John Williams

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Today, Lou gives some tips on fertilization after the drenching rains over the weekend. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions.

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

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger, and member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John Williams and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of July 2026! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to [email protected]

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a 10-year old boy, and the latest on the war in Iran.

Liz Shulman, English teacher at Evanston Township High School and in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, joins John Williams to talk about her recent Op-ed in the Tribune, ‘Why are we still pretending Big Tech cares about our classrooms.’

Liz Shulman is the author of the forthcoming ‘By the Book: Inside Today’s Tech-Driven Classroom and How Literature Can Save Our Students‘ from Prometheus Books

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

Restaurateur Dan Hart, President of Hart Alliance, to talk about the restaurants he runs in McHenry, why McHenry is a great place to do business, the benefits of being located close to the Fox River, some of the fan favorites at his restaurants, the challenge of running a restaurant in the current climate, what drove him to the restaurant business and what it takes to run a successful restaurant business.

Michelle DiCola, Chicago’s director of traffic management in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, joins John to talk about all the work that goes into making sure people that are attending events in Chicago do so safely.

Thomas Hillier, local history librarian at the McHenry Public Library, and Chairman, City of McHenry Landmark Commission, joins John Williams to talk about the unique history of McHenry, what originally drew people out to the area, how people used to come to McHenry for vacation, the three different sections of the town, and how McHenry keeps its small town charm.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature for 2026! Are you trying to come up with some quick getaway ideas that are only a quick trip from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head to beautiful Mirror Lake State Park and visit with Bob Prosser, owner of Ishnala Supper Club in Lake Delton Wisconsin! Bob talks about how many people have enjoyed an Old Fashioned this year, why consistency is so important to the success of the business, how business has been going, what the most popular menu items are this summer, how people come from all over the country to enjoy the supper club, and how long they expect to be open for this season.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about her favorite types of fruit, two fruits that are good for your heart health, tips to turn fruit into dessert, what you should know about the cyclospora outbreak, why you should still feel safe eating fruits and vegetables, and to answer all of your health and nutrition questions.