#MidAmericaLive
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Update on activities in Rich Hill today
#MidAmericaLive
Obituary = Michael Leon Williams
Michael Leon Williams, age 69, passed away on June 25, 2026, proud United States Navy Veteran and beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Mike was born on November 13, 1956, in Oakland, CA to Vernon Leon and Betty Jean (Ayers) Williams. He married Linda Anderson on May 24, 2022 in Nevada, MO and she survives of the home.
Mike grew up in the Lee’s Summit – Kansas City area and graduated from Lee’s Summit High School. After graduation, Mike went to the Navy, proudly serving on the Mount Vernon LSD39 from 1974 to 1978 as a BT3. While serving, it left him with lifelong friendships with his fellow sailors and a forever love and respect for his miliary brothers. After leaving the Navy, he returned home and settled in Denver, CO. He married and started a family. Mike was a loving family man, hard worker and dependable man with the biggest of hearts. He loved working with wood projects, fixing and building stuff in his garage, and telling stories of life memories. Mike deeply loved his children and grandchildren and family. He is deeply missed and loved. He leaves behind more than memories--he leaves behind an example of what it means to live with integrity, to love without condition, and to always put others before yourself. By every measure that truly matters, he defined what it means to be a good man.
Mike is survived by his wife, Linda; children, James Williams, Erica Chianelli, Denver, CO, Jesse Creasey, Denver CO, Isaac Lucero, CO, Alyssa Greene, Ft. Scott, KS and Trevor Anderson and his wife Courtney, Eudora, KS; eight grandchildren that he loved and adored; two brothers, Steven Defluiter and Jack Defluiter; and a sister, Robin Tucker. He was preceded in death by a brother, Gary Defluiter.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 6, 2026, at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada, MO with burial to follow at 12:30 p.m. in Fort Scott National Cemetery, Ft. Scott, KS. The family will receive friends from 10:30-11:00 a.m. on Monday, prior to the funeral service.
#MidAmericaLive
Very special memorial of military suicide victims can be seen in Butler, MO
A dropbox with pen and paper are available for all who visit so messages can be left for friends and family- the public is invited to stop by at any time.
.
#MidAmericaLive
Business Spotlight: Code 1 Wellness
Helping Our Community Heal, One Person and One Family at a Time
Our organization was created because we saw a gap. We saw people struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, grief, family stress, and burnout, but not always knowing where to turn. We saw first responders carrying years of traumatic calls without a safe place to process what they had experienced. We saw veterans trying to transition back into civilian life while managing the invisible wounds of service. We saw families involved in court systems, treatment programs, and recovery journeys who needed support, guidance, and someone willing to walk beside them. We saw rural communities where resources were stretched thin, waitlists were long, and stigma still kept too many people from asking for help.
Code 1 Wellness exists to be part of the solution
What We Provide
We provide outpatient mental health counseling, substance use support, peer support, crisis response, family support, and community wellness services. Our team works with people from all walks of life, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, first responders, veterans, and individuals involved in recovery or family reunification. We understand that mental health does not happen in a vacuum. A person may be dealing with trauma, financial stress, addiction, relationship problems, grief, parenting struggles, court involvement, or medical concerns all at the same time. That is why we believe in meeting people where they are and helping them build a path forward that is realistic, supportive, and personal.
Supporting First Responders
One of the most important parts of our work is our commitment to first responders. Police officers, firefighters, EMS, corrections officers, dispatchers, and other frontline workers are often the ones who show up on the worst day of someone else’s life. They respond to accidents, overdoses, violence, deaths, disasters, medical emergencies, and traumatic scenes that most people never have to witness. They are trained to stay calm, take control, and keep going, but that does not mean those experiences disappear. Over time, the stress can build. It can affect sleep, relationships, emotional health, decision-making, and overall well-being.
At Code 1 Wellness, we believe first responders deserve care from people who understand the culture, the job, and the pressure that comes with wearing the uniform. We offer support that is culturally competent and trauma-informed. Our therapists and peer support team understand that first responders may not always use traditional language to describe what they are going through. Sometimes it shows up as irritability, isolation, numbness, exhaustion, anger, drinking too much, relationship problems, or simply feeling like they cannot shut their brain off. We want first responders to know that asking for support is not weakness. It is maintenance. It is leadership. It is survival.
Serving Veterans and Families
We are also deeply committed to veterans and their families. Veterans often carry experiences that are difficult to explain to people who have not served. Many face challenges related to trauma, reintegration, relationships, substance use, chronic stress, or feeling disconnected from civilian life. Code 1 Wellness works to provide a safe, respectful environment where veterans can receive counseling, peer support, and guidance without judgment. We recognize their service, but we also recognize their humanity. They are not just veterans. They are parents, spouses, friends, employees, neighbors, and community members who deserve support and dignity.
Community Mental Health and Recovery
Our work also reaches far into the broader community. We serve individuals and families facing mental health challenges, substance use concerns, domestic stress, grief, parenting struggles, and life transitions. We support people in recovery, people trying to reunify with their children, people navigating court systems, and people who need someone to listen and help them take the next right step. We believe strong communities are built when people have access to support before they reach a breaking point.
Substance use support is another major part of what we do. Addiction affects individuals, families, workplaces, schools, and entire communities. It is not a moral failure. It is a complex issue that often involves trauma, pain, mental health, environment, and lack of support. At Code 1 Wellness, we work to reduce stigma and increase access to care. We believe recovery is possible, and we believe people deserve to be treated with dignity throughout that process. Whether someone is just beginning to consider change, actively seeking treatment, rebuilding their life, or supporting a loved one through addiction, we want them to know they are not alone.
The Power of Peer Support
Peer support is one of the most meaningful services we offer. Sometimes people need to talk to someone with lived experience who understands what it feels like to walk through hardship, recovery, trauma, or personal rebuilding. Peer support brings hope in a very human way. It reminds people that healing is possible because they are speaking with someone who has been through struggle and found a way forward. Peer support is not about judgment or clinical language. It is about connection, encouragement, accountability, and walking beside someone through the difficult parts of life.
Working With Community Partners
We also believe in collaboration. Code 1 Wellness works alongside community partners, hospitals, courts, schools, first-responder agencies, health departments, churches, treatment providers, and other organizations to help connect people with the right resources. We know we cannot do this work alone, and we do not want to. Strong communities require strong partnerships. When agencies communicate and work together, people receive better care, families receive better support, and communities become stronger.
At Code 1 Wellness, we are not here to compete with other organizations or providers. We are here to help strengthen the overall support system available to our community. Every person’s path to healing looks different, and the more options people have, the more likely they are to reach out, accept help, and stay engaged in recovery. Some people may connect better with one provider, one program, one peer, one therapist, or one style of support over another, and that is okay. What matters most is that people have choices.
When individuals and families feel like they have options, they often feel less trapped, less judged, and more willing to take that first step toward getting help. Code 1 Wellness wants to be part of a strong network of care where people can find the support that fits them, whether that support comes through us, another trusted community partner, or several resources working together.
When our community has more options, we create more open doors. For someone struggling with mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, or family stress, one open door can be the difference between giving up and trying again. That is why we believe in building relationships, sharing resources, and keeping the focus where it belongs: on the people and families who need help.
Understanding Rural Barriers
As a rural organization, we understand the unique barriers our communities face. In small towns, everyone seems to know everyone, and that can make it harder to ask for help. Transportation can be an issue. Insurance can be complicated. Services may be limited. People may worry about confidentiality, stigma, or being judged. Code 1 Wellness works hard to create a safe and welcoming environment where people can access care without shame. We want people to feel respected from the moment they reach out.
Why This Work Matters
What makes Code 1 Wellness different is that we are not just providing services from a distance. We are part of the communities we serve. We know the people. We know the roads. We know the culture. We know the realities of rural life, emergency response, family systems, and limited resources. We are not here to check a box. We are here because we care deeply about helping people survive, heal, and rebuild.
Our work is personal. We have sat with families in crisis. We have supported first responders after traumatic calls. We have helped people take steps toward recovery. We have watched individuals regain hope after feeling completely lost. We have seen parents fight to rebuild their lives for their children. We have seen people who thought they were broken begin to understand that they are wounded, tired, overwhelmed, or grieving, but not beyond help.
That is why we do what we do.
At Code 1 Wellness, we believe healing does not always happen in a straight line. People may stumble. They may need more than one chance. They may need different types of support at different points in their journey. Our job is not to shame people for where they are. Our job is to help them identify where they want to go and support them as they work toward getting there.
Who Matters to Us
We want our community to know that mental health matters. Recovery matters. Families matter. First responders matter. Veterans matter. Rural communities matter. The person who feels like they are barely holding it together matters. The parent trying to get their children back matters. The officer who cannot sleep after a traumatic call matters. The veteran who feels disconnected matters. The teenager struggling with anxiety matters. The person in recovery who is trying again matters.
Code 1 Wellness is here to serve, support, advocate, and walk alongside our community. We are proud of the work we do, but more than anything, we are grateful for the trust people place in us. Trust is not something we take lightly. Every phone call, every appointment, every outreach event, every crisis response, and every conversation matters.
Looking Ahead
Our vision is to continue growing services that meet the real needs of rural Missouri and beyond. We are committed to expanding access, strengthening partnerships, supporting first responders and veterans, reducing stigma, and building programs that create lasting impact. We believe rural communities deserve high-quality behavioral health care. We believe people should not have to travel hours or wait months to receive support. We believe early intervention can save lives, families, careers, and futures.
To anyone reading this who may be struggling, please know this: you are not weak for needing support. You are not alone because life feels heavy. You are not beyond help because you have made mistakes, faced trauma, battled addiction, or carried pain for too long. There is hope, and there are people who care.
Code 1 Wellness is honored to serve our community. We are here for the hard conversations, the healing process, the rebuilding, and the moments when someone finally realizes they do not have to do this alone.
For more information about Code 1 Wellness, our services, or how to connect with our team, please reach out to us. We are here to help, and we are proud to stand with the people and families of our community.
#MidAmericaLive
Meet This Year's Drexel Grand Marshal: Retired Fire Chief Wayne Koopman
#MidAmericaLive
Ellett Memorial Employee of the Month, Katie Koshko
#MidAmericaLive
Rich Hill volley ball champs
#MidAmericaLive
Obituary - Harold Lee Davis
Harold Lee Davis, 90, of Freeman, Missouri, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at his home. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, MO, with the visitation beginning at 1:00 PM. Masonic services will be held before the services at 1:45 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to MO Masonic Home.
A complete obituary will be posted when it is available.
#MidAmericaLive










