I consider myself lucky to have been born and raised right here in the Rock River Valley, a place that my family and my wife Amy's family have called home for generations. I was first hired at WROK in 1983, and except for a short departure, I've spent my entire career right here in Rockford. Halloween of 2019 will mark my 18th anniversary of hosting the WROK Morning Show, making me the longest-serving morning show host in the station's nearly 100-year history. Amy and I have been happily married for 28 years, with two (now grown) children, Spencer (who does voice-overs for audio books and commercial voice-over work, too), and Molly (a graduate of Rock Valley College who also dazzles with service at a popular local restaurant). I'm luckier than I ever thought possible. When I'm not here at the station, I can usually be found at one of Rockford's many great, local events, either as host/master of ceremonies, or as an attendee. If we should meet, feel free to buy me 1 to 7 drinks.
Riley O'Neil
Illinois Family: The Unvaccinated Caused Vaccinated Woman’s Death
Unlike many things you'll read today, I'm not going to even attempt to tell you what to think about this particular story. I know that adherents to the call for everyone to get the vaccine will take this one way, and the vaccine-hesitant will look at it entirely differently.
Illinois Considers Ronald Reagan Statue For Springfield
If you've been wondering what it would take to get a statue of yourself put on display in our state's capital city of Springfield, you might want to get started by saving 77 people from drowning in the Rock River. Oh, and then get elected president.
Illinois Considers Law Limiting Amount Of Balloons You Can Release
Divers finding balloons in Lake Michigan and Girl Scouts spending their time picking up balloon debris in the Chicago suburbs led to Illinois State Representative Sam Yingling putting forth Illinois House Bill 418 (HB-418).
Illinois Residents Are Apparently Lying To Get Another COVID Shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now estimating that over 1 million people who have received either a Moderna or Pfizer vaccination have decided to go back for more.
Illinois Makes Muhammad Ali’s Birthday A School Holiday
Governor Pritzker signed legislation on Thursday that included a bill to add the January 17th birthday of Muhammad Ali to the list of commemorative school holidays in Illinois.
Illinois State Fair Opens Today, Mandates Masking For Attendees
With seemingly everything getting the plug pulled on it last year, it's nice to see that the Illinois State Fair is back for 2021, although there will be some changes to the routine fair experience.
Masks Required? Here’s What Illinois’ Major Retailers Say
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated recommendations for mask-wearing due to the Delta Variant of COVID-19 were recently announced, and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said last week that they're fully adopting those recommendations.
Survey Names Chicago Bears Fans As Being Among The Booziest
I've always thought that if we purchased (in abundance) the products that are pitched to us during the course of an NFL game, we'd all have several large pickup trucks, and they'd all be filled with beer.
3 Illinois Cities Drop Bizarre “Opposite Sex Clothing Ban”
When alert listener Paul shared this story with me, he concluded by asking me if I "even knew that this was a thing." I guess my answer would be yes, but no.