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Amtrak's Downeaster train has celebrated its fifth anniversary.

In 2001, train advocates claimed the Downeaster would fill a transportation need by giving commuters a way to get off crowded roads.

Political leaders promised the train would bring economic revival to the cities and towns that it serves.

New Hampshire Public Radio's David Darman has looked into whether any of those promises have come true yet.

He files this report.

In October New Hampshire residents were saddened to hear of the death of police officer Michael Briggs. The 36 year old officer, an eleven-year veteran of Manchester's police force, was allegedly shot dead by Michael "Stix" Addison, the first murder of a Manchester police officer in thirty years. Prosecutors are hoping to seek the death penalty against Addison; if successful, it would be the first use of capital punishment in the state in over seven decades.

It was as bad an election year for Republicans as it was good for Democrats. In addition to their defeats in Granite State races, Republicans lost majorities in both houses of Congress for the first time in over a decade, with a number of incumbents being caught up in what some called a "perfect storm." Two of those incumbents were New Hampshire congressmen Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass, who lost their seats in Congress to Democratic political newcomers. These defeats have sparked discussion among national and New Hampshire Republicans as to what caused the losses and what may be in store for the GOP as it looks ahead.

Robert Eggers says nonprofit organizations need to change the way they operate. Through his experience in the sector -- from his early days a volunteer to the formation of his much lauded D.C. Central Kitchen, which distributes food to the needy -- Eggers says he's seen lots of waste, ineffectiveness and a lack of logic in nonprofit world. In his book, Begging for Change, he looks for ways for nonprofits to work together and become more successful. We'll talk with him about his work and how he thinks nonprofits should change the way they envision themselves.

***This interview originally aired October 2, 2006***

2006 saw several members of the New Hampshire National Guard turned into media darlings. Staff Sergeant Zach Bazzi and Specialist Michael Moriarty of New Hampshire, as well as Sergeant Steven Pink of Massachusetts, were deployed to Iraq in 2004, and for a year, on top of their guns and tanks, they armed themselves with cameras, capturing their experiences at war.

Upon their return, Granite State film director Deborah Stanton took their footage and made it into a compelling documentary called "The War Tapes," which won a prestigious award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Overnight, Zach, Mike and Steven went from war veterans to movie stars, becoming the faces and voices of a conflict half a world away.