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.

Payphones In Illinois: Can You Guess How Many We Have Left?

Way back when in the pre-cellphone era, if you were away from home and had to make a call you looked for the nearest payphone...and usually prayed that it would be in working order. Now that payphones are as hard to find as cheap gas, I got to wondering just how many of these relics from the past we still have around in Illinois.

Here’s Why There’s A Truck In A Tree On Highway 43 Outside Beloit

If you've ever found yourself traveling on Route 43 about eight miles outside of Beloit near mile marker 6 and the Clinton exit, you've seen the Truck In The Tree.

“Best 22 Pizza Places In The US” Includes 2 Illinois Pizza Joints

If there's one thing that Illinois and the rest of the country have in common, it's an incredibly large assortment of pizza joints to choose from. A new study says that of all Illinois' pizza places, these two were included in a list of the best 22 pizza joints from across the nation.

Illinois Hospitals: A New Study Names The Top 25 In The State

If you find yourself injured or seriously under the weather, a new study says that these 25 Illinois hospitals are where you should be going to get yourself better.

Illinois Thanksgiving Travelers: The Best/Worst Travel Times

With a record number of people planning to hit the road over Thanksgiving, you're going to have plenty of company as you travel over the river and through the woods to...well...wherever you're going. Here are the best and worst times to back out of your driveway and get started.

Are You Hearing Illinois’ Owls? Here’s Why They’re Loud Lately

It only happens very late at night or very early in the morning, but Illinois' owl populations are being anything but quiet over the last few weeks. Here's why Illinois owls are making themselves heard lately.

Study Names 1 Illinois City As “Safest And Most Affordable”

Most studies of Illinois cities and towns include rave reviews for Galena and Naperville, but this time the crown doesn't go to either of those places. If you want a clue, think about watches...

Thanksgiving In Illinois: Here Are The Foods Safe For Your Pets

If you have pets, then you already know how hard it is to keep them away from the mountains of food that are part of the Thanksgiving holiday. You probably also know that many of the the things we humans love about the Thanksgiving Day table aren't very good for your dog or cat to consume. Let's take a look a what foods are.

Here Are The Illinois Companies With The Highest Revenue In 2024

An online casino site that knows a thing or two about money and revenue just came out with their list of the most successful US businesses in 2024, and they break it down state-by-state. So let's take a look at the top ten Illinois-based businesses with the highest amount of revenue in 2024. One note: Illinois company with the highest revenue just said they're closing 1,200 locations.

Illinois Is Starting To Get Cold–Do Our Dogs Really Need Coats?

It's not at all unusual to see some dogs here in Illinois sporting coats (and sometimes even boots) in the cold weather, but do they really need those things or is it an excuse to dress them up for our own enjoyment? Here's the answer.