A spokeswoman at the Franklin County Health Department just confirmed to me that the historic Tri-County Restaurant on old Route 66 in Villa Ridge, Mo., was shut down in the past few days because of health violations.

A reader alerted me today that the restaurant had closed. One Route 66 Association of Missouri member that I later called said the restaurant was “going through some iffy times” and that it had closed in the “last couple of days.”

Another member told me of seeing the restaurant closed in recent days, with some “official-looking stickers” on the windows. That led me to call county health officials. The spokeswoman confirmed there were health violations, but didn’t elaborate.

Here’s a pretty good historical overview of the restaurant from a paranormal research site, of all places. The image above is from an old 1950s postcard.

I’ll try to make some other calls later today to confirm some things.

UPDATE: A supervisor at the Health Department later told me that restaurants are shut down when they are an “imminent health hazard.” Tri-County flunked the initial health inspection and failed the re-inspection, which usually indicates some serious deficiencies.

However, the supervisor also said that Tri-County operator’s lease expires this month and that she thinks the shutdown will be only temporary.

Kip Welborn of Friends of the Mother Road also thinks it’s temporary.

“What we know from here is that it is closed for remodeling and that there are permit issues that have to be addressed … Nothing indicates that the place is permanently shut down; it may be closed for a spell, but let’s hope not too long — some of us can only live without Country Cured Ham for so long!”

The massive Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., gets a lot of accolades every year. Black Voice News Online singled it out for its diversity — especially at a time when its host city is struggling with record homicide rates.

DeJaun and Valerie Lofton have been coming to the rendezvous for 8 years. “This event brings the community together. It crosses all racial and ethnic barriers. What everybody comes to see are the cars, the workmanship, the detail, the cruising,” said DeJaun.  “It’s not unusual to see Black, white and Latino heads hovering under one hood. Looking around it’s like everybody is on cruise control.  It’s a dream world out here.”

Young Haydn Wright says he will remember Rendezvous 2006 as a beacon of hope. “Maybe if we have a party like this every weekend, there wouldn’t be any more murders and hurting people. All the kids would be safe. Wouldn’t that be good?”

Route 66 sometimes was referred to as a “the Mother Road for white people,” and not without reason. For instance, the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., long before Dawn Welch bought it, was known for not allowing black patrons to use the front door — if they were served at all. Tales of discrimination like this are distressingly common in the history of Route 66.

Modern-day Route 66 can’t afford to be that exclusive. Tourists of multiple languages and continents drive it every year. The route goes through dozens of American Indian reservations. In New Mexico, Spanish-speaking people predate English-speakers by 150 years. Many Asian-Americans also are preserving historic motels along the road.

The Mother Road should be for everybody. The organizers of the Rendezvous understand this.

The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival begins in Springfield, Ill., this weekend. But weather forecasters and festival organizers are concerned about the climate conditions.

Thunderstorms with the possibility of high winds, hail and even tornadoes are predicted on Friday evening and Saturday. Of course, rain would put a damper on attendance at the event, too.

The Springfield Journal-Register has the story.

Here’s Roger Miller, the pride of Erick, Oklahoma, performing his signature song in front of a really … um … colorful set.

You just know it was the 1960s.