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St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported that Narcotics Section agents conducted a search warrant at the residence of Rondell Landry, 25, of 224 Freetown Road, Glencoe, who was charged with warrants Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, transactions involving drug proceeds, possession of Lortab with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Agents reportedly located 23 bags of marijuana in a shed on the property. The bags weighed in at around a pound each. Detectives also reportedly located a small amount of marijuana, over two dozen Lortab pills and $1,375 in cash inside the residence. Through investigation, detectives reportedly found evidence that the marijuana, Xanax and cash belonged to Landry and that the money was gained from the sale of the illegal drugs. Landry was not at the residence at the time the search warrant was carried out. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Landry turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. Landry was released after posting $23,000 bond.

By JANELL PARFAIT
The St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon at The Forest in Franklin on Wednesday for the parish mayors to give local updates from their respective communities.
Mayor Donna Lancelin of Baldwin was the first leader to speak.
“We have things going on, conferred from what you may have heard on television or what you may have read in the newspaper,” Lanceslin said. “There’s no way that Baldwin is filing for bankruptcy.”
According to Lanceslin, the town received financial assistance from state Sen. Bret Allain, State Rep. Sam Jones and St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff.
“They’ve given us a grant to help beautify the boulevard that you see on highway 83,” she said.
The local chapter of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha helped clean the town park in preparation for the parish’s upcoming recreational baseball season.
West St. Mary High School’s basketball team managed to play in the state championship, which concluded in March, she added.
“West St. Mary has been here for 17 years, and we have never gone to state (championship) with our basketball team,” Lanceslin continued. “And that was something for Baldwin that lifted the spirit of the community together.”
“Whatever it is we’re doing in the town of Baldwin, we’re doing it especially for the children,” she said.
A summer enrichment program will soon take place at Raintree Elementary School. The program will help students prepare for standardize testing.
“But we are still trying to do our best with what we have,” Lanceslin said. “We’re not putting the blame on anybody or anything like that, because it’s my job; and I took the job saying that I’m going to do the best that I can for the town of Baldwin. Whether I have money or not, I’m going to try to do my best.”

BATON ROUGE – The Senate Finance Committee, buttressed by challenged warnings that any mandated increase would cost jobs, killed, 7-3, a bill that would have raised the state’s mini-mum wage from the federal minimum of $7.25 to $8 in 2018, and to $8.50 in 2019.
Washington, D.C. and 28 other states have a minimum wager higher than the federal minimum of $7.25. Only three have a lower employment rate than Louisiana, according to Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller. States must at least match the federal minimum.
“At the end of the day, the best feeling a person can have is caring for themselves,” Carter said. “A better-paid employee benefits Louisiana.”
Debate on Senate Bill 153 by Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and the voting fell along party lines. Most Republicans argued businesses will make up for the increased expense by eliminating low-wage jobs or raising the cost of products.
“Instead of trying to raise the wage that could drive jobs away, we should be focusing on our economy,” Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, said. “If you raise the minimum wage, you might be jeopardizing those very jobs that earn that $7.25.”
Sen. Gregory Tarver, D-Shreveport, attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would have put the measure before the voters in October. However, Louisiana does not have a referendum process, so residents can only vote on Constitutional amendments. The amendment was not attached.
“The only time we try and let the people decide is when we as a Legislature don’t want to take a stand,” said Sen. Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans, who supported the bill and the amendment and said most Louisianans would vote in favor of the wage increase if it appeared on ballots.
“There is something fundamentally wrong when a minimum wage hotel worker can’t afford to sleep in the same bed he made last night,” he said. “It doesn’t take an economist to figure out what the right thing to do is.”
Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, argued that neither the government, nor the people, should tell business owners what to pay their employers.
“The people’s choice is to seek a job that fits their need.”
Carter retorted, saying the government already regulates wages and does not create any new precedent, it just “builds on what’s already there by a meager dollar and a quarter.”
About 85,000 Louisianans would have received a pay raise had Carter’s bill passed, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Carter said 78 percent of Louisianans believe the minimum wage should be higher.
“It’s hard to believe we don’t want to pay people right,” Tarver said. “If this dollar hurts the businessman, he shouldn’t have been in business anyway. Let’s help the little man, because we always help the big boys.”
Louisiana Association for Business and Industry Vice President Jim Patterson said raising the minimum wage would create “upward pressure,” forcing businesses to seek worker alternatives, like robotics. He also said employers would seek to hire more qualified workers, in lieu of hiring less educated workers.
“The least educated and the least skilled would be adversely affected by this legislation.”
Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, stressed education’s role in alleviating Louisiana’s poverty problem, drawing nods of agreement from the committee and some responses regarding potential budget cuts to the system.
“The old adage of ‘pull yourself up by your boot-straps’ – What if you don’t have any boots?” Carter asked. “We’ve cut education so much. We’re blocking certain people from going to school.”
“We need to show people that we don’t live in these ivory towers where we’re sanitized from the issues our community deals with. I’m going to take this bill up every year until it gets done.”
Committee members voting against a raise in the minimum wage were Sens. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, Bret Allain, R-Franklin, Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, Jim Fannin, R-Jonesboro, Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, Bodi White, R-Baton Rouge.
Members voting for the raise were Sens. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, Gregory Tarver, D-Shreveport, Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans.

Medicare offers prescription drug coverage to everyone with Medicare.
It’s a good deal. Medicare subsidizes the outpatient drug benefit, generally paying about 75 percent of the program’s costs. Unless you already have comparable drug coverage through another source, you should consider getting it when you sign up for Medicare’s health care coverage at 65.
There are two ways to get drug coverage. If you’re in Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service program, you can purchase a “stand-alone” drug plan from an insurance company. Or, if you decide to buy a private Medicare Advantage health plan, you can choose one that includes drug coverage.
To find the “stand-alone” drug plans and the Medicare Advantage health plans with drug coverage available in your area, visit Medicare’s “plan finder” at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. You can also call Louisiana’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program for help at 1-800-259-5300.
You’ll see there are significant differences in premiums and deductibles, co-payments the plans charge, particular drugs they cover and pharmacies they use. That’s why it’s important to look at your prescriptions and individual circumstances when comparing plans.
Ask yourself: Which plans cover the drugs I take? Which plan gives me the best overall price on all my drugs? Which plans allow me to use the pharmacy I want? Which plans let me get drugs through the mail? What are the plans’ quality ratings, such as for customer service?
You’ll discover that many plans place drugs into different “tiers.” The higher the tier, the greater your share of the cost will usually be. If you find that a prescription of yours is in a higher tier, you may want to ask your doctor whether there’s a drug in a lower tier that would work as well.
You may also encounter plans that follow “step therapy.” That means you must first try a less-expensive drug that’s been proven effective for most people with your condition before you can move up to a costlier drug. However, your doctor can request an exception if the costlier drug is medically necessary.
Medicare drug coverage is just like other kinds of insurance — you buy it to protect yourself if and when you need it. Even if you’re not on any prescriptions now, enrolling in a drug plan with a low premium guarantees you’ll have coverage should your health decline and you require medication.
After you pick a plan that meets your needs, call the company offering it and ask how to join. You may be able to join online, by phone or by paper application. Don’t be alarmed when you’re asked to provide the number on your Medicare card during the enrollment process. In this case, it’s OK.
The plan that’s best for you this year may not be the best next year. If so, you can switch to another plan between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7 each year. Indeed, it’s smart to check all your options every fall to make sure you have the plan that best fits your needs and pocketbook. Your new coverage then begins on Jan. 1.
If you’re having difficulty affording medications, you may qualify for the government’s “extra help” program. Your annual income can’t be more than $18,090 if you’re single or $24,360 if you’re married. Also, your resources can’t exceed $13,820 if you’re single or $27,600 if you’re married.
Generally, you’ll pay no more than $3.30 for each generic drug and $8.25 for each brand-name prescription in 2017. Forty-one percent of Louisiana residents with a Medicare drug plan get extra help. To apply, visit the Social Security website, at www.socialsecurity.gov/i1020, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
People with Medicare have saved hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year thanks to their drug coverage. Be sure to make the most of yours.