Eric Russell has been a general assignment reporter at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2012 and has been a journalist in Maine for 13 years. Because he doesn’t have a specific geographic or topical area to cover, Eric often is free to roam the state in pursuit of the most interesting stories, whether it’s tackling the big topic of the day or chasing ideas that fall just outside the boundaries of everyday news. His favorite assignments are ones where he can leave the office and meet with people in their homes or their workplaces to talk about their struggles and challenges – and sometimes their triumphs. Or to try and answer complicated questions: How does a woman die alone in a Wells mobile home without anyone knowing for 2.5 years? How does a convicted rapist from Massachusetts disappear before his sentencing and then live quietly in Gorham for 34 years before being caught? How does a husband in Bath respond when his wife develops early-onset Alzheimer’s disease? Eric grew up in Southern Maine, went to college at the University of Maine and worked in Bangor for eight years before joining the Press Herald. He lives in Brunswick with his wife, a school teacher, and two daughters.