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.
Riley O'Neil
Where’s Your $345 Payout From Facebook? It’s Been Delayed
In the interests of full disclosure, I'll happily confess to not being a Facebook user. Sure, we use it at the radio station to share things like this with you, but as far as personal use goes, I'm really just not interested.
Mask Mandate Is Back At Illinois Driver’s License Facilities
When the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) says that it is fully adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new masking guidelines, it's a pretty safe bet that others will follow suit.
The Horrifying Reason Why Illinois’ Starved Rock 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.
Illinois Has The Highest Taxes In America, Says New Study
If you've lived here in Illinois for any significant length of time, you already know that you're paying a lot in taxes of all sorts. But did you know that our state was taking this much from you?
Rockford Gets A Great View Of Twin Meteor Showers Wednesday
Looking back over the first half of the year, 2021 has been chock-full of interesting celestial events that have been visible to Rockford and the Rockford area. We're not done yet.
FBI Warns Of Fake Vaccine Cards Being Sold In Illinois
When there's enough talk about disallowing people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 access to airplanes, trains, buses, schools, universities, etc., it should come as no surprise that fake certificates are available for a price.
Another Day, Another Recall–This Time It’s Muffins
Depending on your perspective, it's been quite a week for food product recalls. It's bad for the companies that have had to issue recall notices, but good for those of us who like to eat food without running a big risk of food poisoning.
New Study Gives Rockford Poor Marks For Education
Looking at the results of a recently-published study on the most and least educated cities in the United States reminded me of a couple of quotes. One, from John Belushi in Animal House: "7 years of college down the drain," and the other from my dad: "Did 9 years of high school teach …
Rockford Area Passport Holders Are Being Targeted
I'm guessing that like most people, you haven't had much use for your passport over the last year and a half or so because of the pandemic and its restrictions.
Beef-A-Roo Is Looking At Highcrest Centre For New Location
I would think most of us in the Rockford area are big fans of Beef-A-Roo, so when I first heard that they're considering opening a new location in Rockford's Highcrest Centre, I applauded the decision.