Best, Worst Times To Hit The Road For Thanksgiving Travel: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Tuesday, Nov. 23. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A Massachusetts State Police bomb squad and hazmat team were called to residential home in Mansfield after an overnight fire led to the discovery of volatile chemicals used to make illegal drugs.
• A 91-year-old woman died after getting struck by two cars in Mashpee Monday.
• Ongoing, global supply chain issues forced an Arlington restaurant to close after four years in business.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

If you have flexibility on when you leave, AAA predicts the best time for a pre-Thanksgiving road trip is after 9 p.m. Wednesday. For return trips leaving Boston after the holiday, the best time to leave is before noon Sunday. If you're driving on Thanksgiving Day, you should try to get on the road before 11 a.m.

If you do end up traveling this week, we have you covered with our 2021 Thanksgiving Travel Guide for Massachusetts, which will be updated throughout the holiday weekend.

This year is the biggest one-year increase in AAA's annual holiday travel forecast since 2005, although AAA noted fewer people might travel depending on coronavirus metrics.

Read the full story.

Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!

Tuesday's Other Top Stories

Suspicious fires on Cape Cod: Two fires that broke out within an hour of each other Sunday in Hyannis were deemed suspicious. The first fire happened around 11 p.m. Officials said the fire was extinguished quickly, and no injuries were reported. But just 40 minutes later, the department received another call about a fire at a home under construction on Hiramar Road, just a block away from the first fire.

State report finds no increased cancer risk from Peabody plant: An analysis of cancer rates in the area surrounding the Rousselot gelatin facility on Washington Street in Peabody revealed no substantial variations from state averages, according to a Massachusetts Department of Public Health report. The state DPH conducted the analysis at the request of Peabody officials. Based on the information gathered, the DPH said it is recommending that no further evaluations are necessary of cancer information in relation to the area.

Hit by 2 cars on Cape Cod, 91-year-old woman dies: A 91-year-old woman died after getting struck by two cars in Mashpee Monday, according to police. The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Route 28 and Orchard Road. The woman was taken to Falmouth Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Police identified the victim as Dorothy V. Henderson, of Mashpee. Police said two drivers traveling westbound on Route 28 struck the woman. Both drivers remained on scene and cooperated with officers, police said.

Car crashes into restaurant: A car slammed into one of Abington's staple restaurants Monday morning. Police say the driver crashed into D'Ann's on Route 123 around 10:20 a.m. and was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The restaurant now riddled with massive damage says they are doing their best to plan for a delayed opening Monday night.

Do you have the best Christmas lights in America? Enter our contest and find out.

Picture This: Bomb squad, hazmat team in Mansfield

A Massachusetts State Police bomb squad and hazmat team were called to residential home in Mansfield after an overnight fire led to the discovery of volatile chemicals used to make illegal drugs. Firefighters were called to the Colonial house on 48 Stearns Road around 1:48 a.m. Tuesday, where they found a fire in a second-floor bedroom. But after the fire was out, rescue workers found "what appeared to be chemicals used in the manufacturing of unlawful narcotics," Mansfield police said in a statement

They Said It

"A multitude of factors helped shape this decision, none more challenging than the breakdown of the supply chain. This has caused the cost of goods and services to soar, making the prospect of committing to a long-term lease far too great a risk in the face of future economic uncertainty and instability."

• The owners of Twyrl, an Italian restaurant in Arlington. Ongoing supply chain issues forced the restaurant to close after four years in business.