Money & Career
SOWELA Now Enrolling for Pipeline Technician Training Successful Completers Earn TC Energy Pipeline Academy’s Pipeline Technician Certificate SOWELA Technical Community College is now accepting applications for its Pipeline Technician training class in the TC Energy Pipeline Academy, the only academy of its kind in Louisiana. The class is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 1. The purpose of the 10-week Pipeline Technician program is to provide classroom instruction and practical shop experience to prepare students for employment in a variety of jobs in the pipeline industry. Registration is open on a first-come, first-serve basis. A limited number of training seats are available. For more information or to enroll, visit www.sowela.edu/ technician or call (337) 421-6560 or email workforce@sowela.edu. The Johnson Firm Begins Construction of New Ryan Street Office Jonathan Johnson and Adam Johnson, Lake Charles attorneys and owners of The Johnson Firm, will hold an official groundbreaking for their new, 10,000 ft² office located at 1409 Ryan Street. The event will commemorate more than 40 years of local law practice, beginning with their father, Terry. J. Johnson and mark a moment all three Johnsons have envisioned for years. A first-generation college graduate and native of Lake Charles, Terry opened his office in 1980 at 910 Ford Street, where he practiced more than 30 years. He eventually partnered with Cary W. Vercher, and they operated as “Johnson & Vercher, LLC.” before Vercher retired and Johnson sold the practice to his sons in 2016. Jonathan and Adam purchased the 1409 Ryan Street property in 2018, with plans to construct their new office soon thereafter. But the world, and specifically Southwest Louisiana, would soon suffer a series of impacting events, including the COVID-19 46
Thrive Magazine for Better Living • November 2021
pandemic and two, devastating, back-to-back hurricanes. The Johnson Firm’s new office, located at 1409 Ryan Street and designed by Jeff Kudla, is scheduled for completion December 2022. The James W. Gardiner Breast Center at CHRISTUS Ochsner-Lake Area Awarded ACR Accreditation in Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging CHRISTUS Ochsner Health Southwestern Louisiana is kicking off October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) by announcing the James W. Gardiner Breast Center at CHRISTUS OchsnerLake Area has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI of the breast offers valuable information about many breast conditions that may not be obtained by other imaging modalities, such as mammography or ultrasound. The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement. The James W. Gardiner Breast Center offers a complete continuum of women’s breast care including Screening Mammograms, Diagnostic Breast Mammogram, Breast MRI, Breast Ultrasound, Breast Biopsy, and Genetic Testing for cancer risk.
To learn more about a breast MRI, or to schedule a mammogram or other imaging services call 337.431.7887. CITGO E-Recycle Day Keeps 6 Roll-Off Boxes of Unwanted Electronics Out of Landfills Hundreds of Southwest Louisiana residents recycled their unwanted electronics during the annual CITGO E-Recycle Day at the West-Cal Arena parking lot in Sulphur. The CITGO Lake Charles Refinery organized the event with the support of the City of Sulphur, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, Waste Management, West-Cal Arena & Events Center and the City of Lake Charles Wastewater Division. This event provides residents with the opportunity to recycle their unwanted electronics, completely free of charge. Items collected included TVs, cell phones, computers, batteries, household items containing mercury and other consumer electronics. This year 400 vehicles drove through the event with collections totaling six extra-large roll-off boxes, which equals approximately three semitrailers, 485 light bulbs and several items containing mercury. Each year, CITGO E-Recycle Day alternates between the cities of Lake Charles and Sulphur to give residents in each region a convenient place to recycle their e-waste. Since 2009, CITGO E-Recycle Day has kept more than 462 tons of electronic waste out of landfills and is one of many initiatives sponsored by CITGO as part of its commitment to reduce waste. Best of Bauer CSE Federal Credit Union CSE Federal Credit Union, Sulphur, Louisiana has earned the prestigious "Best of Bauer Credit Union" status from BauerFinancial, Inc., the Nation's Premier Credit Union and BankRating Firm. This distinction is reserved solely for institutions that have earned Bauer's highest (5Star) rating consistently for at least 25 years.
