Needles’ future is going to pot

Needles, California, which has seen better days like many Route 66 towns bypassed by the interstate decades ago, is betting on future growth with the marijuana industry. This isn't just hyperbole. Check out these facts from the story by the New York Times: The City Council in this solidly Republican community of 5,000 people has … Continue reading Needles’ future is going to pot

Albuquerque sues company over bad ART buses

Albuquerque announced Friday it was suing the BYD company over its faulty electrical buses made for the city's troubled Albuquerque Rapid Transit line. Mayor Tim Keller announced the legal action after forcing the California-based company to take back the buses. According to the Albuquerque Journal: Keller said the city reached out to BYD in an … Continue reading Albuquerque sues company over bad ART buses

The Uranus Examiner newspaper suspends publication

Louis Keen, owner of the infamous Uranus Missouri complex and publisher of The Uranus Examiner, which emerged in September after a nearby daily newspaper shut down, announced the suspension of his publication because of financial difficulties after lenders pulled their funding. In a lengthy Facebook post Friday, Keen explained what prompted him to pull the plug on … Continue reading The Uranus Examiner newspaper suspends publication

Route 66 bill probably won’t help Grants microbrewery against lawsuit

An Albuquerque television station reported Route 66 Historic Trail legislation winding its way through Congress may help a Grants, New Mexico, microbrewery in its trademark lawsuit from a European company. The microbrewery is Henry Lackey's Route 66 Junkyard Brewery at 1634 Route 66 in Grants. As previously reported, the microbrewery was sued late last year … Continue reading Route 66 bill probably won’t help Grants microbrewery against lawsuit

Bill Deck of Deck’s Drug Store in Girard dies

Wyman P. "Bill" Deck, co-owner of the historic Deck's Drug Store in downtown Girard, Illinois, died Monday at age 91 at a hospital in nearby Springfield. A Girard native, Deck was a pharmacy technician at the store and formerly was a librarian at Auburn Public Schools in nearby Auburn, Illinois, according to an obituary in … Continue reading Bill Deck of Deck’s Drug Store in Girard dies

Programming note

In the next day or so, you may notice a few changes to the appearance of Route 66 News. That's because the guts of the website will be undergoing a few but crucial upgrades. I found out a few weeks ago the main WordPress theme, or skin, of Route 66 News hasn't been updated by … Continue reading Programming note

Take a hike around Albuquerque’s volcanoes

Not many people other than locals know this, but Albuquerque is home to three inactive volcanoes on the west edge of the city, and you can hike around them. The volcanoes, known as the Three Sisters, sit within the boundaries of Petroglyph National Monument that includes one of the largest petroglyph sites in North American. … Continue reading Take a hike around Albuquerque’s volcanoes

VIDEO: Tornado damages Country Classic Cars near Staunton

A tornado severely damaged several buildings and cars Saturday at Country Classic Cars along old Route 66 near Staunton, Illinois. Here is incredible footage from Kyle Swip of the twister hitting the business: It was the second disaster to befall the classic-car lot in less than 18 months. In August 2017, a fire destroyed one … Continue reading VIDEO: Tornado damages Country Classic Cars near Staunton

Denny’s windmill in Arcadia is spinning again

The blades of a windmill atop a Denny's restaurant along Route 66 in Arcadia, California, were spinning again this weekend. The blades inexplicably fell off the structure late last year and damaged the restaurant's roof. Reporter Christopher Yee of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune posted video of the windmill operating Friday evening: The last-of-its-kind windmill … Continue reading Denny’s windmill in Arcadia is spinning again

Clifton’s Cafeteria in Los Angeles closes its cafeteria

Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles quietly closed its cafeteria this summer and now the historic site primarily will run only as a nightclub for now. In the interim, Clifton's dropped the "Cafeteria" from its name and now is called Clifton's Republic. No one seems 100 percent sure when Clifton's stopped serving food, but Los … Continue reading Clifton’s Cafeteria in Los Angeles closes its cafeteria