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’ Classic 80s Plates Are Back–Here’s How To Request Them

Call them "vintage," or maybe go with "classic," but whatever you want to call them, Illinois license plates from the 80s (white background, blue lettering, three stripes) are getting a new lease on life. Want them back on your car?

Ready To Pay More? Illinois’ Gas Tax Goes Up Again July 1st

What happens when a governor doubles gas taxes in his first week on the job and then builds in annual increases for those gas taxes? You get a not-so-lovely surprise every year when gas taxes take a bigger bite out of your budget. That's what's about to happen in Illinois in a little over 60 days.

Bye Illinois: Here’s Why 33 Illinois Counties May Join Indiana

Nearly one-third of Illinois' 102 counties have voted to secede from the state over the last few years, and now the state of Indiana has expressed serious interest in absorbing those counties into Indiana. Illinois' governor says it's not going to happen, but others feel quite differently.

Sam’s Club To Dump Checkouts, Go With AI In Illinois, Nationally

Have you heard of "AI Shopping" before? If not, you'll soon be learning a lot more about it because several companies are exploring the idea of getting rid of traditional checkouts and letting AI keep track of your items and add them to your credit card as you grab things in the store and leave.

BBB: Illinois Real ID Scams Are A Real Thing Before The Deadline

There's been a lot of buzz and a lot of long lines to get an Illinois Real ID before the May 7th deadline, and the scam artists in our state have taken notice. Here are the current Real ID scams to watch out for if you're trying to get yours before time runs out.

Illinois Lottery Player Wins $1 Million By Using Favorite Color

Say what you will about people and their superstitions, but an Illinois man is one million dollars richer because he went with his lucky color when choosing a lottery ticket.

Illinois Man Saves Drowning Driver, Proving Everyday Heroes Exist

When an emergency happens, there are generally two groups of people: Those who watch without doing anything to help, and those who jump in to help without any hesitation. Luckily, a woman is alive today because an Illinois landscaper was a member of the second group of people.

These Are The Hardest To Pronounce Town Names In Illinois

From difficult to say Native American town names to old-world town names that we've decided to pronounce differently, Illinois has got a tongue-tying city or town name for everyone.

Illinois Stargazers: Rare Smiley Face In The Sky Comes Next Week

A smiley face in the sky isn't the only cool celestial event that will take place over the next week or so. We've also got some pretty spectacular meteor showers to check out, too.

Illinois Man Trying To Become Among Oldest To Climb Mt. Everest

Back in 2021 a 75 year old man from Northbrook, Illinois became the oldest man to make it to the summit of Mt. Everest. Now, another Illinois man is hoping to add his name to the list of the oldest men to conquer Everest this year.