemies as you figure out the next stage of your plan.

If you are Super Mario your main goal is to figure out how to get your next fire flower. This can be via the item roulette or by making your way to a known power-up location. Use your invincibility frames well. Start speedrunning.

If you are small Mario, you are in panic mode. Your goal is to get a power-up as quickly as possible. Slow down and take it carefully, spending your item spins as you go.

If you nab a star you might be tempted to start speedrunning again, and its not a horrible idea if you want to mount an attack. However, the real strength of stars is allowing you to focus on platforming in tricky segments without worrying about taking a hit. Dont nab a star just to run into a bottomless pit.

Before you start any run of Super Mario 35 you need to choose a stage that will be shuffled into the stage pool, which consists of all 35 players chosen stages, and a few random stages thrown in for good measure. You want to include a stage that you have memorized and that has plentiful resources of some sort.

For example, world 2-2 is full of cheep cheeps and bloopers that can easily be taken out with a fire flower. While these enemies are simple in water stages they are terrifying in-ground stages, so its an easy way to mount an early attack. World 1-4 is an easy and safe way to spawn a Bowser. World 3 introduces hammer bros. and world 4 introduces lakitus.

Dont just bring in 1-1 and 1-2. If you find that you constantly loop these stages, its because people keep putting them into the pool! Dont be that sort of person. Thats the worst kind of person.

You only get one life, but 1-Ups are still very valuable. They are worth 20 coins, which is one whole spin on the item roulette. So hunt them down if possible.

Warp zones are also incredibly useful. Everyone is stuck on the same shuffled stack of levels unless you hit a warp zone. This will allow you to choose the next level you go to, and it can be a life-saver. When everyone else is stuck on 1-1 and 1-2 you can use a warp zone to warp to a later level and attack with more powerful enemies. Similarly, if you find yourself low on coins, time, or power-ups, you can warp back to 1-1 or 1-2 to have a safer go at rebuilding resources.

Its easy to be tempted into going into every pipe you come across, but thats not necessarily the best thing to do. It bypasses enemies, which means you bypass time, and its entirely possible that the coins you get from the sub-world are not worth what you skip.

For example, never enter the sub-world of 1-1. It doesnt even grant you 20 coins. Meanwhile, sticking above ground gives you access to a fire flower, a star, and a 1-Up which already gives you more than the sub-world did, as well as a bunch of enemies to kill along the way for time.

Each auto-target setting has its own place and function.

Lowest time will target players who are playing more recklessly due to being close to death. This is usually the option to go for if you are looking to score kills.

The highest coins will heap enemies on people who are safest, bringing them down and making them more vulnerable for a kill.

Finally, attackers arent actually as self-explanatory as youd think. Yes, this will send enemies back to whoever is sending enemies to you. However, this is also the only way to send enemies to multiple people at once. What this effectively does is escalate the game. Remember, each enemy you send back to them can then be sent back to you, which can be sent back to them, multiplying every time. If you want to start flooding the screen with mobs, this is the option to choose.

Dont just go through every level randomly. Make a plan. Different strategies have served different top players and streamers well, but this is the one that works for me.

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Super Mario Bros. 35: How to win and be the last surviving plumber - GameCrate

Plumbers filled the aisles at Topeka City Council to voice frustration over a quickly approved change to the International Plumbing Code in August.

Last month, plumbers said, a change in plumbing code that could take away business from plumbers was approved too quickly. The amendments allow for other contractors, such as excavators, to do work that was exclusively done by plumbers, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Sept. 13.

The amendment, which was proposed and passed in the same meeting, was unanimously supported at the Aug. 18 city council meeting.

"The codes were set by competent master plumbers, mechanical engineers and contractors and these codes cant be changed by city council," said Russel Ridgeway, business representative for the plumbers and pipefitters union in Topeka.

Ridgeway said he wants code changes to be made by a group of experts in the field.

Dave Cobler, owner of Ace Plumbing Company, also spoke during the meeting and said plumbers spend years in school and years working as apprentices to learn the trade.

"This is way too important to rubber stamp through on the first night," he said.

Cobler added that plumbers and excavators have their own areas of work and that "plumbers havent been going out and trying to take their work."

Three plumbers spoke during Tuesdays Topeka City Council meeting, and all three voiced frustration over the changes and want them to be reversed.

Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala said during the meeting she was concerned that Deputy Mayor Tony Emerson had a conflict of interest when voting on the plumbing amendment in August. Valdivia-Alcala said Emersons contracting company had been paid about $7 million by the city during his time on the city council.

Multiple city council members came to Emersons defense and said his business interests didnt affect his vote.

"Is this just going to become free for all?" Councilman Michael Lesser said. "How many accusations are we going to throw out there?"

Also discussed at the city council meeting:

The city council unanimously passed changes to stormwater code with "a gun to our head," Emerson said. In April 2018, the EPA reviewed Topekas stormwater management protocol and provided the city with an order of consent in May 2019. The order of consent listed issues the EPA wanted to see fixed.

Braxton Copley, deputy utilities director, said the stormwater ordinance addresses concerns raised by the EPA and is the last concern the city has to solve. Copley said the city had to address all the concerns through October. He added the issues raised werent because Topeka did something incorrectly but rather due to the EPA pushing cities "to get to the next level."

The city council "rekindled" discussion on handing over governance of the Topeka Zoo to the nonprofit group Friends of the Topeka Zoo. City manager Brent Trout said Tuesdays presentation is one of multiple presentations about zoo governance, with this presentation being a general overview of the zoo and governance.

Councilwoman Karen Hiller said at the meeting she wasnt sure what exactly the zoo was proposing. Topeka City Council has been discussing zoo governance since June 2019.

Go here to see the original:
Plumbers frustrated by code change that could take away business - The Topeka Capital-Journal

Officially, South Africa is a country with a water-scarce rating. This is not a surprise for anyone that lives in Cape Town. Drought conditions have been endured for a long time, moving the city towards countless moments when water is simply not available. Farmers often struggle because of water scarcity and low yield.

Water stands out as a finite resource. It now finally gets attention at a global state. The UN has numerous sustainability goals and water is on the top of the list. Unfortunately, often leaks appeared and countless water pipe breakages impacted water levels and water supply. According to fixitrightplumbing.com.au, numerous preventable leaks weaken infrastructures and the real problem is that sustainability is very low.

In the entire plumbing industry, we see specialists trying to do all that they can in order to increase sustainability. Access to technology can definitely help, together with societal behaviour changes, and a full understanding of how critical the water situation is.

Fortunately, plumbers are involved and are driving sustainability goals, helping through the deployment of new smart water solutions, and powered by the use of IoT (Internet of Things).

IoT is very important in South Africa at the moment when referring to the plumbing industry. Data is actively driving change and information can now be received in a real-time scenario. In the past, no plumbing fixtures could have been connected to the internet. This is no longer the case.

What is important is that people cooperate instead of dismissing new technology. When a plumbing problem appears, it should be reported. Also, those that can monitor the system with the use of IoT. This allows receiving early notifications, which is relevant even in manufacturing and industrial businesses that see water failures and supplies lead to environmentally damaging, expensive consequences.

Plumbing completely changes its system right now and we are clearly moving towards proactive insights. The industrys income model needs to be annuity-based, focused on innovation and maintenance, not on emergencies. Annuity-based models allow the plumbers to offer great services, in-time maintenance, and complete visibility for the homeowner and the plumber.

As a result, water bills are lower and water interruptions are less common. All this can have a knock-on effect in the entire country of South Africa. It can easily lead to more job opportunities and improved job security. Also, it can cause a boost in the country, especially when referring to unemployment.

On the whole, we can say that right now South Africa is changing. Plumbers are starting to use modern technology and it is the job of the government to help with water-related issues. The Internet of Things will definitely help us out in the future, leading to real-time data delivery and much faster access to information that can help improve water delivery and consumption.

However, this is not the only thing that should be taken into account. Smart technology is changing homes around the world. We never know what will change in the future but it is great to see that South Africa is catching up.

Staff writer

Visit link:
Plumbing and IOT in South Africa - IT News Africa

The Guinness Partnership provides services to more than 140,000 customers in our 65,000 homes nationwide. With a turnover of 360.5m and a truly national presence, Guinness is one of the leading housing providers in the sector. Last year we launched our Guinness Strategy which aims to deliver 7500 new homes by 2023 and so its a great time to join us for this next exciting chapter in our story.

Guinness Property provide repairs and maintenance services to The Guinness Partnership. Our national teams deliver rapid-response housing repairs, maintenance and improvement services to ensure that our customers homes are safe and maintained to high standard.

We have a vacancy for a Multi Skilled Operative to work within our planned team in the Crewe area. The successful candidate will work on the installation of bathrooms and kitchens

This is a permanent full-time vacancy working 39 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities:

Essential Skills/Experience:

Desirable Skills/Experience:

Essential Qualifications:

To be considered for this vacancy, you must live within 30 miles of a Crewe postcode. This will enable us to provide a timely and efficient service to our customers.

Link:
Multi Skilled Technician - Joiner/ Plumber job with The Guinness Partnership | 4642979 - Inside Housing

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Whether you work in an office or at home, your comfort is likely dependent on HVAC and plumbing technicians. Amid COVID-19, the demand for these trades climbs. One area company needs to add double-digit numbers immediately to its workforce roster.

Hi-Tech Plumbing and Air technicians are booked with both residential and commercial jobs from northern Palm Beach County to Fort Lauderdale daily, and there's a growing fleet of repair shops on wheels more visibly roving.

"We get anywhere between 50 to 100 calls a day," said Philip Juliano, Hi-Tech Plumbing and Air supervisor. "The company is growing and the demand is there."

As more workers get back to work, there's more air ducts to repair or replace in commercial buildings. Likewise, there's an uptick in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration as others continue to telework.

"It doesn't matter if it's a private residence or a commercial office. We're like investigators and our job is to be as thorough as possible and get to the source of whatever the problem is," said Nick Miller, Hi-Tech Plumbing and Air plumbing technician. "Our job impacts the health of the customer, really."

"Upgrades also save customers on their power bills and life expectancy on their machinery," Juliano said. "It goes into every aspect of it."

Companies like Hi-Tech Plumbing and Air need at least 20 new plumbing technicians, HVAC technicians and customer service representatives to keep up with a fluctuating work force.

"We're way understaffed," said Juliano.

WPTV

Experts said the combined demand will only increase as the personal savings rate also increases.

"The personal saving rate has gone way up and what are people doing with their money. They're renovating their homes," said Tom Essaye, Sevens Report Research founder and president. "[Workers] are spending more time there than they ever thought they would and they have more money lying around, and so now you're seeing a tremendous demand for plumbers, electricians and contractors from people doing renovations."

Essaye calls the demand for plumbing and HVAC services a bright spot in the economy. To learn more about job opportunities as a plumbing technician, HVAC technician or customer service representative, visit here: https://www.hi-techplumbingandair.com/about-us/employment/.

Continued here:
Plumbing, HVAC technician jobs expand with fluctuating workforce - WPTV.com

North America luxury plumbing fixtures market will gain considerable proceeds due to increasing need for water-efficient products. Low flow showers & faucets are being expeditiously replaced due to water scarcity in the region. Consumers are spending substantial amounts on purchasing expensive products, which will positively impact luxury plumbing fixtures industry outlook. In 2016, Asia Pacific accounted for more than 25% of the total luxury plumbing fixtures industry. The region has been witnessing the development of commercial sector due to rising number of international investors.

Escalating preference for dual flush toilets, audio/video-integrated bathrooms, and sensor faucets are likely to generate opportunities for luxury plumbing fixtures market demand.

Request for a sample copy of this research report @ https://www.decresearch.com/request-sample/detail/2380

Rising demand for aesthetic appearance in kitchens & bathrooms and increased consumer spending will spur luxury plumbing fixtures market growth. Growing disposable income and developing economic conditions have been supporting business growth in recent years. People are increasingly shifting towards adopting water efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions.

Described below are a few major factors influencing luxury plumbing fixtures business trends:

Amplifying adoption of luxury plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens

Luxury plumbing fixtures market size is likely to exhibit exceptional growth due to the huge contribution from bathtub and shower fittings. Consumer inclination toward heated seats, sensor-operated valves, and touch-free bathrooms has been amplifying considerably over the recent years. People are outlaying higher amounts for home renovations and fixing superior showers & faucets.

In accordance, bathroom segment is likely to register more than 4.5% CAGR through 2024. Also, kitchen segment will account for more than $4.6 billion in luxury plumbing fixtures industry.

Rising demand in commercial and residential applications

Elaborating on the application segment, luxury plumbing fixtures market is segmented into commercial and residential segments. Among these, in 2016, commercial segment accounted for more than 35% of the overall business share. A series of investments is being outlaid on commercial buildings, such as offices, hotels, and restaurants.

Developed nations are offering advanced services, which has soared industrialization to match those standards. International hotel franchise chains are expanding globally in developing nations, which will spur luxury plumbing fixtures market growth.

Elaborating further on the application landscape, residential applications of luxury plumbing fixtures are likely to gain massive gains over 2017-2024. Consumers are investing heavy amounts for higher-quality interiors and enhancing economic conditions will improve residential applications in luxury plumbing fixtures market. Introduction of low-interest rate housing loans for construction of new houses will allow consumers to allocate more budget on superior home interiors. Residential applications are expected to record a CAGR of around 4.9% over the forecast period.

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Evoking concerns for water conservation

Several regulations have been imposed on commercial and residential sectors to reduce water consumption. According to the EPA, in the U.S., indoor purposes use almost 50% of the total water consumption. This has enhanced trends for the adoption of low flow faucets in order to conserve water.

Read this article:
Luxury Plumbing Fixtures Market Report to 2024 - Trends Insights and Business St - GroundAlerts.com

This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

Wearing an old-timey outfit of suspenders, tan pants and an old felt hat, Gary Pettus told a group of teenagers about being an American pioneer in the 1800s.

One night it got so cold, Mr. Pettus said, according to a friend, Don Cole, that the tent froze to my hair. The trail boss came by and jerked the tent up to tell us it was time to get up.

He removed his felt hat. Look! he cried. Mr. Pettus was bald.

Just as he threw himself into disaster relief work and building his plumbing business, Mr. Pettus relished leading pioneer treks camping trips designed to teach young members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about the flight of early Mormons from persecution.

When he wasnt dressing up, Mr. Pettus was happy to lug portable toilets from one campsite to another. If there were no roads, he and Mr. Cole built makeshift toilets themselves, using tarps and poles and post hole diggers.

Mr. Pettus died on Sept. 5 after spending six weeks on a ventilator in North Alabama Medical Center in Florence, Ala. He was 70. The cause was Covid-19, his wife, Cheryl Pettus, said.

Gary Wayne Pettus was born on Jan. 20, 1950, in Florence and grew up in a rural area nearby. His father, Wiley Edward Pettus, worked as a hog and chicken farmer and sold sweet potato cuttings. His mother, Reba Gladys (Killen) Pettus, pitched in with farm work. She took her seven sons into the cotton fields, left early to prepare lunch, and then went back to work with her boys.

Mr. Pettus graduated from Rogers High School in Florence in 1968 and married Vicki Poss. In the late 1970s, missionaries knocked on their door and gave Mr. Pettus the Book of Mormon. He found time to read it during breaks at his maintenance job at a Ford Motor Company plant in Sheffield, Ala. Within months, Mr. Pettus converted.

The Ford plant closed in 1983. Mr. Pettus created his own business, Pettus Plumbing and Piping. His home and pickup truck were his office, and he regularly got up to work at 4 a.m.

Mr. Pettus and Vicki Pettus had six children; Ms. Pettus died in 1997 of kidney disease. A year later, Mr. Pettus married Cheryl Rooks.

In addition to her, Mr. Pettus is survived by two brothers, Jimmie Daniel Pettus and Tommy Dale Pettus Sr.; three daughters, Amber Walker, Amy Elliott and Johanna Brown; three sons, Noble Pettus, Marion Pettus and Joshua Pettus; 18 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Pettus in 2003 sold his company, which had grown to employ more than 100 people and gained major corporate clients, such as Walmart.

In semiretirement, Mr. Pettus found more time for church activities. It is hard to keep track of the many duties he performed: senior missionary, president at three levels of the local churchs hierarchy, bishop, high councilor, president of Sunday school.

Hes done about every job in the church except the sisters jobs, Ms. Pettus said.

The full range of Mr. Pettuss skills were called upon when he volunteered as a disaster relief worker. He outfitted his pickup truck with an arsenal of equipment, including extra gasoline for his chain saw, a generator to recharge his power tools and a tractor with a front end loader.

Several years ago, when a nearby area was hit by tornadoes, the Pettuses were on the road the next day, even though Mr. Pettus had recently suffered a heart attack. They arrived at a church members home that had been severed by a fallen tree.

Ms. Pettus was concerned about her husbands health, but she got lost for a moment in conversation with fellow church members. She looked up, and there was Mr. Pettus, on top of the tree with his chain saw, looking for the best place to make an incision.

He loved it, she said, because he could use his knowledge, his skills and his equipment to bless the lives of people.

See more here:
Gary Pettus Dies at 70; Used Skills To Bless the Lives of People - The New York Times

In the upcoming election, the Highland County Health Department is seeking to maintain its funding with the renewal of a local health levy, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner told The Times-Gazette.

Were looking to renew again this year. Its just to keep it at level funding; its not an increase to anyones taxes, Warner said. Were just trying to maintain funding so we can continue supporting all the different programs that we have here in the county.

If renewed, the levys tax rate will continue at $0.05 for each $100 of land valuation for the next five years, according to information provided by the Highland County Board of Elections. The tax will commence in 2020 and first become due in 2021.

Warner acknowledged that Highland County voters passed a separate health levy during the November 2019 election. He said that levy replaced a levy from 1989, bringing the old levy to modern-day funding levels.

The Highland County community passed the levy that appears on the current ballot in 2000, Warner said, and has renewed the levy every five years since.

The ceiling was set for how much it could earn from the beginning, and its never earned more than it did in 2000, Warner said.

The health department counts on levies like the one on the 2020 ballot to provide its services. Health levies make up 50 percent of the health departments funding.

So much of what we do is unfunded. Half the work we do is funded by local levies and in the midst of a global pandemic is not that time to take away one of those levies, Warner said. When infectious diseases are identified, we contact people who are sick, we talk to them about what symptoms to expect, we connect them with treatment when we need to, we tell them how to prevent spreading that disease to others. Theres no reimbursement for that work. Thats why we rely on funding from tax levies to support that effort.

In a normal year, Warner said the health department provides 60 different health department services for the community.

In 2019, the Highland County Health Department performed 4,337 immunizations, completed over 600 food inspections, processed 3,174 birth and death records, and tracked 514 infectious diseases, Warner said.

The nursing and environmental health departments also answered around 10,000 phone calls.

A lot of those phone calls were the same people, but that represents a quarter of our population that has some interaction with the health department each year, Warner said. Traditionally Highland County is in the bottom quarter of funded health departments in the state. Theres plenty of room for improvement in the health factors and measures that we use to determine if a community is healthy or not. Thats why were here; thats what were trying to do. Thats what this levy funding helps us support.

Warner acknowledged that many community members are frustrated with state officials due to the COVID-19 response but stressed the value of funding local health departments.

The CDC and the national news media and the Ohio Department of Health have the biggest voices, but we are the ones doing the real work were doing essentially all of the work locally, but we have the smallest voices, Warner said. Weve really worked hard to find common-sense ways to protect this community from Covid. Thats one of the benefits in having a local health department thats involved and invested in the community: We understand one size doesnt fit all, and as a local health department, were in the position to make some common-sense decisions and interpret some of these orders from the state in ways that make sense for Highland County. We look for ways to protect our community and work as a partner with the community. Were not out there shutting things down and yelling at people; were really trying to work beside people and find safe ways to do things.

If the levy is not renewed, Warner said the health department will be forced to stop offering some of its programs and increase its prices for remaining services.

There are a few things that were currently having trouble keeping up with, and wed have to do away with those programs, even though a couple of them are mandated by the state, Warner said. One of them is the trash and sewer nuisance program. Its completely unfunded. We dont get any revenue from dealing with these trash complaints and sewage failures. We just will not be able to do that work if we dont get that funding.

It really turns the health department towards only doing jobs and only working on programs that generate funding for us because were trying to make payroll and pay people to do the work that we need to do as a health department. None of this is meant to be held over someones head like, Were going to charge you more if you dont pass this its just the reality. I have to make payroll. If we dont have funds, thats not going to happen.

Fees for items like food licenses and septic and water installation permits could also increase.

A lack of funding would also affect some of the health departments free health care clinics and screenings for those without insurance or access to health care, which ultimately save taxpayers money.

People get frustrated with us because we occasionally have these free programs to offer to the community, Warner said. If we spend a little bit of the health departments money in, say, identifying breast cancer in a woman in our community and we find that early, we save tens of thousands of dollars that would have been spent when this person shows up at the emergency room at the hospital with advanced breast cancer and has to go through all the treatment using Medicare, using Medicaid. A little bit of an investment in preventative health care saves our entire community and our entire tax system a lot of money down the road.

Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.

In a scene from a past interview, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner explains local public health issues.

Health commissioner: Its not an increase to anyones taxes

See the article here:
Highland Co. Health Department seeking to maintain funding - Hillsboro Times Gazette

October 09, 2020

LUMBERTON Domestic violence survivors are doing their part to help others this month, as crisis calls have increased because of isolation brought on by COVID-19.

The Robeson County Sheriffs Office responded to 2,732 domestic violence calls in the county between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30. Those numbers do not include calls to city police. There are 1,588 domestic violence protective orders pending in the county.

Seven people have died in Robeson County this year because of matters related to domestic violence, said Emily Locklear, executive director of Southeastern Family Violence Center.

Quarterly reports from the Rape Crisis Center of Robeson County also show a 63.9% increase in rape and/or sexual assaults in the county when compared to the same time period in 2019, according to Virginia Locklear, the Crisis Centers executive director. Those numbers include children under the age of 18.

But there are agencies working to address the increased need brought on by COVID-19.

My whole goal with Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) is to let individuals in our community know that we are here, Emily Locklear said.

I just want people to know that domestic violence is present in our community and that there is help for any individual, she added.

Emily Locklear is a survivor of domestic violence herself, and she often shares her story and strength with others at the center.

The executive director recalls enduring dating violence at the age of 18, when her then boyfriend tried to run her over with his vehicle, while she was pregnant with his child. He convinced her not to continue taking college courses, a decision she would regret and remedy later at a community college.

It altered my life, Emily Locklear said.

But she shares a common history with the rest of the staff, all of whom have been affected by domestic violence in some way, including a worker who started working Wednesday at the center.

The worker, who chose to remain anonymous, recalls six months spent at the centers shelter when she was about 10 years old. She and her younger brother formed bonds with center workers as her mother attended counseling and planned her escape from a husband who used mental and verbal tactics to control and abuse her.

The worker does not recall being abused by her father, but remembers the shouting behind closed doors and the escape from the man behind the heated words.

Now that Im older, I just aspire to be a change, she said.

Although she is new at the center, she hopes to share her story with people who need to hear it most, and to offer advice.

Your situation doesnt define your story, she said.

The worker encourages other victims to reach out for resources and to seek help if needed.

The center offers a 22-bed shelter at an undisclosed location, and programs to help victims plan their way out of abusive situations and to secure housing away from abusers. It also helps with obtaining domestic violence protective orders and hosts a domestic violence support group. A confidential 24-hour crisis hotline also is available at 910-739-8622 or 1-800-742-7794.

Also among about 20 staff members is a Latino advocate and three other Spanish-speaking staff members who work across language barriers to provide accessibility and support for victims.

The SFVC is working to share videos, photos and stories of survivors on its Facebook page during the pandemic, which has restricted its usual methods of raising community awareness of the issue. The center will host its annual candlelight vigil on Thursday via Facebook to honor the memory of people who have died as a result of domestic violence. Anyone interested in sharing photos of loved ones during the ceremony should call the center by Tuesday at 910-739-8622.

About one in four women and nearly one in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported some form of IPV-related (intimate partner violence) impact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are several types of abuse, including physical, emotional, verbal, financial and sexual, among others.

Victims are encouraged to contact the Rape Crisis Center of SFVC for help, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sexual assaults have not stopped during the pandemic nor did they stop during the stay-at-home orders. If anything the experience is compounded by the COVID 19 restrictions and isolation, said Virginia Locklear, of the Rape Crisis Center.

If you decide to stay, call our crisis line to devise a safety plan, said Emily Locklear, of SFVC.

When survivors choose to leave, the abuser feels as if his or her power is threatened, which can lead to retaliation, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

As a result, leaving is often the most dangerous period of time for survivors of abuse, the Hotlines website reads in part.

In 2019, SFVC served 1,383 individuals and received 1,151 crisis calls. Ninety-five adults and 84 children used the shelter to escape abuse that year.

Leaving an abusive relationship may be hard to do but its the right thing to do. There is no shame in reporting domestic violence and asking for help. As seen by the numbers in Robeson County, we have an issue, and no one is immune from the threat of domestic violence, Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said.

Simply asking for help is the first step in taking charge of your life, Wilkins added.

To find more resources on domestic violence visit http://www.hotline.org. All services provided by SFVC and the Rape Crisis Center are free and confidential. The Crisis Center can be reached by phone at 910-739-6278.

Originally posted here:
Pet of the week - The Robesonian

Indianapolis is home to huge galleries and off-beat spots that show major artworks and hidden music gems. Here are five you need to visit. Wochit

Indianapolis will soon feel what it's like to walk inside and even listen to and smell paintings in a new experience that takes up a space almost equal to half a football field.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields announced Wednesday that it will open The Lume Indianapolis, a cinema-likeinstallation that will comprise its entire fourth floor, or around 30,000 square feet.

Thanks to about 150 high-definition projectors, paintings by Vincent van Gogh will pour over the galleries' walls, floors and every crack in between. Almost 3,000 images pulled from his work will be choreographed to a dramatic classical music score and even time-released aromas.

This is a rendering of The Lume Indianapolis, which will be built by Grande Experiences.(Photo: Photo provided/Courtesy of Grande Experiences)

The Lume will be exhibition companyGrande Experiences' first permanent, immersive, multisensory digital art gallery in a U.S. fine art museum and the biggest continuous exhibition space in the 137-year history of Newfields. A bar and cafe, which will serve cocktails and food that correspond to van Gogh, will be added as well.

The Lume is scheduled to open in June a key month for tourism. Visit Indy foresees summer 2021 as a time when people will look for safe entertainment options after a winter hunkering down to avoid the coronavirus. The tourism bureau is making plans to market it accordingly.

Longer term, the installation is a way to continue inviting new people to the campus, a strategy that Newfields has shown with itspopular Harvest and Winterlights festivals. It's a goal that Grande Experiences, The Lume's creator, shares.

"The thing I always try to remember is that over 76% of Americans do not go to art museums," Newfields CEO Charles Venable said, citing statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts. "We've been looking for ways that we think will attract part of that 76%. We really believe The Lume is going to help us dismantle barriers where a lot of people, they don't think they know very much about art and find museums off-putting."

The first year of The Lume will be dedicated to van Gogh, who's known for ultra-famous works such as"The Starry Night." After that, the installation will offer a multitude of possibilities.

The point of The Lume is to create "an epic visual story," Craig Hartenstine, Grande's chief operating officer, wrote in an email to IndyStar.

It tells the story by beaming high-quality images of artwork and details like the intricacies of van Gogh's brush strokes that can be difficult to detectwhenviewing the originals.Rounding out the visuals are archival footage and images sourced from the time when and place where an artist was working.

This is a rendering of The Lume Indianapolis, which will launch in June 2021 at Newfields.(Photo: Photo provided/Courtesy of Grande Experiences)

"It's like placing a masterpiece under the microscope while walking through it all at the same time!" Hartenstine wrote.

Some details of the artworks are animated as well. For example, a video on Grande's website shows the famous "Wheatfield with Crows," but instead of being stationary, the crows take flight above van Gogh's golden brush strokes.

"Van Gogh probably watched the crows flutter off while he was painting the static painting, of course,"Venable said."We might love the painting, but being able to walk into his mind, walk into what he was seeing vis-a-vis the great pictures he was able to paint. ... I found that extremely compelling."

Layered in with the visuals are gentle scents. Hartenstine said a system has been engineered to synchronize aromas like citrus for a van Gogh still life with the movement of images and the score. For van Gogh, a classicalsoundtrackthat captures the emotional upheaval of his life is shaped to the show. It includes works byAntonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert.

Visitors can move through The Lume at their leisure. The structure includes a 45-minute main feature, three five-minute features, an area to learn more detailed information about the subject and educational opportunities. The entire experience lasts about 90 minutes.

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Visits to a Grande installation in Rome and to the immersive Atelier des Lumiresdigital exhibition in Paris helped Venable see what could be possible in the Circle City. He and a team spent about five years researching projects in Asia, Australia and Europe, and the CEO said they chose Grande because of its technical prowess and the way it choreographsart. Newfields worked with the Lilly Endowment on the projectas well. Thelatter contributedan almost $7 million grant, which it approvedin November 2019, according to the museum.

This is a rendering of The Lume Indianapolis, which will be the largest continuous exhibit space in Newfields' history.(Photo: Photo provided/Courtesy of Grande Experiences)

Hartenstine said Grandewanted to work with Newfields because the institutions sharea vision. The museum has received extensive coverage in the national media for its rebranding and expansion of experiencesthat emphasize its outdoor campus. Thegoal has been to engage a broader spectrum of people and increase its financial stability.

"Once we had the chance to understand (Venable's) deeper vision for Newfields, we knew it was the ideal place to launch THE LUME in North America," Hartenstine wrote.

Since its 2006 founding, Grande, which is based in Melbourne, Australia,has had more than 190 experiences in 32 languages that have lived in more than 145 cities. An installation that centers onClaude Monet and the Impressionists, for example, submerges viewers in the bohemian flavors of 19th-century Paris. Other subjects include nature and science.

The company will launch TheLume Melbourne, a permanent experiential gallery, in the second quarter of 2021, shortlybefore Newfields. Venable said Indianapolis' version will be the mothership of permanent immersive digital experiences for the U.S.

Those behind the project see it as a destination for people within driving distance and they hope even farther.

When Visit Indy's Chris Gahlbecame involved with The Lume about two years ago, he knew an experience of this size would be another magnet for travelers. Visitors already reportspending multiple days at Newfields.

Now, given the shock of 2020,The Lume will have an even larger role for the city's tourism industry.

"COVID has caused this screeching halt to tourism nationwide, you could argue, globally. What makes this exhibition so special is that it will beunquestionably part of our recovery strategy to get visitors to Indianapolis and bounce back from the pandemic," said Gahl, the tourism bureau's senior vice president of marketing andcommunications.

He said the June launch alignsperfectly with Visit Indy's projections for late spring and early summer. The organization anticipates pent-up demand from those who sheltered in place and who have restless kids fresh off another school year. Venable said driving vacations and day trips could tick up in 2021 because people still might not feel comfortable on planes.

This is a rendering of The Lume Indianapolis, which will debut at Newfields.(Photo: Photo provided/Courtesy of Grande Experiences)

While coronavirus vaccine predictions vary, top health officials and scientistshave said that the U.S. could have widespread vaccine doses by the middle of next year, which are expected to usher the beginning of a transition back to normalcy.

Regardless, the Lume capitalizes on museums' major asset during the pandemic wide-open spaces that allow people the freedom to move.Looking further into the future, Gahl sees the installation as a way to continue to diversify Indianapolis' reputation.

"Someone in New York receiving advertising and marketing about Lume in Indianapolis will take a second look. They'll say, 'Indy has this caliber of exhibit; let's make a trip,' " Gahl said. "Whereas that same consumer, pre-this exhibit, might not give us that look. This might be the distinguishing tipping point that will get someone from L.A. or New York to come visit Indy, experience our product,walk our city and then ultimately come back."

Installing The Lume on the fourth floor will set more changes in motion. The fourth floor has most recently housed contemporary art. Some of those pieces will be integrated elsewhere in the building as interventions that will bring out new dialogues when they're placed next to older works.And in the future, the museum is creating a10,000 square-foot space where the Edward Hopper show is now, whichwill be devoted to contemporary works, Venable said.

This is a rendering of The Lume Indianapolis, which will first highlight paintings of Vincent van Gogh.(Photo: Photo provided/Courtesy of Grande Experiences)

The Lume will offer the opportunity to highlight some of the museum's own collection as well. Its "Landscape at Saint-Rmy," by van Gogh, will be a key piece visitors can examine before or after they enter the digital installation.

The multisensory experience of van Gogh will be just the first part of the technology's capabilities. Not only can the museum bring in more traditional artwork, it also can commission contemporary artists.

"That is the future, to see, 'How do we bring in artists as many artists sort of leave the canvas and they go into technology?' " Venable said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

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1st-in-the-U.S. show at Newfields will let you experience a painting with all your senses - IndyStar