© 2025
In touch with the world ... at home on the High Plains
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KZNA-FM 90.5 serving northwest Kansas will be off the air starting the afternoon of Monday, October 20 through Friday as we replace its aging and unreliable transmitter. While we're off-air, you can keep listening to our digital stream directly above this alert or on the HPPR mobile app. This planned project is part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining free and convenient access to public radio service via FM radio to everyone in the listening area. For questions please contact station staff at (800) 678-7444 or by emailing hppr@hppr.org

Panhandle Man Makes National News With Epic Journey for ALS

Dincher
/
Wikimedia Commons

A West Texas native who was diagnosed with the fast-progressing disease known as ALS—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—has undertaken an epic journey to draw attention to the disease.

As People magazine reports, Rick Marks is currently hiking the final 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness and money for an ALS cure. Marks was born and raised in Plainview. After graduating from Texas Tech University, he moved to Boston, where he began a career in finance. Marks’s diagnosis in October came as a shock.

The avid mountain climber is a happily married father of two, and his wife Eileen has assisted him through this arduous journey.

You can follow Rick’s journey on his blog, at rickshikeforals.org, where he also hopes to raise $50,000 for research at ALS ONE.