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.
Riley O'Neil
Coming To Illinois Next Spring: Billions And Billions Of Cicadas
Sure, we've had cicadas around here before, but next May will bring tens of millions of them out of the ground here in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, as Brood XIII cicadas emerge with numbers as high as 1.5 million cicadas per acre!
New Illinois Driving Laws For 2024, And How They’ll Affect You
Every year on January 1st, new laws go into effect here in Illinois and throughout the country. Over 300 new laws will be part of our lives here in Illinois in 2024, and some of the new laws regarding motorists and transit will definitely affect your driving life in our state.
When People Leave Illinois, They Go Mostly To These 3 States
We've been hearing for years about something called "Outbound Migration" here in Illinois, which is a fancy way of saying "kissing a state goodbye." Illinois may no longer be the state leading the nation in outbound migration, but we're near the top. Ever think about where you'd move if you left Illinois?
Are There Any Dry (Liquor Free) Counties In Illinois Anymore?
A "dry" county is one where the sale of alcoholic beverages of any kind is prohibited by local government, and believe or not, there are plenty of them scattered around the United States. One particular state leads the entire nation in dry counties, but how many of Illinois' 102 counties are saying no to booze sales, too?
Here Are Illinois’ Most Popular Dog And Cat Names Of 2023
The most popular baby names in Illinois are fairly predictable because we seem to get into patterns with them. You'll see many of the same baby names in the same positions on the list year after year, but popular pet names can and do change from one year to the next. Here are the names Illinoisans decided to give their puppies and kittens this year.
7 Illinois High Schools Named Among Best 50 In The United States
Having seven high schools ranked in the top 50 high schools in the entire country is pretty cool, but in order to send your kid to one of Illinois' top ranked high schools, you might have to call a realtor and moving company.
Gone For Good: Illinois Retailers That Closed Their Doors In 2023
For some of these places, the warning had been coming for a while that things were not good and permanent closure was imminent. For others, it was more of a shock or surprise when the "going out of business" signs popped up on their windows.
Illinois Parents Would Go To Jail For A Real Life “Home Alone”
Sure, it's just a movie, and everything worked out in the end. However, if Illinois parents forgot their 8-year old at home over the holidays in real life while they flew first-class off to Paris, they'd be getting a tour of Illinois' legal system.
Drink Up: Can You Guess Which Alcohol Illinoisans Order The Most?
There are a lot of different choices when it comes to alcoholic beverages, especially at holiday time. However, Illinoisans have shown a preference for a particular type, regardless of the time of year. You may be drinking one right now.
Banning Right Turn On Red In Illinois? Here’s Why It Could Happen
Up until around 50 years ago, there were only a few western states that allowed a right turn to be made at a red light or stop sign. That all changed when the oil embargo/crisis that happened in the middle 70s prompted the federal government to push all states into changing their right turn on red laws.