Eric Russell

6 days ago | pressherald.com | Eric Russell

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Sen. Matthew Harrington, left, Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harold “Trey” Stewart, R-Presque Isle, confer during recess in a Senate session on Monday June 16, 2025. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Maine lawmakers have concluded the bulk of their work for the legislative session.

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Eric Russell

A sign on a motel in Old Orchard Beach welcomes tourists back in both English and French in February. (Gregory Rec/Staff photographer) Roughly 85,000 fewer travelers crossed into Maine from Canada this May than in 2024, continuing a trend of decreased crossings since President Donald Trump took office. Since February, Maine has seen a 27.5% drop over last year in travelers crossing the border, according to data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week.

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Eric Russell

A pedestrian walks Thursday along Cumberland Ave. next to the Portland Adult Education building. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) The Portland school board this week approved the district’s first-ever contract with teachers at Portland Adult Education. The board unanimously approved a three-year contact with the new union at a meeting Tuesday at Casco Bay High School, it’s last regular board meeting before a July hiatus.

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Eric Russell

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Coburn Gore is seen in March 2024. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer) Arrests, detentions and “excessive searches” by border agents have spiked amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Canada, leaving many of the thousands of people who cross Maine’s border with Canada each day wondering what to do if stopped or questioned at the border. Canadian students and others with proper documentation have reportedly been subject to intense screening.

1 week ago | pressherald.com | Eric Russell

AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives on Wednesday voted against adding $320 million in spending and additional taxes to the state’s next two-year budget that was voted on this spring. The 77-71 vote in opposition — with two members absent and one excused — throws uncertainty into the budget process as lawmakers seek to wrap up their session. The budget proposal, which was opposed by six Democrats, now heads to the Senate for an initial vote.