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
You Won’t Believe How Many Cars Were Stolen In Illinois Last Year
Thefts of vehicles are skyrocketing across the United States, and Illinois is certainly no exception. Unsurprisingly, California leads the nation in overall vehicles being stolen, but Illinois ranks in the top five states that had the most vehicles swiped in 2023.
The “Devil Comet” Can Be Seen From Illinois This Weekend
Hot on the heels of a really cool solar eclipse a little over a week ago, this weekend we're going to get a look at what's being called a once-in-a-lifetime event with the arrival of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the Devil Comet.
Illinois Has $5 Billion In Unclaimed Property–Is Any Of It Yours?
Maybe you're doing really well and aren't interested in adding more to your list of possessions at all, or maybe you're a normal human being who wouldn't mind finding out that there might be some unclaimed wealth with your name on it. I think I fall into the second group.
Major Illinois Dairy Files For Bankruptcy Protection
Not to give away too much, but the Illinois dairy we're talking about has been around for well over 100 years, and is pretty famous for home delivery and selling their products in glass bottles. Any guesses?
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?
Warning: These Illinois Spring Flowers Can Be Deadly To Your Dog
Sure, it's nice to see winter in the rearview mirror because that means warmer weather, sunshine, and flowers blooming are coming soon. The downside to the seasonal change in Illinois is that some of the most common and beloved springtime flowers in our state can really make your dog sick...or worse.
Naperville’s Really Weird World Record Was Just Broken
It took 12 years for someone to do it, but Naperville's strange world record for the amount of people willing to show up and completely reverse the order of how a normal person gets dressed has finally fallen to an out-of-state competitor.
Weather Channel Says Early Spring, Warmer Temps For Illinois
If you've lived in Illinois long enough, you're probably really enjoying the mild February temperatures...and you keep wondering when winter will remember it's still winter and hit us with more cold and ice. It turns out that being optimistic that spring is starting early isn't such a bad idea after all, because it looks like it will.
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.
Illinois Shelter: Name A Litterbox After Your Ex For Valentine’s!
Why take the high road and forget all about that failed romance when you can name a litterbox or a cockroach after the person who broke your heart? Why indeed.