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
Endangered Species: Meet Some Illinois Animals On The List
It's not surprising that Illinois has some animals on the endangered species list, but what is a surprise (at least to me) is how many of those Illinois animals I have never even heard of. Take a look and see how many you know.
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.
Travel Site Names The 10 Most Boring Places In Illinois
I guess we have to ask ourselves if Illinois is a boring state or not. Just the title of this piece alone seems to say that there are a lot of boring places in the Land of Lincoln, so we've boiled it down to ten. A high school teacher once said to be that places aren't boring, but people certainly can be. It also helps to understand the what may bore one person can thrill another one. Let's see if that's true in Illinois.
Here’s How Old Illinois Kids Have To Be To Be Left Home Alone
All kids are different, and so are the states that they live in when it comes to the age that it's okay to leave a kid home by themselves. Here in Illinois...well, let's put it this way: Kevin McAllister's parents in the movie Home Alone would probably be in an Illinois jail for leaving him behind when they went to Paris.
If You Live In Illinois, Don’t Answer Calls From These Area Codes
It's always a good idea to let a call from a number you don't recognize go to voicemail, with the thought being that if the call is truly important, the caller will leave you a message explaining what they want.
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.
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!
10 Illinois High Schools On List Of 50 Best High Schools In U.S.
Of all the states, only New York has more high schools on the "best in the country list" than Illinois does. New York has 11, and Illinois has 10.
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?
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.
Here Are Some New Illinois Laws Going Into Effect In January
Since we don't have new phonebooks to look forward to in January (when is the last time you even got a new phonebook?), we'll have to settle for taking a look at some new laws that hit the books when we flip our calendars to 2024 here in Illinois.
Here’s How Many UFOs Have Been Reported In Illinois This Year
UFO talk is everywhere, especially with the ongoing UFO/UAP testimonies going on in Washington, DC. If you've been wondering how many UFO sightings have been reported in Illinois and the Midwest thus far in 2023, read on for the surprising numbers.