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. 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.

Chris Collins, head basketball coach at Northwestern, joins John Williams and Dave Eanet to talk about their first exhibition game last night, how much the players prepare for the upcoming season, what his team will be like without the great Boo Buie, who he is most excited about on this year’s squad, the way they used the transfer portal to acquire some impact players, why Northwestern continues to be a desirable destination for players, his thoughts on the expansion of the Big 10, and why he’s excited about the upcoming season.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some vacation ideas that are only a quick getaway from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, John takes you on a trip down to Dollywood! Josh Sauer, publicist for Dollywood, tells John about the pretty drive from Illinois down to Dollywood, where you can stay when you visit, why he considers it the most beautiful theme park in the U.S., and the incredible Smoky Mountain Christmas event starting November 1st.