Riley O'Neil

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.

If Someone Steals Your Illinois Plate, Can You Get In Trouble?

You'd think that this would be an easily answered question. If my plate, or plates were stolen, I'd probably think of myself as being the victim in that scenario. However, an Aurora man found out that things sometimes are just not that clear-cut.

Weird Cheese Laws? Wisconsin Has Got Plenty Of Them

Not that our state, which has laws against mispronouncing Joliet as Jolly-ette, or giving dogs a cigar has anything to look down its nose at, but our friends behind the cheddar curtain have some interesting ideas about cheese legalities and other things.

Why Warming Up Your Car Is Both Legal And Illegal In Illinois

Every year at this time, you'll probably hear someone weigh in on the topic of letting the car idle in the driveway long enough to get the defroster and the heater working; is it okay to do that, or are you facing some trouble?

Horrifying Illinois: How Starved Rock State Park Got Its Name

When you've lived in a state for your entire life, it's sometimes jarring to find out something about its history that you had absolutely no idea about.

Big Food: Wisconsin Supper Club Offers 160 Ounce Steak Challenge

Food challenges, which test your ability to put away a stunning amount of food for prizes and a photo on a restaurant's wall of fame, can be found nearly anywhere, but for one of the biggest of the big, you've gotta take a road trip to Hortonville, Wisconsin.

Midwestern Man Orders McDonald’s, Gets $5000 In Cash Instead

It's doubtful that this sort of thing will happen to any of us, but if it does, we should all try to be more like this guy.

Walmart Closing 15 Stores In April, 3 In Illinois, 1 In Wisconsin

Over the last couple of years, we've seen several major retailers lay off personnel and shutter some of their stores in the hopes of keeping the business afloat. For some of these retailers, it's just postponing the inevitable shut-down of the entire chain, but for others, it's due to underperformance of stores in certain markets.

Rare Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Being Offered At $209 Per Pound

I know that we're Midwestern Americans, and that Midwestern Americans are supposed to totally love everything about cheese, especially when it's made by our neighbors in Wisconsin. But, are you enough of a cheese lover to shell out over $200 for a pound of extremely rare Wisconsin cheddar that was made about 80 miles from Rockford?

Midwestern Man Accidently Given $5000 With McDonald’s Order

How do you turn a happy meal into an extremely happy meal? Having a drive-through window worker tuck five grand next to your McNuggets works nearly every time here in the Midwest.

New Year, New Laws In Illinois–Here’s What’s Coming In 2023

When we flip the calendar page to a new year in a few weeks, we'll have to start remembering to write 2023 on our checks (if anyone still does that), and it would probably be a good idea to know what additions and changes to current laws here in Illinois are going to be.