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.

Illinois’ Neighbor Has 41 Of The 50 Drunkest Counties In The U.S.

As long as we're this close to a holiday involving green beer and drinking to excess as its theme, I thought it would be fun to look at one of Illinois' next-door neighbors. This neighbor has quite the reputation for elbow-bending, and as it turns out, that reputation is well-earned.

Illinois Just Banned A Common Item That Might Put You In The Dark

Ironically enough, the soon-to-be banned items are the very same things a former senator and president from Illinois very passionately described as being something that we should all be using because of its superior efficiency.

Bees In Illinois: Ever Wondered Where They Go When It Gets Cold?

Some things migrate toward the south and warmer weather, other things dig in and hunker down for a long winter's nap, but what happens to Illinois' bees, wasps, and yellow jackets when the weather turns frigid?

Can You Identify Illinois Cities And Towns By Their Nicknames?

As you probably know, Rockford has a few nicknames. You've probably already heard of The Forest City, Screw City, The Fastener Capital Of The World, Reaper City, Illinois' 2nd City, and maybe even Furniture City, but did you know that many other Illinois cities and towns have nicknames, too? Let's take a look at some.

Ever Been To Illinois Most Charming Small Town? (It’s not Galena)

There's no shortage of small towns scattered throughout the state of Illinois. Some are vibrant, some are rundown, but of all the small towns in the Land of Lincoln, one particular place gets the title of Illinois' most charming small town.

Here’s When Illinois Fall Colors Will Be Best, Say The Experts

One of the biggest joys we get living in this part of the country is knowing that we'll get a spectacular show of colored leaves (most years) before we spend several months with snow shovels and scrapers in our frigid hands. The question always is "when is the absolute best time to get out and enjoy it?" Here's what the leaf experts think.

Drinking In Illinois: Here’s The Most-Ordered Item At The Bar

It doesn't really matter what time of year it is, Illinois drinkers have really developed an affinity for a certain type of alcoholic beverage, and they're ordering it more than anything else. Any guesses?

Illinois’ Best Grocery Store? A New Study Names A Clear Winner

Given how much prices have exploded at the supermarket over the last 4 years, I find it somewhat surprising that a study would name the best grocery store in Illinois. When you're paying out an agonizing sum of money for a couple of bags of life's essentials, do you still feel good about the place you're paying it to? In Illinois' case, the answer would be yes.

You’ll Be Seeing More Skunks In Illinois Very Soon: Here’s Why

Why not? This year we've already had to deal with periodical cicadas, annual cicadas, cicada killers, wasps, and yellow jackets. Within the next few weeks, it will be deer on the roadways and skunks all over the place. Here's why the skunks will be prevalent in Illinois.