Kansas
Kansas Catholics travel 1,600 miles to help Los Angeles parish
CNA Staff, Feb 3, 2025 /
06:00 am
Catholics in Kansas last week drove a truckload of supplies more than 1,600 miles to Los Angeles to bring some relief to the faithful there who have been devastated by recent wildfires.
Deacon Greg Trum and his wife, Barb, told CNA they were moved to help residents of Los Angeles while putting Christmas decorations away in the storage space of their Leawood, Kansas, home.
“Barb said, ‘Hey, if something’s been in the storage area for a year and we haven’t needed it, it needs to go,’” Trum said, adding that his wife further expressed that she wished they could get some of their belongings to victims of the Los Angeles fires.
Trum’s response? “We could probably load up a truck and do something.”
The Trums asked their pastor, Father Brian Schieber at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, if they could organize the parish to donate supplies. They contacted Paul Escala, the superintendent of Catholic schools in Los Angeles, to determine what parishioners in that city might need. The effort ultimately focused on students and others at St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Altadena.
They put the word out to the St. Michael community. “The response was overwhelming,” the deacon said. “Immediately people started bringing things in.”
The effort began at the St. Michael the Archangel parish school. Trum said the principal told the several hundred children of the school: “If you woke up and had nothing, what would you need? Bring that to these kids.”
“We got a ton of school supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and bedding,” Trum said. “It was originally somewhat focused on the school. But once we knew we were going to overwhelm the school [in Los Angeles] with the supplies, we opened it to family needs.”
Organizers quickly saw that the volume of goods being donated by the parish would require a truck to transport it. Trum was able to secure transportation at a bargain rate.
“I was in the commercial tire business,” he said. “One of my customers was Penske Truck.”
“I didn’t want to get gouged,” Trum said with a laugh. “I called them up and told them about it and said, will you give us a deal?”
According to the deacon, the company responded: “We’ll give you a really good deal — we’ll give you a truck!” All it cost the church was gas, Trum said.
A fellow parishioner, Mike Pollock, oversaw the logistics of boxing up and organizing the supplies. The deacon ultimately rode out with another friend and fellow Catholic, Mike Klover.
On the way out, they stopped at a Catholic parish in Topeka that had heard about the effort and wanted to add supplies to the truck. The city was directly on the route to Los Angeles, so the drivers stopped and loaded up more donations.
After that, “the only room we had on our truck was our two suitcases,” the deacon said. “Mother Mary was definitely in charge, making sure things went well.”
(Story continues below)
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Both the St. Elizabeth church and school survived, but many members of the parish and school lost their homes in the surrounding area.
The duo traveled a total of 1,653 miles to get to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pasadena, where the supplies would be dropped off for the nearby St. Elizabeth Parish.
“We had a 3:30 appointment, and we were there at 3:15,” Trum said. Many members of the community turned out to help unload the truck, including Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes.
Trum and Klover stayed overnight two nights with the religious sisters at the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra before heading back to Kansas.
For Barb Trum, the experience was the fruit of a dedication to Christ and the Virgin Mary. “We have a very deep devotion to the Blessed Mother,” she told CNA. “You have to stay very close to the sacraments every day, whether it’s daily Mass, the Eucharist, reconciliation, or adoration.”
She urged the faithful to “have an open heart to do God’s work and build up the kingdom of God.” She pointed to the Gospel directive in which the faithful are told “if you have two things you’re supposed to give one to someone who needs it.”
“When Jesus calls, we respond,” she said. “That’s what we did.”
Daniel Payne is a senior editor at Catholic News Agency. He previously worked at the College Fix and Just the News. He lives in Virginia with his family.
Kansas State football’s transfer portal needs, what to know
K-State reporter Wyatt Wheeler breaks down the Wildcats’ needs and key information ahead of the transfer portal window opening.
MANHATTAN — Right when you thought Kansas State football might be done for the day, the Wildcats landed a seventh commitment from the transfer portal on Monday, Jan. 5.
Gardner-Webb defensive tackle De’Arieun Hicks committed to K-State, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder has three years of eligibility and totaled 21 tackles, with 4.5 being for a loss in 2025.
Hicks reportedly had a visit to Iowa State on Monday, after spending Jan. 3 with the Wildcats, and he chose to play football in Manhattan.
Hicks was a standout for the FCS program out of the Big South, playing 373 snaps and making four starts on the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ defensive line. He was the Big South’s sixth-highest graded defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus, with the league’s 12th-best pass rush grade.
Hicks totaled 10 pressures, with seven quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks across 12 games.
Out of high school in Richmond, Indiana, Hicks wasn’t given a grade by 247Sports.
Kansas State was in desperate need of defensive linemen from the transfer portal following the departures of Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder and Andy Burburija, the latter of whom reopened his recruitment after initially signing with the Wildcats. The Wildcats also signed Adrian Bekibele, Kingston Hall and Carnell Jackson Jr. during December’s signing period.
Hicks’ size is certainly appealing, giving the Wildcats a solid prospect to develop. Given the Wildcats’ need at the position, Hicks could have an opportunity to get on the field quickly.
Hicks joins Oklahoma State running back Rodney Fields Jr., Texas A&M receiver Izaiah Williams, Illinois corner Kaleb Patterson, Oklahoma State linebacker Jacobi Oliphant, Miami (Ohio) safety Koy Beasley and Missouri offensive lineman Keiton Jones as those who committed to the Wildcats on Monday.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
An intruder was fatally shot by an armed city employee inside Lawrence City Hall in Kansas on Monday morning, officials said.
The 28-year-old man “forced his way into the building then broke through a door” on the fourth floor and into a secured area about 8 a.m., according to a police statement.
This led to an altercation with an armed city employee, Police Chief Rich Lockhart told reporters outside City Hall, about two miles north of the University of Kansas campus.
“During that altercation, the 28-year-old subject was shot and killed by the city employee,” the chief added.
The intruder wasn’t immediately identified, and it wasn’t clear if he was armed.
Authorities didn’t immediately name the city employee or his job. But police did characterize the civil servant as “trained and authorized to carry a firearm.”
The fourth floor is home to the city manager, city attorney and budget manager.
Officials said they did not know why the man went to the fourth floor, and “it’s not someone that’s known to us,” Lockhart said.
City Hall was closed and should reopen Tuesday. A municipal court in the building won’t open again until Thursday.
City Manager Craig Owens said he was grateful no city employees were hurt.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department work during the disturbing incident,” he said.
Indiana’s portal haul continued to grow Sunday as multiple outlets reported the addition of Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi.
Osunsanmi has played in 36 games over the last four years and has 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Most of that production came over the last two seasons. He has a total of 47 QB pressures during his college career.
In 2025 he played in six games and had 20 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He suffered a season-ending injury in October.
He saw action in all 13 games in 2024 as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, recording 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble over 303 defensive snaps and 31 special teams plays.
In 2023 he saw time in all 13 games as a reserve linebacker, a rush end on passing downs and on special teams. He was tied for team-high honors with five tackles on kickoff coverage.
He played in four games in 2022 and preserved his redshirt.
The 6-foot-3 and 250-pound Osunsanmi has one year of eligibility remaining.
The Wichita, Kan. product (Wichita East H.S.) was regarded as the 232nd-best overall player in the nation for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.
Osunsanmi will help fill the void left by outgoing edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley.
More transfer portal information:
For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
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