Episode 15: Heroes, Hogs, & Hot Rods 2021
On Saturday, August 14th, 2021, we recorded our very first live episode of Kankakee Podcast at Heroes, Hogs, & Hot Rods in Manteno, IL. Considering this was the first time I had ever done something like this, I think it went well! If you were one of the people that attended, thank you fro coming!…
Episode 14: Franklin Weber – The Prairieland Printer
Franklin Weber age 88 of Manteno, operating his Miehiel Vertical Letterpress in July 2021. You may know him as Mr. Weber or Franklin but I know him as Papa. Born in 1933 and raised in Manteno, it didn’t take Franklin Weber very long to discover what he was truly passionate about: printing. While visiting his…
Episode 13: Nick Huffman – Beyond The Looney Bin
Nick Huffman at The Looney Bin in Bradley, IL. I’m sure you know who Nick Huffman is or have at least heard his name. I feel like most of us have talked with close friends who have told us stories about Nick over the years. I’ve met Nick a few times over the last three…
Episode 12: Preservation Realty – Downtown Kankakee Economic Development
Old Midland States Bank Building at the corner of Schuyler and Station Street in Kankakee. Pope Brace Building on South Washington Avenue near Court Street in Kankakee. We take a deep dive into the major economic developments that are currently happening in downtown Kankakee with Preservation Realty. Joining us on this episode is Lisa Wogan,…
Episode 11: 1920s Prohibition from Chicago to Kankakee
Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee in the 1920s. It’s that time of the month already where we are joined by the Kankakee County Museum to put out a special episode of Kankakee Podcast! Executive Director, Veronica Featherston, and Research Coordinator, Jorie Walters, take us back to the Prohibition era of the 1920s. As you probably…
Episode 10: The Globetrotting Martin Sisters with Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall holding a picture of his great great aunts, Mable & Lula Martin. A few weeks ago I received a message on the Jake LaMore Facebook Page from a guy named, Ryan Hall. He told me how much he enjoyed listening to Kankakee Podcast and how he would love to share the story of…
Episode 9: Musa Man (Zion Ali)
Left to Right: Musa Man (Zion Ali) and his good friend, Joe Martin. I’ve always believed it’s super important to support local original music. As you can imagine, it’s extremely difficult to launch a successful career writing and performing songs for a living. It’s not impossible though as Musa Man, a.k.a. Zion Ali points out…
Episode 8: Hiking the Appalachian Trail with Molly Ehrich
Several months ago I saw my fellow 2009 Bishop McNamara High School classmate, Molly Ehrich, post a status on Facebook stating that she was going to hike the Appalachian Trail. Mind you, this isn’t some excursion you attempt to do on a Sunday afternoon. The trail is over 2,000 miles long. So when I read…
Episode 7: The Inception of Kankakee County
I’m excited to celebrate “Kankakee Day” for the very first time! I don’t believe I’ve ever celebrated this important day in our county’s history before. It might just be the first time for you as well. It was on this very same day in 1853 that Kankakee Depot was chosen as the county seat. Hence…
Episode 6: Lupe Carroll
When I first started developing the idea of Kankakee Podcast in the fall of 2020, I knew I wanted Lupe Carroll to write the theme song. There was no doubt in my mind that Lupe had the voice and songwriting style I was looking for. So on this episode, we break down how Lupe created…
Episode 5: Mike Tomano
I was one year into my broadcasting career when I first met Mike Tomano in 2015. I hosted the midday show on River Country 101.7 FM and Mike was hired to do the morning show. At that point, Mike had been out of radio for a year or so and wanted to give it one…
Episode 4: The Story of Col. James H. Kasler
Today, as we honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country, we also learn about the story of the late Colonel James H. Kasler. While the Colonel didn’t pass away during his time in service, he still has an incredible story I think we all need to hear. I…
Episode 3: Kent Wade
I first met Kent Wade when I was doing a video shoot in December of 2020. Eric Peterson had asked both of us to be in a “Dad Joke Battle” video to support Toys For Tots. It turned out we had something in common other than being fathers. We both spoke to people for a…
Episode 2: Kankakee County Museum
The Kankakee County Museum Campus is beautiful. Especially in the spring when the trees are blooming or in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. It’s a hot spot for taking for photos. We’ve all done it, right? I know we once shot photos there for when my son turned 18 months old. How…
Episode 1: Eric Peterson of Project Headspace & Timing
When I started developing Kankakee Podcast in the fall of 2020, I couldn’t decide where to start. Who should be on the first episode? Who should be the first guest? There were so many great places and people to start with. I knew that I wanted Eric Peterson to be a guest at some point.…