Shares in Venture Global are expected to make their debut on the New York Stock Exchange after the company raised $1.75 billion in its initial public offering, according to an online Business Report article.

Only five other American companies have gone public at a market capitalization greater than $60, according to a Bloomberg report.

Venture Global is a producer of liquified natural gas, and has five projects in various stages of development. Calcasieu Pass in Cameron is operational. Calcasieu Pass 2 is awaiting permitting.

•

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D., Steve Daines (R-MT), John Thune (R-SD), and 32 Republican colleagues reintroduced the Main Street Tax Certainty Act to make the 20 percent pass-through business tax deduction permanent. Should these tax cuts expire, small businesses will face an immediate and massive tax hike.

“The small businesses that drive our communities should have certainty about their taxes,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Passing this law makes sure they do.”

The 20% small business deduction, section 199A, was created as a part of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts to level the playing field between small businesses and large corporations. Without Congressional action, 9 out of 10 small businesses will be hit with a massive tax hike when this deduction is set to expire at the end of 2025.

•

Members of the Ward One Economic Development Board welcomed new business G.I. Joe’s Gym to Moss Bluff earlier this month.

The new veteran-owned, 24-hour gym is located at 376 Sam Houston Jones Parkway.

“We are excited to be opening in our home town of Moss Bluff,” said owner Joe Gentry. “We created this gym to give our community a place to get fit, create a new lifestyle, and build a support community to help you succeed with your health journey.”

The facility offers 24-hour gym access, state-of-the-art equipment, child care, personal trainers and so much more. Joe and Amanda Gentry are avid fitness enthusiasts.  Joe proudly served in the US Military, has over 25 years of gym experience, including over 10 years as a personal trainer and is proud to offer memberships that include tanning, sauna, hydromassage, 3D body scan, proshop, supplement shop, smoothie bar and meals-to-go.

The Board is made up of members appointed by Ward One Police Juror, Darby Quinn, State Senator, Jeremy Stine, School Board Member, Shawn Baumgarten, and State Representative Brett Geymann

“The Board would like to welcome all new businesses to the Moss Bluff Area, as well as establish a relationship with all businesses in Moss Bluff,” said Board President Michelle McInnis.  “If we can help in any way, contact us,”

•

To protect the personal information on phones, which could include conversations, account numbers, passwords and more, the Consumer Protection Agency advises keeping it locked when not using it, and consider using a passcode for locking and unlocking.

The operating system has security features built into it. Update phone when manufacturers push out the free updates. Consider setting the phone to automatically update.

Finally, back it up. “The convenience and portability of our phone puts it in peril,” according to Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist. “Back up the phone on the cloud or an external drive, and turn on the feature that helps you track a lost or stolen phone.”

The feature also lets the phone owner remotely lock or erase the phone if it is stolen.

•

Plenary missed a deadline last year to open the Belle Chasse to New Orleans bridge to traffic, according to a report from the Times-Picayune. The article said the deadline was missed because the contractor realized it was sinking.

“Plenary Infrastructure Belle Chasse, discovered higher-than-expected subsidence beneath the understructure Belle Chasse bridge. That led to a need for new bridge approaches, which had already been built.”

Plenary Infrastructure is project manager. Plenary America is listed as developer, equity investor, financial advisor, bridge maintenance and tolling operations. Huval& Associates is listed as engineer.

For the Lake Charles Interstate-10 Calcasieu River Bridge project, the three equity partners are Plenary Americas, Sacyr Infrastructure and Acciona Concesiones. The lead designer is a joint venture between Arcadis U.S., Huval & Associates, Janssen & Spans Engineering and Modjeski & Masters.

•

Time to develop differently? Affordable housing is not just a problem in Southwest Louisiana. According to the Pew Research Center, the United States is facing a housing shortage of between 4 million and 7 million homes. At the same time, U.S. cities are seeing higher vacancy percentages.

Developers have been reluctant to turn empty office buildings into apartments because of high construction costs.

Pew Charitable Trusts and Gensler, an architecture, design and planning firm, propose a new, co-living design that reduces construction costs, thus rental costs. Each floor features private, locked micro-units. Kitchens, bathrooms, laundry and living rooms are shared, dorm style.

“Concentrating the plumbing and kitchens in the center of each floor cuts construction costs by roughly 25% to 35%,” the article states.

Pew and Gensler studied how these co-living micro-apartments, which are typically 120 to 180 square feet, might impact market dynamics. Results included rents half the median rent, revitalized downtowns, more options for students and service-industry workers and reduced homelessness.

•

Little Willow Mercantile, a one-of-kind store at 109 S. Washington St.,  in downtown DeRidder opened recently. Find bulk foods, whole grains, spices, specialty foods, locally crafted gifts grass fed, finished, zero hormone, zero antibiotic beef tallow and fully concentrated watered-down beef bone broth in an old-fashioned general store setting.

•

S&P 500 CEOs received hefty pay raises, almost 200 times what their workers got paid last year, widening the gap with the workers they oversee, according to an Associated Press report. The median pay package rose to $16.3 million. About two dozen CEOs in the AP’s annual survey received a pay bump of 50% or more.

•

The Charmed Page opened its doors Saturday, Jan. 27, at 2927 Hodges St., Lake Charles. The store will feature new and popular titles, a curated selection of used books and showcase local authors from any genre. “Charmed” accepts gently used books for credit. Review guidelines or call the bookstore to find out more.

•

Liz Murrill, Louisiana Attorney General and Tyler Gray, Department of Energy and Natural Resources, will speak at the 2025 Louisiana Oil & Gas Association Annual Meeting Feb. 17-18 at Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles.