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’ Stink Bugs Are Back: What You Don’t Know About Them

If you've spent any amount of time in Illinois, you are undoubtedly familiar with those brown bugs that show up every year around this time, looking to get into your house. Here's something that maybe you didn't know: Illinois has not just one, but 11 different types of stink bugs.

Clock Changing In Illinois: Here’s When We Turn Them Back An Hour

Of the two times per year that we change our clocks in one direction or the other, I think most of us would agree that turning your clocks back in the fall is a little easier for the body to deal with than moving them forward an hour in spring. In a perfect world, we'd stop doing this, but...it's not perfect and we still haven't stopped changing our clocks.

Illinois Is A Dog State, But…How Many Can You Legally Have?

My daughter Molly, a true dog-lover if ever there were one, recently told me that her ideal home would have lots and lots and lots of dogs running around. When I asked what lots and lots and lots meant, she replied "whatever the legal limit is." Since I had no idea about legal limits on dogs, I decided to check into it.

Illinois’ Coming Winter: Here’s What One Almanac Is Predicting

You're probably thinking that winter time in Northern Illinois will bring cold, wind, ice, and snow. You'd be absolutely correct about that. The question going into winter each year isn't whether or not those things will come (because they most certainly will), it's how much of those things are we going to have to deal with before Spring rolls in.

Illinoisans Who Bought This Ice Cream May Get A Cash Settlement

One particular brand has one particular ice cream flavor that was, according to a class action lawsuit, falsely advertised. Although the company admits to no wrongdoing, they're still set to pay out almost $9 million in settlement money to Illinois residents (along with the residents of the other 49 states) to make this all go away. Read on to find out if you're eligible for payment.

Don’t Answer! Illinoisans, Avoid Calls From These Area Codes

Having a phone with you at all times is such a convenience in today's world...until it isn't. Always being connected means that anyone can reach out to you at anytime, which is not such a good thing when so many scammers are out there looking to take your money or identification. If you see a call coming in from one of these area codes, do not answer it. Here's why.

Amazon Closes Illinois Fulfillment Center, Lays Off Over 200

Closures of Amazon fulfillment centers in California are one thing, since we're seeing all sorts of businesses abandoning the Golden State, but the closure of one of Amazon's Illinois fulfillment centers means that over 200 Illinoisans are now out of work a little over two months before the holiday season.

Here’s What Would Happen If Illinois Stopped Changing Clocks

Nearly everyone hates changing clocks twice a year from "Spring Forward" to "Fall Back." It's a pain, it affects our health, and there's really no good reason to keep doing it other than "that's the way we've always done it." Here's how it would be different if Illinois said "enough" and stopped doing it every year.

Illinois’ Owls Are Active & Hooting At Night Now, Here’s Why

If you've spent any time outside during the late night or early morning hours, you've probably noticed that there's a sound that's perfect for Halloween-time: the eerie hooting of an owl or owls. Here's why Illinois' owls are making themselves heard in the month of October.

Guy In Illinois: Here’s Every Illinois Triple-D Spot He’s Visited

I've read time and time again about people in other states who've made it a game or bucket list thing to hit every single restaurant from their state that has been featured on TV's Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives. If you're up for a similar challenge, take a look at where you'd go if you wanted to do the same thing here in Illinois.