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 Snow: What’s The Latest Date We’ve Ever Gotten It?

We live in Illinois, so there's no doubt that we're going to be getting snow over the late fall through winter seasons. However, many places in Northern Illinois normally have already had their first snow, but no snow has fallen yet. Let's take a look at how early and how late we've gotten our first snows here in Illinois.

Illinois Cities And Towns: These Are The Hardest To Pronounce

You want old-world town names that we pronounce much differently than the original town was pronounced? Check. How about Native American names that can easily and frequently mispronounced? Check. Illinois has a tongue-twisting city or town name for everyone.

Booze-Free Illinois Town Votes On Ending A 90 Year Liquor Ban

We don't have dry counties in Illinois anymore, even though a few states still do. What we have is a dry village in Vermillion County that's looking to change a law that's been in place for nearly 100 years, and finally allow sales of alcohol. Voters are going to the polls to decide one way or the other.

Veterans Day 2024 Is Monday–How Many Vets Does Illinois Have?

If you decided you wanted to shake the hand of every living veteran in the state of Illinois on Monday, Veterans Day 2024, how many hands do you think you'd be shaking?

A New Study Says These Are Illinois’ Very Best Hospitals

There's nothing wrong with wanting to have the best possible care when you're sick or injured, is there? Of course not. If you're an Illinoisan, you should check out this list of Illinois' best 26 hospitals, chosen out of over 700 hospitals across the country.

Drinking In Illinois: Here’s The Most-Ordered Item At The Bar

It doesn't really matter what time of year it is, Illinois drinkers have really developed an affinity for a certain type of alcoholic beverage, and they're ordering it more than anything else. Any guesses?

Got A Buck, Illinois? The $1 Bill You Have May Be Worth Big Money

You've may have seen those stories about a super-lucky someone who had some paper money with a printing mistake that made it worth far more than the face value of the note itself. Well, check your own wallet to see if maybe the star of the story this time is you because there are some really valuable dollar bills floating around out there. Here's what to look for.

Illinois May Change The State Flag, Asks Residents For Designs

The Illinois flag has been updated before, but it's been awhile. Now, the state is asking those of us who live here to submit our ideas and designs for a potential Illinois state flag makeover.

Illinois Has More Of These Big Cats Than You May Have Thought

Just because you've rarely if ever seen one doesn't mean that they're not around. The state of Illinois has 102 counties, and bobcats have been reported in all but three counties. So, how many does Illinois have? The number will probably surprise you.

Warning: Illinois Scammers Are Using Fake Local Phone Numbers

A few years back, it was easier to tell who was calling you. Their name and number (or at least the number) would show up on your caller ID, and you'd have some idea of where they were calling from. Now, a scammer simply changes a few things to make it look like a local number is calling you, or even worse, it'll look like a friend or family member's number.

Illinois On Halloween: Is There A Trick-Or-Treat Age Limit Law?

With Halloween arriving tomorrow, costumes have been purchased or made, candy has been gathered, decorations are up, and the trick-or-treaters are ready to hit the streets, However, there are laws and regulations about hours and times that go along with the Halloween festivities---but does Illinois have an age limit for those going door-to-door looking for treats?

Do You Know About Illinois’ Weird Way Of Taxing Halloween Candy?

If you've been an Illinois resident for any length of time, I'm sure you realize that our state's leaders have never met a tax they didn't like or want to impose upon citizens. That would include a strange bit of logic when it comes to the taxability of Halloween candy.