JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (WGEM) – A new law taking effect Wednesday places more responsibility on the Missouri Veterans Commission to tackle the troubling rate of suicide among the state’s veteran population.

Missouri veterans are more prone to taking their own lives than the nationwide rate among veterans, and more than the statewide general population, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“There are a lot of assumptions out there about veteran suicide, but that’s not what’s important,” said Retired Col. Paul Kirchhoff, Executive Director of the commission. “We need to know what the facts are and what the truth is.”

Kirchhoff said part of the commission’s work will be selecting a statewide coordinator who will lead this new endeavor. He also said the group will need to look for solutions across the state, and outside of it.

“I was able to work with a lot of other state agencies throughout the country who have programs similar to this, learning from their experiences and building the expectation, making it realistic,” Kirchhoff said.

Ric DePontee is the 2024 Commander of the Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“Now we’re putting it on the Missouri Veterans Commission and saying, ‘We want you to look into this. We want you to look into different avenues,’” DePontee said. “Is opioid abuse, is that part of the issue? Is homelessness? Is that part of the issue? We have all this data, we just need to compile it into one spot.”

The same law creates a new state medallion to be awarded to veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It also requires state agencies to put a veteran status question on any new or modified forms.

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If only they were still in his hometown.

Cody Schrader, the storied former Missouri football running back, was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams — formerly Schrader’s hometown St. Louis Rams — on Wednesday.

The tailback, who is a Lutheran North High product, was waived by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday after spending the offseason there as an undrafted free agent. That gave the remainder of the NFL’s 31 teams the opportunity to pick him up off the wires before the noon Wednesday deadline. 

Schrader had 19 carries during preseason games with San Francisco, which he took for 48 yards. He caught two passes for eight yards, and returned four kicks for an average of 30 yards.

The Rams are owned by Stan Kroenke, a Missouri native and the owner of multiple pro sports teams and franchises. Kroenke recently was ordered to pay $571 million of a $790 million in a settlement with the city of St. Louis over the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles.

More: Cody Schrader waived by 49ers; all Missouri football 2024 draft picks make initial NFL rosters

More: Here’s Johnny: How Missouri football DE Johnny Walker Jr. consistently got bigger, better

Schrader goes straight onto the Rams’ 53-man roster, meaning the team will need to cut another player to make room for him. Coach Sean McVay’s team has Kyren Williams as a likely RB1, as well as Michigan product and rookie Blake Corum and former Fresno State tailback Ronnie Rivers on its initial 53-man roster at the position.

Early in his rookie season, Schrader is likely to see special teams action in Los Angeles.

The Rams waived multiple running backs in days leading up to Tuesday’s roster cuts: Boston Scott; Zach Evans; and SaRodorick Thompson.

If Schrader signs a professional contract with the Rams, he will no longer be eligible to play for the St. Louis Battlehawks, who selected him with a second-round pick in July’s UFL Draft.

On Tuesday, all five Missouri players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft — DE Darius Robinson; CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.; CB Kris Abrams-Draine; LB JC Carlies; and OL Javon Foster — made initial 53-man rosters, along with multiple other former Tigers.

Schrader spent two seasons with Mizzou after transferring in as a walk-on from Division-II Truman State. He became the unquestioned starter shortly into his second and final season in Columbia, where he broke the Tigers’ single-season rushing record, led the Southeastern Conference in rushing, was a consensus All-American and finished eighth place in Heisman Trophy voting.

Mizzou begins its 2024 season Thursday evening against Murray State on Faurot Field in Columbia.

With Missouri Football kicking off their season on Thursday night, all eyes will be on the 11th-ranked team in the country. Their No. 11 preseason ranking in the AP Poll is the highest in over a decade. Coming off a Cotton Bowl victory and returning a wealth of talent, expectations are at an all-time high for the Tigers.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 PM on Faurot Field, and Missouri is just a couple hundred tickets away from keeping their sellout streak intact.

The Murray State Racers will make their third trip to Columbia, after not having much success in the first two meetings. Most recently, Missouri kicked off their program-best 12-win season against Murray State back in 2013, routing the Racers by a score of 58-14.

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on SEC Network, featuring Matt Barrie, Dan Mullen, and Harry Lyles Jr. on the call. Fans can also tune in to the Tiger Radio Network to catch the action.

Missouri will look to build on their momentum and make a statement in week one. They open as 47.5-point favorites against Murray State, who will be fielding nearly an entirely different roster than in 2023.

Led by a high-powered offense and a new “Death Row” defense, Missouri will be can’t-miss television this season. It all starts tomorrow night for the Tigers.