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.

Christmas Towns: Illinois Has One Of The Country’s Most-Loved

If you're looking for a picturesque Illinois town that really goes all in on holiday decorating and the Christmas spirit, you don't have very far to travel to get there.

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.

“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.

Auto Parts Chain With 156 Illinois Spots To Close 700-Plus Stores

Once again, rising prices and changing customer spending habits are being blamed for yet another company with locations from coast-to-coast deciding to close hundreds of stores. Here's what that means for Illinois.

Illinois Thanksgiving Travelers Expected To Break Record In 2024

Nearly 2 million more people than last year are expected to be hitting the road for Thanksgiving this year, and that covers all modes of travel from driving to flying to cruise ships. Here's when the best and worst travel times are going to be during Thanksgiving 2024.

New Study Names Illinois’ Very Best Elementary Schools

The top ten elementary schools in Illinois list isn't strictly limited to Chicago and Chicagoland schools, but the majority of the top ten are located there.

Illinois Charm: Experts Name Illinois’ “12 Most Charming Towns”

There are small charming towns scattered all over our state, so it's nice to see a group that's not headquartered in Illinois throw some love at those places. Sure, Galena is always going to make this kind of list, but there are also eleven more Illinois spots you should definitely visit if you're looking to be charmed.

Federal REAL ID Changes May Push Illinois’ Deadline Back To 2027

If you've lost track of how many times the deadline for REAL ID has been extended here in Illinois and across the nation, it's totally understandable. The drop-dead date to make the switch from your standard Illinois driver's license over to a REAL ID has been changed multiple times due to the pandemic, the post-pandemic, and now it might be changed again because of a federal rule change.

Illinois Porch Pirates: They Steal The Most During These Two Days

We're just entering the time of year that people are ordering more stuff for delivery to their homes than any other time of the year, also known as the holiday season. We know that most of us are not going to stop having packages delivered, so maybe knowing which two days bring package thieves (or, "Porch Pirates") to your house than any other days will be helpful to you.

DoorDash To Pay $11.25 Million To Illinois Drivers In Settlement

Who knew that taking a driver's tips and using them instead to pay the driver wasn't legal or ethical? Alright, I suppose nearly everyone knew that, but it still didn't stop DoorDash from doing it anyway.