John Williams

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger and Member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of October! John shares some of his favorites, too! What was your favorite joke this month? And as always, John brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

Dr. Janice Jackson, CEO, Hope Chicago, joins John Williams in-studio to talk about the mission of Hope Chicago, the impact that they have made in such a short period of time, her belief that education is the best way to disrupt cycles of poverty, the importance of removing the financial burden of college, the biggest motivator of the program, if she believes students are ready for college, and the results of new data on scholar performance that demonstrates increases in postsecondary enrollment and persistence. Dr. Jackson also talks about if she believes the school board should be elected, the amount of money being spend on school board elections, if underperforming schools should be consolidated, the failure in the vetting process of the recently resigned school board president, if she thinks CPS leader Pedro Martinez is doing a good job, and the biggest issue facing CPS moving forward.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou tells us what you should know about your furnace, his thoughts on inexpensive filters, how often we need to be changing our filters, and the best way to clean up leaves in gutters. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions.

Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

Dava Sobel, preeminent science writer, acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author, joins John Williams to discuss the new book, “The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science.” Dava talks about why she wanted to write about Marie Curie, how women impacted advancements in science, the roadblocks that Curie and other women scientists endured because of their gender, and what other women should be aware of who did extraordinary work in science.

Vice President Kamala Harris is out with an ad that reminds women that they still have a right to choose in the voting booth. John takes calls and reads texts from listeners who react to the ad.

Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to [email protected]!

Hua Momona Foundation president Gary Grube joined John Williams to talk about the Maui Afterglow Ball, how it raises funds for food insecurity among those affected by the Lahaina wildfires in Maui, and who will be performing at the November 9th event at the Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington, IL.

Ben Morrall, President, Voortman Steel Machinery, joins John Williams to talk about the history of their company, when they first came to Monee, Illinois, what their company does and what they manufacture, their big plan for domestic expansion in Monee, why Voortman ended up coming to Monee, how business friendly Monee is to their company, the potential talent that comes from the area, how many people they employee, the great team they have in Monee, and how wonderful the state of Illinois has been to their Monee facility.

Below are photos from Voortman Steel’s groundbreaking in Monee, on Tuesday, October 29th, with Governor J.B. Pritzker, Illinois Manufacturers Association president & CEO Mark Denzler, Mayor Therese M. Bogs, State Senator Patrick Joyce, State Representative Jackie Haas and others in attendance.

• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee
• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee
• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee
• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee
• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee
• Voortman Steel Machinery ribbon cutting and groundbreaking in Monee. Photos via Village of Monee

Listen for more info from Steve Grzanich’s Wintrust Business Minute from the day of.

Christi Holston, Board President, Monee Historical Society, joins John Williams to talk about why the Monee Historical Society was started, the unique history of the building that is now the Monee Heritage Center, what we should know about the history of Monee, and why it’s important to tell the stories of Monee.