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
The Pumpkin King: Illinois’ Amazing Pumpkin-Growing Stats
Illinois is without a doubt the king of pumpkin production, but one place in Illinois is responsible for our state having that title, and that's the town of Morton, Illinois, where they call their home the "Pumpkin Capital Of The World."
Need A Job? Amazon Is Hiring 3500 Illinoisans For The Holidays
With gas (and pretty much everything else) continuing to skyrocket in price, you might have the idea in mind to grab yourself a "side hustle" so you can afford a few presents after filling your car and buying groceries.
500,000 Illinois Residents To Get Share Of $100M From Google
I know, the headline would be much better if it were something like "1 Illinoisan To Get Giant Bag Of Money From Google" followed by (insert your name here), but you'll have to settle with sharing some of this money with your fellow Illinois residents.
Monarch Migration: Butterfly Viewing Peaking In Northern Illinois
As interesting as I find getting a good look at migrating monarch butterflies making their way throughout Northern Illinois on their way South for the winter, I've gotta tell you that learning the reason why they're called "butterflies" in the first place is even more intriguing.
$1.3 Billion: Why Hasn’t Illinois’ Jackpot Winner Come Forward?
A little over a month ago, $1.33 billion, the third-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, was won by someone who purchased their Mega Millions ticket right here in Illinois at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines. When you look at that kind of money, you wonder why the winner has not announced themselves to lottery officials yet.
Flashback: Illinois Woman Sees Lincoln’s Face In A Clump Of Dirt
While certainly not the most attractive man to ever walk the face of the Earth, Abraham Lincoln is certainly one of the most recognizable, especially here in Illinois. You can see Lincoln's face on the penny, on the $5 bill, and splashed all over governmental buildings throughout Illinois and the nation.
High Health Risk: Illinois-Based Frozen Pizza Launches Recall
Another day, another product recall. This time the product being recalled is actually one of Illinois' favorite frozen food items, and one that I'm pretty certain is sitting in our freezer at home.
Some Call These Midwestern Foods Gross–Are They Right Or Not?
Over the weekend, I got an email note from a friend who formerly lived here in the Rockford area. In the email, he included a link to a piece about "classic" Midwestern food dishes he found on a website.
Illinois Sheriff Issues Warning About A Cannibal Spaghetti Cook
In the craziness of today's world and the round-the-clock news cycle, it's really difficult sometimes to figure out if something we're being told is fact or fiction. I'm not necessarily referring to politics, either. There's a lot of BS floating around about all sorts of things, and sometimes people fall for it.
We May Never Know Illinois Lottery Winner’s Name-Here’s Why
One lucky Mega Millions lottery ticket-buyer in Illinois is going to be a billionaire following Friday night’s $1.337 billion drawing, but the question is are we ever going to know that person's name?