Major Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes + 4th Of July Travel Rush + Teen Hit By Train: MA Weekend

A national and unique restaurant chain abruptly closed its last Massachusetts locations this past weekend.

Meanwhile, the son facing charges of stabbing his father to death at a Wellesley park has been hed without bail.

Plus, a non-verbal teenager is hospitalized after being hit by a train in Worcester.

Major Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closes All Remaining MA Locations

Hooters has closed its Dedham, Saugus, and West Springfield locations, the last three remaining spots in the state. All three restaurants had a message posted on the door citing a difficult decision the business made to shut down the site. Last month, the Hooters in Shrewsbury closed. The casual restaurant chain with an all-female waitstaff started in Florida in 1983. More than 400 locations remain open throughout the country.

Wellesley Man Held Without Bail In Father's Fatal Stabbing

James Floyd Bennett III pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder after authorities alleged he stabbed his 58-year-old father, James Floyd Bennett Jr., at Phillips Park on Maugus Avenue. Prosecutors said a witness saw the father and son playing soccer while discussing the World Cup before the encounter suddenly turned violent. Bennett III reportedly returned home after the stabbing, showered, placed the knife and bloody clothing into a bag, then walked into the Wellesley Police Department and turned himself in.

Teen Struck By Train Near Polar Park In Worcester

The non-verbal boy was struck at about 11:40 a.m. on the CSX tracks near the ballpark on 100 Madison St. The 15-year-old was reported missing shortly before the incident took place.

'Extreme' Heat Will Feel Like 110+ Degrees, Bring Severe Storm Risk: See Latest Forecast

The National Weather Service issued an "Extreme Heat Watch" for all of Massachusetts, except for the Berkshires, Cape Cod and the Islands. The onslaught will build from early in the weekend with a high of 90 degrees on Tuesday to 100 degrees or higher on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The hot weather will also carry with it the potential for severe storms, especially on Tuesday night as the hottest weather arrives and on Saturday, July 4 as it departs. Making things even more unbearable for those without air conditioning will be the nighttime low temperatures of 74 degrees on Wednesday night, 79 degrees on Thursday night and 76 degrees on Friday night.

MA State Trooper Dies After Off-Duty Motorcycle Crash In Grafton

Northboro native Trooper Jacob Mick assigned to the Holden Barracks died after the crash that took place on Sunday at the intersection of Providence Road, Route 122, and Milford Road. Mick was a member of the 88th Recruit Training Troop and graduated from the Massachusetts State Police Academy in 2023.

4th Of July Travel Rush: Best And Worst Times To Leave Massachusetts

AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the nine-day Independence Day travel period. In addition, it expects 61.4 million people to take road trips, about 85% of all July Fourth travelers. The heaviest traffic is expected around Boston to Hyannis, Massachusetts via Pilgrim Highway south on Saturday, June 27, about 10:45 a.m. AAA and transportation analytics firm INRIX said the second weekend of the holiday period is expected to be the busiest on U.S. roads, beginning Thursday, July 2.