Connecticut-based Subway expects a few hundred franchises in North America to close, consolidate or relocate this year amid a revitalization plan and for the company to grow with more than 1,000 restaurants internationally. 

In a statement, Subway said it does not own any restaurants. Every Subway restaurant is independently owned and operated and the franchisees make decisions on locations. 

“In North America we are implementing an aggressive revitalization plan, which we expect to result in the closing, consolidation or relocation of a few hundred locations in 2018,” a statement from a Subway spokesperson says. 

The company announced some changes this year, including launching a new “signature wrap collection,” a North America loyalty program, $4.99 footlong favorites, Fresh Fit six-inch subs and more.

“Subway restaurants are 100% Franchisee owned and operated, and our commitment to the Franchisees is to work with them to make each restaurant more successful. Subway is the world’s largest restaurant chain and we are confident we will remain the industry leader,” the statement from a Subway spokesperson says.

The statement goes on to say:

“In North America we are implementing an aggressive revitalization plan, which we expect to result in the closing, consolidation or relocation of a few hundred locations in 2018. Simultaneously, outside of North America we expect to open more than 1,000 new restaurants this year. Looking out over the next decade, we anticipate having a slightly smaller, but more profitable footprint in North America and a significantly larger footprint in the rest of the world.”

Three men broke into a home in Vernon Wednesday evening, tied up a resident and stole firearms, according to police. 

Police said a resident of Hockanum Boulevard called 911 just after 5 p.m. and reported a home invasion and robbery. 

He said three men attacked him after he returned home from work, tied him up inside the home and stole several firearms from his residence. 

The victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention. 

Vernon detectives are investigating and police said the initial investigation suggests this was not a random act and police do not believe there is a danger to the public. 

Anyone with information should call Vernon Police at 860-872-9126.

Route 169 is closed in Canterbury because of a fire. 

Fire officials said the fire on Route 169, or North Canterbury Road, is now a three alarm structure fire.

The building is located across the street from the Better Val-U Supermarket.

Firefighters are responding from Canterbury, Lisbon, Plainfield, Scotland, Mortlake, Moosup, Central Village, Jewett City, Atwood Hose, Hampton, and Danielson.

No additional information was immediately available.

Bill Cosby has been found guilty on sexual assault charges in a case that destroyed the legacy of one of America's most influential comedians long before the verdict came down.

Cosby, 80, was originally charged in 2015. He faced three counts of aggravated assault related to an encounter with a former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand, in his Cheltenham home.

He was accused of drugging and molesting Constand in 2004. During the trial, five other women testified to also having been drugged and assaulted by Cosby.

The initial trial last year, also held at a courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania, garnered national attention. It ended in mistrial after the jury deadlocked.

He now faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. It is not yet known if his attorneys will appeal the verdict.

Both trials, which lasted a few weeks each, became media spectacles and attracted large numbers of detractors, and some supporters, of the elderly celebrity. His case played out during the rise of the #MeToo movement. 

During jury selection for the retrial, most prospective jurors acknowledged they knew of #MeToo.

Kristen Houser of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center told the Associated Press that knowledge of the movement might change the way jurors in the first trial thought of the year it took for Constand to go to police with her accusations.

"The #MeToo movement is amplifying what experts have been saying for decades: People are ashamed, they're confused, they can't believe somebody they trust would hurt them, and then they worry that others won't believe them," Houser said at the start of the retrial.

The original trial and the subsequent retrial centered around a 2004 encounter between Cosby and Constand in the comedian's Cheltenham home.

In the second trial, five other women testified in addition to Constand. They also alleged during the trial that Cosby molested them as well.

One legal scholar predicted prior to the retrial that the second attempt could be tougher for Cosby's defense team.

"You've seen previews and coming attractions, but things have changed," said Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson told the Associated Press prior to the retrial. This time, Constand "is not alone, and there is strength in numbers."

Constand, the former director of operations for Temple University women’s basketball, took the stand earlier in the trial. She detailed how she met Cosby, how they became friends and occasional dinner mates and eventually how she was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted at Cosby’s Elkins Park home. The alleged drugging and assault took place in Jan. 2004.

Over the course of roughly 16 months in 2003 and 2004, Constand and Cosby spent several evenings together -- a mix of dinner parties with small groups and meet ups at places like Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

Constand is a native of Canada now living in Toronto. She spent a little more than three years at Temple, where Cosby formerly served as a trustee and patron of the school’s basketball program. She is now a self-employed massage therapist.

Cosby settled a civil lawsuit with Constand years ago. Unlike at the first trial, jurors at the retrial were allowed to hear some details about the $3.4 million settlment between the two.

For years after the settlement a decade ago, the case was thought to be over. But in 2014, new attention to long-simmering allegations of Cosby’s use of quaaludes during encounters with women dating back to the 1960s re-emerged.

In the years since, some 50 women have come forward with accusations of sexual malfeasance by Cosby dating as far back as 40 years.

A different district attorney for Montgomery County, Risa Ferman, decided in 2015 to charge Cosby. After Ferman left the office to become a judge, her successor, Kevin Steele, pressed on with the case.

The Philadelphia native rose to stardom in the 1970s with his stage performances, and he became a household name for his portrayal of Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s.

A boil water advisory was in effect in Danbury for days after a water main break left tens of thousands of people without water, but it is over.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton estimated the city lost several million gallons of water from the system.

“This was rare in a sense that it was a style that we've never seen in a break before and it was a one-of-a-kind piece so you can’t order from your local Home Depot or something like that,” Boughton said.

City officials are urging residential customers to "flush" their water to clear the plumbing of possibly contaminated water to avoid illness. Learn more here.

The city also posted instructions for food service establishments, businesses and schools and childcare facilities on its website. 

Standing outside the courtroom where Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting a woman, Lili Bernard wept and asked a reporter to pinch her. She felt like she was dreaming.

Cosby’s conviction on Thursday was only for accusations made by one woman — Andrea Constand, whom a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, jury found was sexually violated by Cosby at his home in 2014 — but Bernard and other accusers who were in the courtroom or watching around the country saw it as a major milestone in the burgeoning #MeToo movement.

"It's also a victory for all sexual assault survivors, female and male. It's a victory for womanhood," Bernard said. "I thank the jury so much for positioning themselves on the right side of history. I just want to hug them."

Bernard says Cosby drugged and raped her in the early 1990s. Dozens more women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct and abuse over decades, going back to the era when he was a popular and powerful comedian. Cosby has denied the allegations, including the charges of aggravated indecent assault he was convicted of.

Many of Cosby's accusers have said that, for years, they felt unable to come forward with their stories and stayed silent because they wouldn't be believed. The #MeToo movement was aimed at ending that fear of speaking up, and it gained steam as Bill Cosby was first brought to trial in 2017. But the trial ended in a hung jury.

Bernard said Thursday that the mistrial left her with "a tremendous sense of disappointment," but Cosby's conviction on all three counts has redeemed her faith in humanity.

"What the #MeToo movement is saying is that women are worthy of being believed," Bernard said.

Renowned attorney and women's rights champion Gloria Allred, who represented dozens of Cosby's accusers, said Thursday's verdict made her happier than any other in her 42-year career.

"We are so happy that finally we can say that women are believed, and not only on #MeToo but in a court of law where they were under oath, where they testified truthfully, where they were attacked, where they were smeared, where they were denigrated, where there were attempts to discredit them," Allred said.

She was joined by Bernard and other of Cosby's accusers, many of whom sat through many days of the two-week retrial.

They cheered when Allred proclaimed, "Bill Cosby, three words for you: guilty, guilty, guilty!"

Victoria Valentino, who says Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1969, said she was grateful to the jury and insisted the #MeToo women is not going away: "We are now part of the tsunami of women's power and justice. We are not shutting up and we are not going away. Get over it."

The jurors all indicated they were aware of #MeToo but said before the trial they could remain impartial. Cosby's lawyers slammed #MeToo, calling Cosby its victim and likening it to a witch hunt or a lynching.

The verdict resonated for other major figures in the movement.

Its founder, Tarana Burke, tweeted about footage of Bernard and other women walking from the courtroom stunned and in tears after the verdict was read.

"This made my cry," Burke said.

Rose McGowan, who has accused disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of rape, said she was "profoundly happy" to see Cosby's survivors crying tears of relief.

"Cosby is guilty. I’m sorry if you loved a lie. His victims can now exhale. Thank you judge and jury. Thank you society for waking up," McGowan tweeted.

Weinstein hasn't yet faced charges based on McGowan's accusations or the many others from women who have spoken out since the #MeToo movement began, and he has denied them, like Cosby did. But police departments in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere have confirmed they are investigating allegations, which could lead to the next big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

Liz Lane and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Preston man is accused in a violent home invasion in Canterbury earlier this month.

According to Connecticut State Police, 30-year-old Jayson Coleman was arrested Thursday for his involvement in a home invasion in Canterbury on April 22.

The victims in that case, a 41-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, told police they were assaulted in the home by someone they knew. The man suffered multiple facial fractures. The female victim suffered a minor injury.

Coleman was identified as the suspect and arrested. He is charged with home invasion, first-degree assault and third-degree assault and is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.

NBC Connecticut, Telemundo Connecticut and NBC Universal are proud to bring you “Project Innovation.”

We are awarding $225,000 locally to non-profits using tech-based approaches to solve real-life problems.

The Leadership, Education & Athletics in Partnership, known as LEAP, is one of six Project Innovation winners this year. NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut are awarding it $35,000 in grant money to hire staff and expand the program.

Sixth-grader Elisha Correa has been coming to LEAP for five years for their computer coding program.

“Before I starting coming here, I didn’t care about coding, but the more I started coming here, the more I started liking it,” she said.

Now she is looking toward the future.

“I’m already thinking about college,” she said. “So doing this is helping me think about what I want to do about college.”

LEAP’s Learning To Code program provides hands-on technology-focused STEM opportunities for underserved youth.

“We’ve taught them basic web development, making web sites, and making basic video games,” said Austin Cepalia, a computer instructor.

“We’re really excited about having the opportunity to make sure that kids have access to things they might not otherwise have access,” Henry Fernandez, LEAP’s Executive Director.

Nationally, NBC Universal Foundation will award $5 million over the next two years to non-profits across the country.

A long-standing West Hartford pharmacy will be acquired by CVS Pharmacy at the start of next month.

Many longtime customers of Suburban Pharmacy learned about the change Thursday for the first time.

“It’s a shame to see it go,” Sue Lawshe said.

Sue Lawshe said Suburban Pharmacy on North Main Street has been her go for refills and beyond, to especially in times of need.

“When I've been horrifically ill, I’ve been able to call and have things delivered,” Lawshe said.

Thursday Lawshe learned the long-standing neighborhood pharmacy will be taken over by the corporation the next time she refills. While management tells NBC Connecticut all current customers’ prescriptions will still be processed, Lawshe worries about the experience.

“It’s that personal touch and the individual attention,” Lawshe.

Suburban’s management said most of the 12 to 15 employees will be able to keep their jobs in the coming weeks under CVS. Lawshe said she hopes communication with them stays too.

“I can call, I can talk to somebody and it doesn't have to go through a horrifically extensive national database. With this store it's their records and I can talk with the person who filled it last time,” Lawshe said.

“Sorry to hear that they're being bought out. I like independent things,” Birch Milliken said.

Milliken said the change is a sign of the times.

“That's the way a lot of things are going. I guess they’re really leaning toward ownership by some bigger corporation,” Milliken said.

In a statement, CVS said in part, “The transition to CVS Pharmacy will be a seamless experience for patients.”

The customers now say they’ll have to decide if they can stick to their go-to neighborhood pharmacy when new management comes to town.

“I don't know, I'll have to figure it out,” Lawshe said.

Simsbury Police are taking to Facebook to raise a red flag about “Water Wars,” a game played by Simsbury High School seniors.

During the game, seniors eliminate classmate players with water guns. It’s not a high school event and it’s banned from being played on school grounds.

But with recent the recent gun and school violence climate, among other potential safety hazards, officers want to make sure the community, parents and students are aware of what to look out for.

They also asked the “Water Wars” coordinator to alert participants about safety and potential criminal consequences, according to the post.

Over the years, officers have responded to complaints about teens hiding in the bushes on private property, Sgt. Matthew Christian said.

“We’ve actually had one time where some of the participants were hiding in unlocked vehicles, waiting to squirt someone. And we’ve had in the past a pretty significant accident where individuals were driving erratically trying to catch someone else,” Christian explained.

Other concerns listed on the post include teens walking through private property or guns being mistaken for a real firearm.

Christian said teens have even painted their water guns a dark color so they weren’t visible at night.

“They prowl around the backyards, in the parking lots, around the cars. It’s dangerous and people do have guns. I think you got to watch it when you’re on somebody’s property,” Simsbury resident Jill Mazur said.

Her daughter Zoe is a junior at the high school. Zoe Mazer said she understands the concerns, but seniors consider “Water Wars” a rite of passage.

“I know there’s a lot around guns now but I think with all the rules, they’re trying to make it as safe as possible,” Mazur said.

“There isn’t really much to do in this town so I think something like that really spices our town up,” said John DeMaio, a junior at Simsbury High School.

DeMaio explained that he knew someone who was in a crash related to “Water Wars.” His sister didn’t participate because she was worried about being stalked.

But that won’t deter him from potentially playing next year.

“It allows kids to have fun. Especially when they’re stressed as seniors,” DeMaio said.

In the Facebook post, police said they’ve asked previous senior classes to not organize “Water Wars” and they’ve complied. The Class of 2018 opted to play. Now, they’re asking kids to make smart decisions.

West Hartford police are searching for a suspect they believe to be involved in four armed robberies in the last week.

Police believe the first incident occurred at Supreme Gas at 141 Park Road in West Hartford on April 19 around 8:55 p.m. The same location was hit again on April 23 around 8:22 p.m.

Investigators also believe the suspect robbed the Sunoco at 380 New Britain Ave. in Plainville at 9:35 p.m. on April 21, and the Sunoco at 3191 Berlin Turnpike in Newington on April 25.

The suspect is described as being in his 30s or 40s, average height with a stocky build. He has a tattoo on his left forearm, possibly in the shape of a horseshoe. In each robbery, he showed what appears to be a black revolver, police said.

He may be driving a small, dark colored sedan.

Anyone with information should contact the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203.

Major state funding cuts could mean big changes for bus service in Middletown.

Middletown Area Transit (MAT) is preparing for funding cuts from the state that they say will change how they operate.

“If she can’t take the bus…she cannot get to work.

There are a number of people in the Middletown area who rely on MAT buses to get around, and they’re worried about the proposed service cuts.

Paige Corral is concerned her daughter soon won’t have a way to get to work. She takes two MAT buses to get to her job at the Cromwell Walmart. Her bus route could soon disappear.

“I think they better think about what they can do to help these people,” Corral said.

MAT has recently rolled out the real-world service cuts that could be implemented if its $2.1 million budget is slashed by the state, thanks to a shrinking Special Transportation Fund. Transit administrator Lisa Seymour said the cuts aren’t final, but they’re trying to prepare riders if state lawmakers don’t find a fix.

"This is not on a MAT transit level or the town of Middletown of Middletown level or even at DOT’s level. This is actually at the legislature’s level. So it’s important for the funding to be put back into the STF Fund so we can prevent these cuts from happening,” Seymour said.

Less than a year after MAT was at the brink of shutting down due to internal financial problems, the administrators say the prospect of limited state funds threatening riders is a serious blow they’re trying to work through.

“To now have a funding cut, which is an external source, which is not anything that we can prevent is extremely frustrating for me,” Seymour said.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation said the state’s Special Transportation Fund will be insolvent in a matter of years, so with no foreseeable funding improvement, cuts to smaller transit districts statewide have to happen. But Corral said those cuts shouldn’t involve the buses that are lifelines to so many.

“I understand that it’s a terrible time for us. But you have to think about what the ramifications are for these people,” Corral said.

MAT officials said they will continue to have public hearings as they try to determine what service changes they will make. If this lost funding isn’t restored, the service changes will be implemented in July. 

Wesleyan University's president is moving to revoke Bill Cosby’s honorary degree after the comedian was found guilty on sexual assault charges on Thursday.

Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated assault related to an encounter with a former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand, in his Cheltenham home in Pennsylvania. He was accused of drugging and molesting Constand in 2004. During the trial, five other women testified to also having been drugged and assaulted by Cosby.

In light of his conviction, Wesleyan University President Michael Roth announced he intends to ask the Board of Trustees to revoke the honorary degree Wesleyan awarded Cosby in 1987.

Roth will make his request when the Board of Trustees meets in May.

Yale University is also looking into whether to revoke an honorary degree awarded to Cosby by that institution.

"The board of trustees will be reviewing Yale’s longstanding precedent of not revoking honorary degrees. The conduct of which Mr. Cosby was convicted today is profoundly disturbing and deeply contrary to the mission of Yale and our expectations for behavior," a university spokesperson told NBC Connecticut.

In June 2016, the University of Connecticut revoked an honorary degree awarded to Cosby in 1996. It was the first time the school had ever rescinded an honorary degree.

The court case has destroyed the legacy of the once influential comedian. He was originally charged in 2015, but the initial trial ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked.

Cosby now faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not been announced. His attorneys said they plan to appeal the verdict.

A new credit reporting agency is changing the rules on credit scores, but not necessarily in everyone’s favor.

A Los Angeles man said he was turned down for a car loan despite having a high credit score from the three traditional credit bureaus.

Bobby Torrence takes his finances seriously.

“I wanted to eliminate debt. Whenever I get credit cards that come in, I pay them off in three to four months’ time,” Torrence said.

His credit score is above 800, which is considered excellent by the traditional credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

So when Torrence bought a new car, he thought getting a loan would be easy. He was wrong.

“They said that I was denied because of this new credit reporting agency,” Torrence said.

That credit agency, SageStream, gave Torrence a credit score of 631. That’s considered poor under the traditional system.

Torrece said he called the company for an explanation and SageStream told Torrence that he had to prove his score was better.

"They told me to send them information on my bank accounts, credit history, and any other loans I might have had,” Torrence said.

That didn’t sit right with Torrence. So he reached out to the NBC Responds team in Los Angeles, who contacted SageStream.

A public relations firm responded with a statement that reads in part:

“Please note there is no "one" credit score assigned to an individual consumer... Credit scores produced by each consumer reporting agency can differ depending on the data that they have about a consumer.”

SageStream’s credit scores range from 1 to 999 but the company’s website does not explain how scores are calculated, or what is considered good or bad. By comparison, the widely used FICO score typically range from 300 to 850.

A score of 800 or higher is considered exceptional under the FICO system, while scores 580 and below are considered poor. A fair score ranges from 580 to 669. A score that falls between 670 and 739 is labeled good, while a very good score is anything between 740 and 799.

NBC Connecticut searched the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Consumer Complaint Database and found more than 200 complaints against SageStream and its parent company ID Analytics. Four of the complaints were filed by Connecticut residents.

Torrence ended up financing his new car through a credit union instead of the dealership.

“We were able to get a better deal,” he said.

NBC Connecticut reached out to SageStream for comment, but has not heard back.

There is heated debate over what to do with an old landfill site in Rocky Hill, which is no longer in use but was never properly closed.

Thursday night people packed a public hearing to learn more about a plan to properly close the landfill, which is near homes, a park and the Connecticut River.

“We ask the Town of Rocky Hill to protect us, protect the river, protect the water,” said resident Ed Chiucarello.

As part of the idea to cap off the landfill, hundreds of thousands of tons of soil is needed. The plan being considered involves hauling potentially contaminated soil from sites elsewhere. Many in the crowd were concerned about that potential contamination, and some rallied outside Town Hall in protest.

“There’s nothing going in there that isn’t going to be tested or just thrown in there,” explained Lee-Ann Greco, who owns the land.

Lee-Ann and Rob Greco bought the land in 2006. Their plans for it were dashed when it was discovered the former landfill had not been properly covered and was leaking dirty water.

“This desperately needs to be fixed,” Greco said.

Now they’re working with DEEP on a plan to do that.

But many in the crowd tonight worry the solution is worse than the current situation.

“There’s got to be another way to do this than bring in polluted soil,” Chiucarello argued.

The owners would be paid to take the potentially contaminated soil, which will help offset the cost of the project and it has to meet certain standards.

The idea still needs state and local approval.

Former "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw denied on Thursday a former colleague's accusation that he tried to kiss and grope her when she was an NBC News correspondent during the 1990s, NBC News reported.

Linda Vester, the former correspondent, told The Washington Post and Variety that Brokaw, who is 26 years her senior, made unwanted advances toward her on two occasions, in 1994 and 1995.

In a statement released through NBC News, Brokaw, who retired as anchor and managing editor of "Nightly News" in 2004 and is now a special correspondent, said: "I met with Linda Vester on two occasions, both at her request, 23 years ago because she wanted advice with respect to her career at NBC. The meetings were brief, cordial and appropriate, and despite Linda's allegations, I made no romantic overtures towards her at that time or any other."

Matt Lauer also released a statement to the Post after his former co-anchor, Ann Curry, told the Post she warned NBC News management that "they needed to keep an eye on him and how he deals with women."

“I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false,” he said.

A Naugatuck teen who had been missing since February has been found and she is safe, according to police.

Sixteen-year-old Christine Carrero had been missing since around 8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4 and police sent out another alert Monday in hopes that they would receive fresh leads.

Christine is a foster child and had previously run away, but tended to return after a few days.

Police said she is safe and unharmed.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a recall after 84 people from 19 states have gotten sick amid an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona.  

Two of the 84 cases have been in Connecticut. 

When the CDC expanded its warning earlier this week, it told people to avoid all kinds of romaine lettuce that might have been grown in Yuma, Arizona. At first, the agency targeted chopped. 

Blumenthal will be holding a news conference at 11 a.m. at Crown Market in Hartford. 

Crown Market is one of several stores nationwide that have removed romaine lettuce from the produce department. Because there was no recall issued, this was done at their own expense, according to Blumenthal’s office.

The Vernon Fire Department has responded to a construction accident on Hartford Turnpike, according to Tolland County 911 . 

A helicopter from Baystate Medical Center also responded. 

No additional information was immediately available. 

Check back for updates.

A family is sharing their powerful story about the impact social media had on a teen's mental health in hopes of helping other families.