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
Illinois’ Summer Forecast: Here’s What The Experts Are Saying
As we work our way through what has to be called a "mild winter" here in Illinois, you've got to wonder if the warmer temperatures and nicer weather we've been experiencing since February are going to stick with us all the way through spring and into summer. Here's what the weather experts are saying Illinois can expect over the summer months.
You Won The Lottery! But, Can You Stay Anonymous In Illinois?
Recently, we saw yet another lottery jackpot cross the billion-dollar mark (sorry, the winner was from another state), and we'll more than likely see it happen again. If you won all that money, you'd probably like to keep a low profile so everyone didn't know who to ask for money, but are you allowed to stay unknown after winning big money in Illinois?
Attention Shoppers: New Study Lists Illinois’ Best Grocery Stores
Do you have a strong loyalty for any particular grocery store, or do you shop several of them to get what you want? Either way, check out this list of Illinois' top spots for food shopping and see if your personal favorite or favorites are on it.
Strange World Records: Here Are Some That Were Set In Illinois
It may be hard to believe, but there have been some rather strange world records set by Illinoisans over the years, beyond having a certain professional sports team setting a record for length of time between world championships (happily that came to an end in 2016).
Pop Quiz: Do You Know How Many Places Are Named Rockford?
So, you've made your summer vacation travel plans, and you're about to set forth across the United States in search of any and every place you can find that carries the name "Rockford." I don't want to give anything away here, but before you go, please make sure you've got good tires and plenty of gas money.
Illinois Pie Lovers: Word Has It This Place Has The State’s Best
Sure, there are lots and lots of places in Illinois you could visit for a good piece of pie. However, this Illinois spot has the reviews and awards that back up its well-deserved reputation for having the very best pies you can find in the state of Illinois.
Thinking Of Leaving Illinois? Here’s Where You’ll Probably Go
People have been leaving, or trying to find a way to leave Illinois for a number of years now. After all the departures, we've become pretty familiar with the term "outbound migration," but have you ever wondered where the majority of those leaving our state end up living? It's mainly 3 states.
They’re Coming: Chicago Just Issued A Cicada Advisory
If anyone thought that all the talk about a coming cicada emergence that we haven't seen since Thomas Jefferson was president was just a bunch of hype, you might want to reconsider that. With Illinois being ground zero for billions and billions of these creatures, Chicago has issued a warning about what's just about to happen.
Here’s What Illinois Viewers Need To Know About Today’s Eclipse
I've never seen an eclipse get the kind of breathless attention that today's (Monday) solar eclipse has brought with it over the last couple of months, but we're finally at eclipse day 2024. Here are some things to keep in mind for Illinois viewers who are heading outside today to have a look.
Illinois Cicada Invasion: Here’s When Experts Say They’ll Show Up
So we've been hearing for months and months about the upcoming dual emergence of two broods of cicadas that will bring billions, if not a trillion cicadas to the surface and into our lives. We keep hearing that it will happen "this spring," but many of us would like the prediction to be a bit more specific. Here's what the cicada experts have to say about the timing of the cicada emergence.