<p class="p1"><strong>Has there ever been a company worth a trillion dollars?</strong></p><p class="p2">No.</p><p class="p2">But financial analysts predict that one of a handful of companies will reach the milestone soon.</p><p class="p2">Among the contenders are Chinese firms Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.</p><p class="p2">According to a CNBC story posted Monday, an analyst for GBH Insights said in a note that Amazon, led by CEO Jeff Bezos, could reach the mark in 12 to 18 months.</p><p class="p2">“The Prime membership moat that Bezos &amp; Co. have built is gaining further steam in the field, and the Amazon ‘flywheel effect’ is further playing out globally among consumers,” CNBC quotes Ives as noting.</p><p class="p2">“The Bezos strategic path, both on the consumer and enterprise fronts, (is) still in the middle innings of playing out and Amazon remains a ‘green light’ name to own at these levels.”</p><hr /><p class="p2"> </p><h3 class="p4">Information center built in 1968</h3><p class="p1"><strong>When was the original welcome center near Vinton built?</strong></p><p class="p2">The Vinton-Toomey site got an information center in 1968, and the state added a landscaped rest area in 1976.</p><p class="p2">“The Toomey Rest Area on Interstate 10, one of Louisiana’s newest gems, was officially dedicated in ceremonies Thursday morning under cloudless blue skies,” reads a story published in the <em>American Press</em> on Oct. 22, 1976.</p><p class="p2">“Built by the Louisiana Department of Highways at a cost of $775,000, the area contains 15 single and four double picnic shelters, 12 barbecue pits, eight water fountains, a cleanup shelter, restrooms, a well house and two sanitary dumps.”</p><p class="p2">The latest construction and renovations are part of a $16 million project.</p><p class="p5">For more information, visit<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.dotd.la.gov" target="_blank">www.dotd.la.gov</a>.</p><hr /><h3 class="p5">Piekos now works at Shreveport station</h3><p class="p1"><strong>What happened to Christian Piekos, who used to work for KPLC-TV?</strong></p><p class="p2">Christian Piekos, a native of Chicago, now works for Raycom Media’s KSLA-TV in Shreveport.</p><p class="p2">“Before heading down to Louisiana, Christian worked for CBS News in New York City. Christian was a broadcast associate for ‘CBS This Morning,’ where he delivered scripts for the show’s co-hosts. …,” reads Piekos’ biography on ksla.com.</p><p class="p2">“Christian graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.”</p><hr /><p class="p2"> </p><h4 class="p7">The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by <strong>Andrew Perzo</strong>, an <em>American Press</em> staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.</h4>AppleMGN Online