An apparent windstorm knocked down a Route 66 mural in Lexington, Illinois, that was created by a local teenager barely six months ago. Karen Wingo, owner of the Thrift Avenue store along Route 66 in downtown Lexington, told the Pontiac Daily Leader she discovered the damage over Easter weekend. Wingo was first alerted to the … Continue reading Windstorm flattens Route 66 mural in Lexington
Category: Weather
Fire destroys Sirloin Stockade in Rolla
A fire Tuesday night destroyed the Sirloin Stockade restaurant on Route 66 on the west side of Rolla, Missouri. Rolla Fire Chief Ron Smith told the Salem News the building was a total loss. He said an official from the Missouri fire marshal's office will investigate. The flames created a spectacle on the south side … Continue reading Fire destroys Sirloin Stockade in Rolla
Conway restaurant honored for aiding crash-stranded travelers
The Rocking Chair Restaurant in Conway, Missouri, recently was honored for helping travelers affected by a horrific chain-reaction crash on Interstate 44 during a winter storm. The Conway Betterment League bestowed the Route 66 established its first Business of the Month award. KSPR-TV filed this story. Included is footage of a woman who barely escaped injury … Continue reading Conway restaurant honored for aiding crash-stranded travelers
Conway restaurant becomes a shelter from the storm
You may have heard about the horrific chain-reaction wrecks along Interstate 44 in Missouri caused by icy roads. The accidents killed at least two people, and part of the interstate was closed overnight until all the vehicles could be cleared The Rocking Chair Restaurant along Route 66 in Conway, Missouri, served as a shelter to … Continue reading Conway restaurant becomes a shelter from the storm
Extreme cold closes Illinois Route 66 Museum in Pontiac until Jan. 8
Extremely cold weather and a broken heating unit prompted local officials Friday to close the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac until at least Monday, Jan. 8. Ellie Alexander, director of tourism for the city, wrote in an email Friday the heating unit lacks essential parts that won't be available until … Continue reading Extreme cold closes Illinois Route 66 Museum in Pontiac until Jan. 8
Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks
Pacific, Villa Ridge, Cuba, Sullivan, Bourbon, Stanton, Eureka and a few southwest suburbs of St. Louis along Route 66 experienced a total eclipse. But leading the way was St. Clair, Missouri, which had the longest total-eclipse duration on the route of 2 minutes, 41 seconds. Here's a report from KPLR-TV in St. Louis: KSDK-TV in … Continue reading Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks
Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse
Saturday still was two days before the full solar eclipse would occur in the Route 66 town of St. Clair, Missouri, but hundreds of people already had descended there. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported visitors from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, California and elsewhere Saturday. And the bulk of the traffic wasn't even anticipated … Continue reading Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse
Two hikers found dead near Amboy Crater
Two people hiking near Amboy Crater in Amboy, California, were found dead Saturday afternoon after apparently being overcome by the terrain's 113-degree temperatures. According to a news release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, the people pronounced dead at the scene were Kathie Barber, 58, and Gen Miake, 60, a married couple from Yorba … Continue reading Two hikers found dead near Amboy Crater
More bridges washed out between Essex and Amboy
Those hoping old Route 66 between Essex and Amboy, California, would reopen to traffic by September after bridge repairs may have to wait longer -- storms damaged more than a dozen bridges in that stretch last week. Mazin Kasey of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works said in an email Monday that 14 … Continue reading More bridges washed out between Essex and Amboy
Fundraising goal met to fix Boots Court’s hail-damaged neon
Only five days after it launched, a GoFundMe campaign to repair architectural neon lighting at the Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, met its goal of $4,000. That was the estimated cost to fix the neon, which was damaged by a severe hailstorm last week, with some stones measuring 2 inches in diameter. As of early Tuesday, … Continue reading Fundraising goal met to fix Boots Court’s hail-damaged neon