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Our translator station serving St. Francis and Cheyenne County at 96.3 FM is off the air due to an air conditioning breakdown at its leased transmitter site, making it too hot for HPPR's equipment to operate. We are currently working to fix the situation. We apologize for the loss of service and ask listeners to tune to KZNK at 90.1 FM or listen on line through the player above or HPPR's mobile app.

Garden City Municipal Band: Live Concert TONIGHT

Thanks so much to Lawrence Hoerman and Buddy Laws for sharing some time with HPPR today in support of the Garden City Municipal Band concert series going on this month.

Every Friday night between June 21 and July 19, the band will get together in the Stevens Park Bandshell (502 N. Main St.) in Garden City, KS from 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm CT. Tonight’s show will feature Buddy Laws on euphonium.

This is the 141st year for the Garden City Municipal Band, making it one of the oldest community bands west of the Mississippi. It’s made up of adults and students of high school age and older from around the Garden City area. The regular conductor is Clint Raynes of Scott City, who is out of town this week at band camp in Breckenridge. Our substitute conductor is Shawn Martin, band director at Lakin.

More about the performers: Francis H. “Buddy” Laws, Emeritus Professor of Music, served as Wright State University faculty for 35 years, starting in 1972. Lawrence Hoerman serves as the board president for the Garden City Municipal Band.

For more information or if you have questions, call Lawrence at 620-290-0589.

Hear the full interview here:

For an example of the type of music GCMB plays, here’s a recording of National Symphonic Winds performing “Commando March”—Samuel Barber (Composer) & Lowell Graham (Conductor):

02_national_symphonic_winds_-_commando_march.mp3

As an avid world traveler and galivanter, Valarie never lost sight of which way was home. A Native to Western Kansas, she has been pursuing a life long career in the many forms of expressive arts including radio, photography, videography, graphics and design. Graduating from Western State College with a bachelors in Art, Valarie once again returns to percolate her love for High Plains Public Radio. Involved with HPPR since 2006, an inquiry about a drive way moment landed her a position as local host of Weekend Edition. Having worn many hats at HPPR, from Director of Development to regional program producer, Valarie is perhaps most known as the host of Songbirds, a one-hour folk show that concluded in 2025. However, she often leans in to cover the mic on High Plains Morning, sits in during HPPR Radio Readers Book Club events, and she's a regular during HPPR Membership Drives. Valarie now keeps quite busy as an in-demand mental health counselor, so stay tuned for more wonderful developments with this High Plains hero.