Actress Jade Harlow joins John Williams to talk about the new Hulu holiday movie, “Christmas on the Ranch,” which was partially filmed at WGN Radio! Jade tells John what it was like filming at WGN, the number of local people that worked on the production, the role that horses play in the story, how she approached this particular role, and the great chemistry she had with her co-star.

Colin Hinkle, owner of Soaring Badger Productions, a Chicago drone company specializing in video and photography production services, talks to John about the mysterious drones flying over a handful of states. Colin explains why these drone sightings can have a negative impact on the people who use drones safely, the danger of shooting drones down, and why he believes these drones aren’t be using for nefarious reasons.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions. Lou talks about ceiling fans and air flow, and why you should consider a water filter and an indoor air purifier for your home. If you want to know more about Lou, check out this amazing Block Club feature!

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].

Rich McHugh, investigative correspondent, NewsNation, joins John Williams to talk about seeing over 50 drones flying in New Jersey. Rich says he was ‘rattled’ by the experience and describes the sophistication involved in flying these drones. Also joining John is Colin Hinkle, owner of Soaring Badger Productions, a Chicago drone company specializing in video and photography production services, who tells John about the work he does and what he thinks of the drones that are flying over New Jersey.

Todd Simon, Omaha Steaks fifth-generation family owner, chairman, and chief steak evangelist, joins John Williams to talk about why their burgers taste so good, what makes giving the gift of Omaha Steaks so special, their mission of giving an exceptional experience, the variety of carefully curated options, the product people buy the most, and what he would recommend to give this holiday season.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the market, why he’s optimistic about the end of 2024 and into 2025, how transformative big tech has been to the market, why it’s okay to have a pullback occasionally, the strength of the economy overall, why he believes the soft landing remains intact, if he’s concerned over the inflation numbers, and what he expects from the Fed interest rate announcement next week.

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

Chris Chelios, former Blackhawks (we won’t mention the other teams) great and NHL Hall of Famer, joins John Williams and Andy Masur to preview the upcoming Winter Classic game between your Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field. Chris chats with Andy and John about his successful tequila company, the Hawks recent coaching change, what the players look for in a new coach, and his recollections of playing in the Winter Classic back in 2009. Chris will be a part of a big fundraiser at the House of Blues that will benefit the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks alumni. You can get tickets to that here.

And don’t forget that you can join Charlie Roumeliotis and Kevin Powell live from Murphy’s Bleachers on Dec. 31, 1-3:30pm for a little pre-game party!

Bobby Pierobon, Superintendent of Villa Olivia, joins John Williams to talk about all the things you can do at Villa Olivia throughout the year, the winter sports operations they have once the weather gets cold, the different ski hills that are on the grounds, why tubing is one of their more popular attractions, where you can relax and get warm during your visit, and what you need to do to secure your spot.