MANCHESTER - Updated, 2:03 p.m. A judge this morning sentenced 36-year-old Todd Peters to two consecutive life sentences, without possibility of parole, in the bat beating murders of Edith Riley and Timothy King.

BRENTWOOD - Updated, 11:45 a.m. The guilty verdict is the fifth and final one tied to Jack Reid’s murder four years ago inside a Deerfield horse barn. The killing was carried out at the behest of millionaire businessman John “Jay” Brooks. His son Jesse helped recruit and pay the perpetrators.

> Prosecution: Murder 'was a Brooks family affair'

Manchester - While slot machines remain the focus of expanding gambling legislation, the middle of the gambling floor of a rebuilt Rockingham Park would be earmarked for table games such as roulette, blackjack and poker, the developer said last night.

DERRY - Ask any of the hundreds of moviegoers who showed up for last night's "New Moon Celebration" at a movie theater what it is about this particular story that appeals to female fans of all ages around the globe, and they will tell you it's the bittersweet tale of forbidden love.

SOMERSWORTH - Updated, 10:50 a.m. City Councilor Brian Tapscott lost his seat when votes were counted last month but he came out the winner by two votes yesterday in a recount.

MANCHESTER - Updated, 8:03 a.m. Michael Moriarty, 26, is accused of punching an officer in the face and trying to get out a gun out of an officer's holster. The incident happened while Moriarty's girlfriend was being arrested for assaulting him, police said.

NASHUA - Pan Am Railways President David Fink says it's too early to speculate what caused Tuesday's wreck. New Hampshire Rail Authority chair Peter Burling wonders whether there was a defect in the Pan Am track.

If you've ever wondered just how out of touch university faculty can get, look no further than the behavior of the University of New Hampshire's faculty union during its recent contract talks.

Talk high school football with Salem head coach Jack Gati for even a few minutes and you're bound to hear his season-long mantra: The next game is the biggest. What's upcoming -- the Division I championship -- tops them all.

►Pick up a print copy of Friday's Union Leader for Marc Thaler's complete "First and 10" analysis and his picks for this weekend's championship games.

> Click here to visit Marc Thaler's 'Moving the Chains' high school football blog
> Click here to view our Fall 2009 High School Sports galleries.