Reports out of St. Louis are grim: three people dead and widespread damage from up to six inches of rain caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Flooding affected one Route 66 alignment in the St. Louis region, Manchester Road. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The heavy rains flooded large sections of Brentwood on … Continue reading Flooding strikes St. Louis area
Author: Ron Warnick
I'm the editor and publisher of Route 66 News, a clearinghouse of events, information, and entertainment pertaining to historic U.S. 66, the Mother Road.
Normal considers TIF district for old gas station
The City of Normal, Ill., is considering creating a tax-increment financing district to help assist in the renovation of a historic Route 66 gas station, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The gas station in question at 305 Pine St. is owned by Terri Ryburn. The Tudor Revival-style station was built in the 1930s and was recently … Continue reading Normal considers TIF district for old gas station
The nighttime glow of Gay Parita
Gary Turner's faithful reproduction of the former Gay Parita gas station on old Route 66 in Paris Springs, Mo., recently had architectural neon lighting added. The lighting was installed free by Vernon Boyce, owner of Missouri Neon Co. of nearby Springfield, Mo. The company has been around since the 1940s and has installed neon lighting … Continue reading The nighttime glow of Gay Parita
New Tucumcari billboards, banners
It's not a new slogan, but new "Tucumcari Tonite!" billboards to publicize the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., are about to go up along Interstate 40. There also will be "Tucumcari Tonite!" banners of a similar design along the city's main drags, including Route 66. There also are several Tucumcari centennial banners. Richard Talley, … Continue reading New Tucumcari billboards, banners
Governor pledges more projects for Tucumcari
The city of Tucumcari made a strong bid but failed last month to gain a license for a casino and horse-racing track. But apparently the effort has created some positive side effects. Local officials who made a bid for the "racino" license met with Gov. Bill Richardson, and he pledged to bring future economic development … Continue reading Governor pledges more projects for Tucumcari
Hello from China
Here's a jazz group doing a localized version of "Route 66" in Beijing. Purists may object to changing the lyrics, but when in Rome ... The singer is wrong about who wrote the song, though. It was by Bobby Troup, not Hoagy Carmichael. Troup would have probably been thrilled to have been included in such … Continue reading Hello from China
Animal Paradise’s future plans
Animal Paradise, a drive-through exotic animal park off Route 66 near Strafford, Mo., was taken over by a corporation earlier this year. KSPR-TV in Springfield, Mo., talked to the park's operators about future plans: “Black bears will be the next thing to come in,” said owner Jim Meikle. Exotic Animal Paradise is also planning to … Continue reading Animal Paradise’s future plans
Marshfield wins spot on revitalization initiative
The Route 66 town of Marshfield was one of 10 communites that was selected to the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri initiative, or DREAM, reported the Marshfield Mail. ... Gov. Matt Blunt states the purpose of the DREAM Initiative is to give small and mid-sized communities additional tools for economic development. [...] The … Continue reading Marshfield wins spot on revitalization initiative
Tulsa Monument Co. named to National Register
The Tulsa Monument Co. building, located at 1735 E. 11th St. (Route 66) in Tulsa, was named to the National Register of Historic Places effective Sept. 4, according to an e-mail received today from the National Park Service. According to the Tulsa Preservation Commission, the Art Deco building was built in 1936 by Harry H. … Continue reading Tulsa Monument Co. named to National Register
Free fun
With rising inflation and the economy in shaky condition, the organizers of the Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., this weekend gave the Press-Enterprise one excellent hook to draw tourists -- everything is free. "Since the event is free to the public, and with the tightened economy, and the history of this being such … Continue reading Free fun