AC repair inPine Harbor, GA

The Unreal Engine has been at the forefront of rendering techniques for some time now, and Unreal Engine 5 continues the trend with a comprehensive suite of features that allow development teams of all sizes to broaden their horizons and deliver better games than before. As you might already know, Unreal Engine 5 is gaining a ton of popularity within development circles – and we are already seeing plenty of great games utilizing this tech to create worlds that are almost indistinguishable from reality. On that note, we present 15 Unreal Engine 5 games that look just like real life.

Welcome To Pine Harbor

Welcome To Pine Harbor is an upcoming survival game from a small group of developers by the name of Vision Forge Team, and it looks to be packing some punch. Set against the backdrop of the ominous town of Pine Harbor, the game is set to present a story that’s equal parts scary and immersive. While not a lot of information is available at the moment, the developers have stated that the game is inspired by the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil which has us excited to see what’s in store. Of course, it’s incredibly atmospheric and makes good use of Unreal Engine 5’s detailed shadows and realistic lighting tech – and we will be checking it out when it releases sometime next year.

Synduality: Echo of Ada

Published by Bandai Namco, Synduality: Echo of Ada revolves around a raging conflict between a host of parties for a resource that seems to hold great value in this futuristic world. Players find themselves at the epicenter of it all as they assume the role of a mercenary with a mech who fights to fend off these evil forces for good. The story looks to be pretty standard from what we can muster from the trailer, but the visuals look really impressive – both from a technical and an artisanal standpoint. Everything from the large draw distance to dense foliage and particle effects looks impressive thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5. Synduality: Echo of Ada is set to release for current gen consoles and PC sometime in the near future.

The Axis Unseen

The Axis Unseen describes itself as a first person hunting game, but it also combines some mythic elements into the mix for what looks to be a fresh experience. Taking place in a gorgeous open-world comprising multiple biomes, players will hunt down creatures of varying sizes and threat levels ranging from a harmless deer to full gargantuan mythic beasts from folktales of the land. These hunts will be accompanied by a heavy metal soundtrack, so fans can expect to hear plenty of distorted guitar riffs and fast drum beats as they try to take down the biggest foes in The Axis Unseen. It will be released for PC sometime in the near future.

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Rooted

Rooted is yet another game that puts players in a post apocalyptic world and tasks them to use their wits and scattered resources to survive in this environment. Rooted is obviously being built using Unreal Engine 5, and it puts the tech to good use with impressive textures and lighting being highlights of the visual presentation. It’s not all just show either, since Rooted also features tons of gameplay options ranging from stealth to crafting and much more – which should keep you busy for hours on end. It will be released for PC sometime in the near future.

Layers of Fear

The beloved horror franchise makes a return with Layers of Fear, and it looks a really promising return to form. We got to see a ton of gameplay thanks to the recently released trailer, and Layers of Fear is looking like an incredibly atmospheric title that’s filled to the brim with jumpscares and horrifying set pieces. It will be released in June 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Project M

Developer NCSoft’s upcoming Project M seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from the works of Quantic Dream, but it looks really promising nevertheless. Project M will feature an action packed storyline with different characters, and you will have the option to decide the outcome of that story through quick time events and decision trees. While it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before, Project M presents it all with such a striking level of detail that it’s hard not to be impressed by it. The developer has made good use of Unreal Engine 5’s features such as Nanite, Lumen, and MetaHuman Creator – and the results speak for themselves. It releases for unconfirmed consoles sometime in the near future.

Off The Grid

Off The Grid is Gunzilla Games’ take on battle royale, and is set to combine a multiplayer experience with a single player focused PvE storyline in a seamless manner. Built using Unreal Engine 5, Off The Grid presents a beautiful rendition of a futuristic world with realistic foliage and beautiful lighting. The team is composed of developers with credits on Disco Elysium and Crysis, so it could certainly turn out to be something special. That said, details surrounding the gameplay are scant at the moment – so we will have to wait to see the game in action. It’s set to release this year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Code: To Jin Yong

Code will focus on Wuxia arts combat, and it looks absolutely stunning to say the least. The developers have done a great job of capturing the spirit and aesthetics of an ancient world, and the fast and frenetic combat shown in the trailer is exactly what comes to mind when you think of the mightiest warriors of that time. Code: To Jin Yong is still early in its development cycle, so fans will have to wait for some time before it releases for unconfirmed platforms sometime in the near future.

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Lost Soul Aside

Lost Soul Aside is developer UtilZeroGames’ upcoming action adventure game which sees you battling evil forces in a futuristic environment with your talking symbiote buddy. The combat takes inspiration from the likes of modern action games, and we get a fast and frenetic combat loop where you can take down your enemies in style through a flurry of swift strikes and last second dodges. It looks really beautiful too, and we will be checking it out when it releases for PC, PS4, and PS5 sometime in the near future.

Project GRAY

Set against the backdrop of the planet of Asima, Project GRAY puts players in the shoes of a native of the planet who wages a war against technologically advanced alien invaders who have colonized this land. The project presents the vast open world with photo realistic visuals, and the combat looks really intriguing – which is particularly surprising because it’s all being helmed by a single person at the moment. But that also means that Project GRAY is still some ways from its release, and fans will have to wait for quite some time before they get their hands on this one hell of a looker.

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Veiled Experts

Veiled Experts is a multiplayer tactical shooter where two groups of 5 characters are pitted against each other as they try to complete their objectives of planting or defusing bombs at specific points on the map. Veiled Experts features plenty of varied characters which have their own strengths and weaknesses, and players will have to make important tactical choices in terms of character loadouts as well as moment to moment gameplay to gain an edge over their enemies in combat. It will be released for PC on June 13, 2023.

The Relic

Set in a dark fantasy universe, Project Cloud Games’ upcoming The Relic sees players battling gargantuan enemies in some really unsettling environments. The Relic will be a Soulslike game, so players can expect a consistently high level of challenge when it comes to boss fights and general progression. The combat looks really fast paced with swift enemy movement and rapid succession attacks, which should hopefully make for a fun time.

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Silent Hill 2 Remake

Silent Hill 2 is one of the most beloved horror games of the last couple of generations, and fans are getting a complete remake of the classic that’s currently in development at Bloober Team. It’s being built using Unreal Engine 5, and the developers have done a great job of modernizing this classic while retaining the core feel of the experience. The game will now be played from an over-the-shoulder perspective among other major changes, and that should hopefully make for a much better experience this time around. It releases for PS5 and PC sometime in the near future.

Newton, Georgia – They’d probably spent 20 minutes touring the forest when the agent and potential buyer stopped.

The client took it all in – the southwest Georgia sky, a blue that got only deeper as it reached to heaven; and, closer to earth, the longleaf pines, their brilliant green needles prickling that lovely sky. That was enough for Charley Tarver. He turned to the agent.

“Call them,” he said, “and tell ‘em it’s sold.”

And, just like that, an Atlanta businessman took a big step toward becoming a conservationist. That quick decision in 1999 has helped conserve the red-cockaded woodpecker.

The bird, whose status the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) currently lists as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and expects to update later this year, is thriving at Longleaf Plantation, 200 miles south of Atlanta. Small surprise: Tarver so loves Picoides borealis that he’s given names to his small, but growing, flock.

He IDs the birds with the help of a scope and leg bands that make each unique.

There’s Eglin, whose name derives from the U.S. Air Force base from which biologists first got him. They placed him in a forested, Southwest Georgia research center. He promptly winged across the road to Tarver’s trees.

In time, the inventory grew: Other (so named because it was known as the “other bird,” showing up after Eglin), Newt, Stella, Nell and Oglia. Oglia? In honor of a friendly waitress at an Apalachicola, Florida, fish camp.

The birds have selected cavities – some man-made, at least one bird-made – in the swaying heights of the longleaf pines that give the name to Tarver’s 1,300-acre tract. The habitat, say biologists, is perfect for the red-cockaded woodpecker, or RCW: big trees growing among fire-maintained wiregrass that carpets the ground, with little underbrush and few smaller trees to impede flight. It’s the sort of place where the bird can nest and do well.

And just the sort of environment that once characterized great expanses of the United States. Three centuries ago, scientists say, longleaf pines encompassed more than 90 million acres, a green swatch that extended from Texas to Virginia. The woodpecker was but one species that found the forests to their liking.

But settlers discovered the tree was good for ship’s masts. The dense wood made great homes. With saw and mule and oxen, men attacked the forests. Their onslaught picked up momentum with the advent of steam and rail lines. The great woodlands dwindled – as did the numbers of the little bird that lived there.

Now, longleaf pines are found on less than 5 million acres of their traditional range – and that’s a slight increase from previous totals; conservationists hope to have 8 million acres of longleaf by 2025. Adding to the birds’ prospects: the maturation of longleaf stands - RCWs nest in older trees - and the smart use of fire to ensure that the underbrush remains in check. As the forests increase, so do the numbers of the black-and-white striped bird that hammers at its bark.

(The cockade? That’s a narrow stripe of red feathers atop the male’s head, on each side of its black cap.)

‘A public-private success story’

Today, the RCW lives in 11 states, from Oklahoma to Virginia. In 1993, the Service estimated nearly 4,700 clusters. Now, about 7,800 clusters inhabit forests.

More RCWs are found on public lands than on private tracts. Eglin AFB, on the Florida Panhandle, has forests where the bird has thrived. Georgia’s Fort Stewart also is home to the bird. Both installations have RCW conservation plans in effect, and have contributed to Tarver’s population by allowing biologists to translocate birds to his woodlands. And, closer to Tarver, is Ichauway Plantation, founded in 1929 by Coca-Cola magnate Robert Woodruff. It’s now known as Joseph Jones Ecological Research Center. It’s where that first bird, Eglin, once lived.

Those facilities boast more RCWs than Tarver’s estate. But that hardly means Longleaf Plantation isn’t important, said Joe Burnam, a biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He credits Tarver, and the DNR’s Safe Harbor Agreement, with creating a healthy environment for the birds.

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“It’s something to be proud of,” Burnam said. “It’s a public-private success story.”

It’s a voluntary agreement and incentive, a legal tool under the Endangered Species Act. Restoring and maintaining open longleaf pine requires landowners to actively manage their tracts. That includes prescribed burnings and other treatments. If the treatment has the desired effect – if RCWs increase – the agreement removes any land-use restrictions affecting those additional birds.

Tarver, Burnam noted, is the sort of guy biologists treasure: a private landowner, willing to work with public agencies to preserve endangered species.

“Very few are into [RCWs] like Mr. Tarver,” Burnam said.

It’s part of who he is. Tarver founded an advisory firm that specializes in timberland investment for large institutional clients such as family trusts, university endowments and retirement funds.

His forest roots are bona fide, too. The list of conservation organizations in which he’s active includes the Longleaf Alliance, the Nature Conservancy, the Society of American Foresters and the American Forestry Association.

And he is an unabashed woodpecker fan.

“These birds have been a major deal for me,” Tarver said. “If nothing else, it’s proof that a private landowner can make a difference.”

Chasing a sound

On a recent December morning, wiregrass wet with dew, Tarver headed toward his Jeep to survey the birds’ habitats. Burnam came along. Sam, Tarver’s spaniel, whined; he worried that Tarver was going quail hunting without him. Tarver promised the dog that they’d hunt soon.

The Jeep is Auburn orange and blue – not the preferred colors of Southwest Georgia, where black-and-red UGA flags hang from front doors or adorn pickups. Decades ago, a young Charley Tarver got his forestry degree from the Alabama university. He is a War Damn Eagle.

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Tarver eased the machine into the grass, which made a whispering sound along the Jeep’s panels. In the distance, a raptor added another note – scree! Longleaf Plantation is home to a pair of bald eagles.

He stopped the Jeep, got out. A big pine, maybe 150 away, stood apart from the rest. About 25 feet up was a hole – PVC pipe, the entrance to a cavity made of cedar and fronted with metal. Burnam built it. Then he used a chainsaw to cut a hole into the tree, putting putty around it to keep the cavity in place. That was five years ago.

Each remembers the moment. Burnam was on a ladder when he heard the distinct call: sklit! An RCW! He bounded down the ladder and tried to follow the sound. He lost it.

Burnam stuck around until twilight, when RCWs roost. He and Tarver returned to the cavity. Yes! It was the bird Tarver would name Eglin.

Now, Longleaf is home to cavity trees in three clusters. The latest cavity, about 40 feet up a pine that is well over a century old, just seemed to appear. No human had a hand in creating it. Tarver figures that first bird, Eglin, has been working on it for several years to create his own natural roost cavity.

That hole, said Burnam, is an encouraging sign. As the woodpeckers prosper, so do tortoises, snakes, other birds. “There are so many species that are benefitting from RCW management on this property,” he said.

Tarver, who encouraged Burnam to allow RCWs on his property – the word he used is “badgered” – smiled.

“I told him,” he said. “If we built it, they would come.”

They have. Evenings, Tarver likes to visit the cavities. He sets up his scope. He lights his cigar, takes a sip of scotch. He waits. The Georgia sky becomes a deeper blue, and those long pine needles go from green to black.

Then, a flit in the shadows, then a second, a third. RCWs gather. Sometimes they sit on a limb and chatter, as if discussing their day. Other times they arrow into the cavity and call it a night.

And, always, the man who made a quick decision all those years ago gets a long moment of satisfaction.

Press Release

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA - Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. and its wholly-owned modular subsidiary, Nationwide Homes, Inc. announced Sunday that they joined ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Pine Mountain Valley, Georgia, to surprise Jeremy and Jennifer Williams, whose son Jacob was diagnosed with Spina Bifida before he was born.

Then, several years after Jacob's birth, Jeremy was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, the home Jeremy and Jennifer bought 13 years ago is falling apart around them. In addition to mounting home repairs, the home is too small to accommodate two disabled family members.

In just seven days, team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, Palm Harbor and Nationwide Homes, and the entire community will come together to build Jeremy, 38, Jennifer, 38, Josie, 8, and Jacob, 6, a brand new, energy efficient home.

High school sweethearts Jeremy and Jennifer Williams kept their love alive while attending separate colleges. A football star at the University of Memphis, Jeremy knew his calling was to become a coach and after graduation, Jeremy got a job at a local high school as the football coach.

The couple settled down to start a family and in 2002, Jeremy and Jennifer were told that there soon-to-arrive second child, Jacob, would be born with Spina Bifida, have severe mental disabilities, and may never be able to walk or talk.

Jacob is paralyzed from the waist down, confined to a wheelchair, and has had countless surgeries on his brain, eyes, hips, and muscles. Despite the mountain of obstacles he faces each day, Jacob is an inspiration to everyone around him and has baffled doctors with his exceptional intelligence and positive attitude.

Although he cannot play football, he attends all of his father's games and cheers on the team. Jacob also participates in a "Special Needs Rodeo," which Jennifer was instrumental in organizing for local children with disabilities.

Jeremy has been the head football coach at Greenville High School for the past eight years and is currently the school's athletic director as well. In 2005, Jeremy saw a doctor after having some trouble moving his hand. After three grueling years of testing, Jeremy was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease – a fatal, progressive disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord which interferes with the brain's ability to control muscle movement.

Jeremy has trouble walking and will soon be confined to a wheelchair, but he continues to coach his team, has only missed one practice to date, and led his team to an 11-0 season and into the playoffs last fall. His determination and motivation in the face of adversity has given hope and inspiration to the entire community. But Jeremy and Jennifer are struggling to take care of each other and their family in their cramped and crumbling home.

With two disabled family members, the small home prevents both Jeremy and Jacob from being able to move freely about the house. Because Jeremy is too weak to help move Jacob from room to room, Jennifer must carry Jacob throughout the house and as Jacob gets bigger, that will become impossible.

In addition, the foundation of the home is cracked and sinking, one of the lower retaining walls is broken, and their leaking air conditioner has infected their walls with mold. Now, it's up to the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team, Nationwide and Palm Harbor crews and hundreds of local volunteers to build a new home where Jeremy can make the most of his time with his family and Jacob can grow up comfortably and independently.

While their existing home is totally destroyed and its beautiful replacement is built, the Williams family will go on vacation to Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado, while "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team leader Ty Pennington, designers Michael Moloney, Paul DiMeo, and Tracy Hutson, local builders with Nationwide Homes and Palm Harbor Homes, and community volunteers rebuild their home. For more information about this project and the family, please visit www.extremephn.com.

The public is invited to come out to support and cheer on the thousands of workers, subcontractors, trades and volunteers as they work with Ty Pennington, and the show's design team to build the West Central Georgia family a new home in just 106 hours.

Additional links >>Palm Harbor Homes: www.palmharbor.com.Nationwide: www.nationwide-homes.com.

Source: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Pine View High School’s Brock and Brandon Roundy, alongside Ian and Dylan Becker, committed to Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen, Washington) and signed their letters of intent on Friday afternoon.

Brock has been one of the top pitchers in Region 10 in 2022.

The left-hander has a 5-2 record and a 1.84 ERA with 63 strikeouts across 38 innings.

Roundy went five innings, striking out nine on Tuesday against Desert Hills and shut down Snow Canyon in March. He also struck out 15 against Hurricane.

Brandon has been the second-most used arm for head coach Glen MacLellan.

In 28 innings of work, the right-handed Roundy has a 2.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts.

When not on the bump, Roundy is the starting shortstop for the 15-4 Panthers.

At the plate, Roundy is hitting .279 with ten RBI out of the cleanup spot.

The Becker’s have been bottom of the order staples for Pine View.

Dylan hit his first career home run on Tuesday night in the win over Desert Hills and drove in five on the night.

Ian is hitting at the .300 mark with a home run and 12 RBIs.

Recruiting Journey

Both the Roundys and Beckers didn’t gain much traction from local area colleges. As they saw teammate Luke Iverson commit to Utah Valley and others around Region 10 commit to local colleges, the four had to set their eyes elsewhere.

The Roundys decided to take a trip up to Washington to visit a handful of colleges in the state.

Grays Harbor was one of the first stops on that trip.

After touring the campus and meeting with head coach Gunnar Ueda Pancheri, the Roundys took a couple of other tours as a courtesy before locking in on Grays Harbor and the historic Olympic Stadium.

“When you know, you know,” said Brock Roundy.

For the Beckers, Pancheri saw the brothers play just one game, and walked away impressed and intrigued.

“We played a game, he came to our game and watched us then he goes ‘(I) would love to make you an offer, let’s keep in touch,' and that was it,” said Ian Becker. “Then gave us an offer and we committed right then and there.”

“It was a very surreal moment, just getting our first offer for college baseball,” said Dylan Becker. “It’s always been our dream.”

Even with the lack of local attention, the boys didn’t let that dissuade them during the recruiting process.

“I kind of think everything happens for a reason,” said Brock Roundy. “I think we’re going to go up there and do great. At the end of the day I cant wait to get up there so I’m kind of glad how it happened… I think it all just fell into place.”

Pancheri and his staff offered almost the entirety of the Panther baseball team.

"They are fierce competitors with a lot of tools. All four of these young men are extremely athletic and versatile," said Pancheri, who has twin daughters of his own. “Being able to play multiple positions is something we like about all four of them. But more importantly, we want these young men because they come from great families and they are extremely high-character. My staff and I are extremely excited for these young men to come to our program and make an immediate impact."

Sibling Rivalries

The pairs of brothers laugh and both admit there’s some sibling rivalry not only between the brothers, but the two sets of twins as well.

“With me and Ian, it’s very competitive,” said Dylan Becker. “Even with Brock and Brandon, I know they’re competitive. So us two will combine in practices when we’re on a team and they’ll be competitive right back.”

Countless hours have been spent in the batting cages or on the field, particularly after practices.

“We’re always pushing each other to be the best we can be,” said Ian Becker.

Brandon Roundy summed up what all four were thinking:

“At the end of the day, it’s (all) love.”

Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. To continue to support his work, please subscribe to The Spectrum. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson.

A trial to extend the Pine Harbour ferry service to weekend sailings exceeded all expectations during its launch last weekend.

After years of just weekday ferry services, Auckland Transport launched a six-weekend trial from Pine Harbour to Auckland's city centre.

The trial, which started on March 19 and will go until April 25, has been a long time coming, says Franklin Local Board member Malcolm Bell.

“Board member Angela Fulljames and I have been campaigning for weekend sailings for eight years," Bell told TWN.

The service proved popular with locals, with the first service on Saturday morning at capacity, before numbers tailed off towards the end of the day.

“The Saturday sailings were an outstanding success. I wasn’t expecting such a great turnout from our residents. I would have thought, if we got half the numbers that we would be doing well,” said Bell.

Despite windy weather and cancellations on Sunday, a handful of residents took advantage of the service.

“The Beachlands, Maraetai, and Whitford residents were absolutely delighted and very happy to be boarding the service,” said Bell.

He said he was hopeful the success of the launch this past weekend would encourage Auckland Transport to initiate a full-time sailing timetable by spring, despite extreme impacts on the Auckland Council budget due to covid.

The Franklin Local Board now wants to focus on encouraging more people to travel from the city centre to the coast.

“Our real hope is that at some point the flow of people to the CBD and Pine Harbour begin to balance each other and we see real benefits for our cafes and restaurants along the coast."

Senior skipper at Pine Harbour Kevin Turner said the support from the community over the weekend had been great but he was concerned about residents' continual use of the service on the weekends.

“It is really up to the local community to be using it. I hope it's not like a new restaurant that’s opened up and people get excited about it and [then] it dwindles," said Turner.

However, he was confident reliable weekend services would encourage regular ferry users.

The next weekend ferry scheduled to depart Pine Harbour is this Saturday at 9.50am.