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
Check Out These Illinois Animals On The Endangered Species List
There are far more endangered and threatened animal species in Illinois than I have space to write about, but here are a few you may have heard of, and maybe a couple of animals you didn't even know were living in Illinois.
Ever Been To Illinois Most Charming Small Town? (It’s not Galena)
There's no shortage of small towns scattered throughout the state of Illinois. Some are vibrant, some are rundown, but of all the small towns in the Land of Lincoln, one particular place gets the title of Illinois' most charming small town.
Study Names Illinois’ Top 5 Favorite TV Shows…But Are They?
At one time or another, everybody has had the experience of looking at a list of popular things only to realize you don't know anything about any of the things on the list. Check out this list of the most popular TV shows in Illinois and see if you agree.
At Illinois Grocery Stores, This Item Is The #1 Best-Seller
I'm not trying to talk you into buying anything you wouldn't normally buy, but looking at the number-one best selling item in Illinois grocery stores, I'm going to go ahead and guess that you already buy this.
A New “Best States” List Is Out, And Here’s Where Illinois Ranks
If you've only lived in Illinois, it's going to be pretty difficult to come up with a ranking for Illinois among the other 49 states. But, if you're someone who's lived all over the country, where would you rank Illinois when compared to every other state you've lived in?
Illinois AG: Phone Scammers Are Using AI Voices To Trick Victims
Scammers have found ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make it sound as though you're getting a call from someone you know, or an authority figure you would trust, and this technology is costing victims some serious money.
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.
Illinois Lost People For The 10th Straight Year–Here’s How Many
Illinois has led the Midwest and the most of the nation in "outbound migration," also known as people heading for the exits, for the last decade. While we may not be the state losing the most people in the country, we're still losing Illinois residents to other states at a high rate.
Moving Companies: Where Illinois Ranks In Residents Looking To Go
For the longest time, Illinois has been at or near the top in states leading the nation in "outbound migration," or more simply put, "moving away." Now, some new data from moving companies names the top 3 states in the country where residents are packing up trucks and heading for the state line. We're one of them, but where do we rank?
Food Site Experts Say: This Place Is Illinois’ Best Steakhouse
So, which steakhouse reigns supreme in Illinois? I will tell you that if you had a Chicago steakhouse in mind, you're wrong.
Yuck! Here’s The Food That Illinoisans Hate More Than Any Other
Complaining about food was never tolerated in the house I grew up in. Both my parents came from a time when food was scarce, and they never got over it. Even if the meal was borderline inedible, they're attitude was "be glad you have something, now shut up and eat it."