Riley O'Neil

Riley O'Neil has logged more hours behind a microphone than any other Rockford radio personality, starting out with his hiring at WROK in February of 1983. He’s also the longest-tenured morning show host in WROK's 100-year history, with 22 years as the host of the WROK Morning Show. He’s a multi award-winning commercial producer, voice-over artist, and much sought after product and service endorser for multiple local businesses. In addition to hosting the WROK Morning Show with Joe Dredge, Riley also writes for 1440WROK.com, covering everything from Illinois' best local restaurants, to some of the wildest and funniest things Illinois residents have gotten themselves into, and everything in-between.

Illinois Is Currently Covered In Swarms Of Ladybugs–Here’s Why

If you've spent any amount of time outdoors recently, there's every chance that you've encountered anywhere from a few to a few hundred ladybugs swarming around. They're harmless, but it's pretty difficult to avoid having them land on you or your pets for a ride inside your house. So, why so many ladybugs right now?

Illinois Is Getting Digital Licenses: Here’s How It All Works

The state of Illinois is planning to join about a dozen other states in offering residents the option of having a digital driver's license or digital ID. Here's when it will happen, how it works, and what you'll need to do to get one if you're interested.

Leaving Illinois? You’ll Probably Move To 1 Of These 3 Places

We may not be leading the nation right now in "outbound migration," but Illinois is still losing population to other states. These 3 take most of Illinois' departing residents.

Illinois Fast Food Lovers: Here’s What It’s Costing You Per Year

Sure, everything has gotten a lot more expensive over the last 4 years, but the climbing-ever-higher price-point on fast food has really gotten the attention of many people. Let's take a look at what the average Illinois fast food consumer spends on fast food over the course of a given year.

Illinois’ Stink Bugs Are Back: What You Don’t Know About Them

If you've spent any amount of time in Illinois, you are undoubtedly familiar with those brown bugs that show up every year around this time, looking to get into your house. Here's something that maybe you didn't know: Illinois has not just one, but 11 different types of stink bugs.

Illinois Is A Dog State, But…How Many Can You Legally Have?

My daughter Molly, a true dog-lover if ever there were one, recently told me that her ideal home would have lots and lots and lots of dogs running around. When I asked what lots and lots and lots meant, she replied "whatever the legal limit is." Since I had no idea about legal limits on dogs, I decided to check into it.

Here’s What Would Happen If Illinois Stopped Changing Clocks

Nearly everyone hates changing clocks twice a year from "Spring Forward" to "Fall Back." It's a pain, it affects our health, and there's really no good reason to keep doing it other than "that's the way we've always done it." Here's how it would be different if Illinois said "enough" and stopped doing it every year.

Illinois’ Best Grocery Store? A New Study Names A Clear Winner

Given how much prices have exploded at the supermarket over the last 4 years, I find it somewhat surprising that a study would name the best grocery store in Illinois. When you're paying out an agonizing sum of money for a couple of bags of life's essentials, do you still feel good about the place you're paying it to? In Illinois' case, the answer would be yes.

Don’t Answer! Illinoisans, Avoid Calls From These Area Codes

Having a phone with you at all times is such a convenience in today's world...until it isn't. Always being connected means that anyone can reach out to you at anytime, which is not such a good thing when so many scammers are out there looking to take your money or identification. If you see a call coming in from one of these area codes, do not answer it. Here's why.

Here’s When Illinois Fall Colors Will Be Best, Say The Experts

One of the biggest joys we get living in this part of the country is knowing that we'll get a spectacular show of colored leaves (most years) before we spend several months with snow shovels and scrapers in our frigid hands. The question always is "when is the absolute best time to get out and enjoy it?" Here's what the leaf experts think.