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 Make The Call: Are These Midwestern Foods Really Gross?
Let's take a look at some foods that people outside of the Midwest (and plenty in it) find disgusting, and that they also assume that Midwesterners can't get enough of.
Illinois’ Secretary Of State Is Making Changes At The DMV
This may be surprising to learn, but apparently people here in Illinois have gotten fed up with long wait times when they visit the Illinois Secretary of State's driving facilities (or, DMV). Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is going to be changing things around to address those concerns.
Heads Up! Video Shows Indiana Crop Duster Nearly Hit Semi
Truck drivers have to deal with a lot of things on the road around them that would scare most of us out of driving, but having to contend with something in the air seems a bit much.
Illinois’ Deadly Plants: This Nasty One Could Be In Your Yard
Contrary to popular theory, not everything green is good. In this case, the Illinois plant we're talking about might be very nearby wherever you are...and it can kill you.
How Much Did Harry Caray Drink? Here Are The Crazy Numbers
You may not have known this, but legendary broadcaster Harry Caray actually kept a "drinking diary" that covers the many, many places that Harry drank, and who he drank with.
Dog Lovers: Here’s How Many Dogs Illinois Residents Can Have
Nearly everyone loves pets, and dogs hold a slight edge over cats in total numbers here in Illinois. But, how many canines can you legally have running around in your yard here in Illinois?
Check Out The Off-Beat Guinness World Records Held By Illinoisans
If you thought setting world records was something that was only done by people in other states, you should check out some of the weird, strange, and bizarre records that have been set here in Illinois.
Here’s Where To Go In Illinois For The Absolute Best Stargazing
There's no shortage of really cool celestial events every year, but for Illinois residents who never really get a good look at meteor showers, planetary alignments, comets, and eclipses, here's where to go to see things in the heavens like you've never seen before.
Fun Fact: Duct Tape Was Invented By An Illinois Mom During WWII
One of the most used and loved products in the world today was invented by an Illinois mother during World War II, who hoped to save soldiers lives on the battlefield, especially her own sons. When no one would listen to her, she decided to write a letter to the President of the United States. Spoiler alert: He listened to her.
Stateline Lawmaker Proposes Lowering Illinois Drinking Age To 18
90th District State Representative John Cabello has introduced a bill in Springfield that would, if signed into law, drop the drinking age in Illinois from our current 21 years of age to 18.
Midwestern Family’s 6 Year Old Orders $1000 In Food From Grubhub
My first thought after finding out about this was "What? Did he order a couple dozen eggs?" But, it turns out that eggs might be the only thing this kid didn't order on Dad's smartphone.
Horrifying Illinois: How Starved Rock State Park Got Its Name
When you've lived in a state for your entire life, it's sometimes jarring to find out something about its history that you had absolutely no idea about.