SUMMARY: In Marion, Illinois, a VA Suicide Prevention Summit was held during National Suicide Prevention Month to address the alarming statistic that over 100 U.S. citizens, including 17 to 22 veterans, die by suicide daily. The event aimed to connect veterans, families, and community members with vital resources from organizations like DAV, Arrowleaf, and Cornerstone. Department Commander Donnie Houghland emphasized the loss of connection veterans face post-service. Executive Director Zachary Sage highlighted suicide prevention as a public health issue, stressing community partnerships’ role in supporting veterans. The summit focused on behavioral health, safety planning, and crisis intervention to save lives.

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by Sherman Smith, Missouri Independent
September 4, 2025

LAWRENCE, Kansas — Freedom’s Frontier has received the half-million dollars the federal government held hostage for six months, ensuring the organization can continue for another year to preserve the story of the struggle for freedom through historic sites across Kansas and Missouri.

Freedom’s Frontier is among 62 National Heritage Areas that recognize historic, cultural and natural resources, with an emphasis on preservation, recreation, tourism and educational projects. NHAs are supported through public-private partnerships, and the Trump administration had refused to release congressionally approved funding for them.

A Freedom’s Frontier spokesman said during a conversation for the Kansas Reflector podcast in June that the organization would cease to exist without the federal support. He urged anyone who cares about preserving history to contact their representatives in Washington.

The funding was released on Tuesday.

In a statement, Lucinda Adams, executive director of Freedom’s Frontier, said “advocacy turned the tide.”

“Because of the dedication and advocacy of our friends and partners across the region, we are now able to continue our core mission of promoting tourism and economic development in rural Kansas and Missouri,” said Lucinda Adams, executive director of Freedom’s Frontier. “Your calls and conversations with your representatives mattered. We are deeply grateful.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a Missouri Democrat, sent a letter in June to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget urging the release of funds for Freedom’s Frontier and other National Heritage Areas. The freeze was lifted in July, but reduced staffing at the National Park Service caused further delays and uncertainty, according to a statement from Freedom’s Frontier. The funding would have expired if not distributed before Sept. 30.

Freedom’s Frontier unites more than 200 sites across 41 counties in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Collectively, they preserve the story of the border war that preceded Kansas’ entry into the union, the enduring struggle for freedom and the settlement of the western frontier.

The sites include the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka, the Little House on the Prairie Museum in Independence, Kansas, the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum and Hangar Museum in Atchison, and the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Johnny Szlauderbach, director of communications and strategic projects at Freedom’s Frontier, said on the Kansas Reflector podcast in June that the organization was working to “make sure that people understand that these stories are nationally significant.”

“This area is interesting in that it’s served as a kind of microcosm for concepts of freedom throughout American history,” Szlauderbach said, from the abolition of slavery to the fight for women’s suffrage, to the landmark legal battle that ended segregation in public schools.

“This is a testing ground. We serve to be stewards of that nationally significant story,” Szlauderbach said.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The content presents a factual account of federal funding being released to support a historical preservation organization, highlighting the role of Democratic representatives in advocating for the funds. It emphasizes the importance of preserving diverse historical narratives related to freedom and civil rights. The tone is supportive of government involvement in cultural and educational initiatives, which aligns with a center-left perspective that values public funding for heritage and social causes without strong partisan rhetoric.

SUMMARY: Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe will not charge a Shawnee police officer who shot at Issac Ortiz, 19, after Ortiz fired a gun in a public intersection on June 17. Ortiz, with a history of mental illness, had stolen a truck and handgun the night before. Officer B pursued Ortiz after spotting him acting suspiciously, leading to a chase and a shootout in a wooded area; no one was injured. Ortiz was arrested and charged with attempted capital murder and interference with law enforcement. The DA ruled the officer’s use of deadly force was justified for self-defense, supported by evidence including camera footage and shell casings. Ortiz’s next hearing is September 26.

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