Author

Diane Megaw

Diane Megaw is a veteran regional journalist at Daily Tidings, reporting across Southern Oregon and statewide developments from a Medford area lens.
Her coverage spans business and the economy, housing and labor, public safety and courts, with a focus on what policy and legal decisions mean for local communities.
Contact: [email protected]

News

Hillsboro Pauses New Data Centers for 120 Days as City Reviews Land Use Rules

Diane Megaw Jul 29, 2026

HILLSBORO, Ore. — At a special meeting on Monday, the Hillsboro City Council voted to enact a 120-day temporary land use moratorium on data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. Following several weeks of public…

News

Oregon Pushes Robocall Crackdown After Americans Got 29.6 Billion Scam Calls and Texts in 2025

Diane Megaw Jul 29, 2026

As part of a 50-state coalition, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is pressuring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its rules cracking down on these illegal operations, after these scams resulted in losses of $2…

More Than 70,000 Oregonians Lost SNAP Benefits in One Year as Food Bank Visits Hit Record High

Diane Megaw Jul 27, 2026

More than 70,000 Oregonians lost SNAP food assistance in one year between April 2025 and April 2026, while food-bank visits reached a record 2.9 million. Number of Oregon SNAP Beneficiaries Reduced A national SNAP tracker…

Crime & Courts

Fake ICE Officers Pulled Driver Over and Assaulted Him on Oregon Highway, Police Say

Diane Megaw Jul 26, 2026

Police warned the public that they should be on the lookout for fake cops after 3 men claiming to be "ICE" pulled over a vehicle and assaulted the driver while he was driving on Highway 211 near milepost 5, east of Woodburn on Friday.…

News

Idaho Climber Still Missing on Mount Jefferson After Witnesses Report Unsurvivable Fall

Diane Megaw Jul 26, 2026

LINN COUNTY, Ore. — Linn County Police reported that Jared John Empey, 37, of Kuna, Idaho, who fell after leaving to solo-summit Mount Jefferson on Friday in what witnesses described as a fall that was not survivable, is still missing.…

News

Oregon Reports Two Cyclospora Cases Tied to National Lettuce Outbreak

Diane Megaw Jul 25, 2026

Two Oregonians have confirmed cases of Cyclospora infections that may be linked to the ongoing multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak that federal health agencies are investigating and that is caused by contaminated lettuce. The Oregon…

Oregon Employers Struggle to Fill 45,400 Open Jobs Despite Starting Pay Near $27 an Hour

Diane Megaw Jul 24, 2026

Oregon Job Vacancies remained unchanged in the second quarter of 2026- there were 45,400 job openings at any given time, according to new data from the Oregon Employment Department's Job Vacancy Survey. Oregon Vacancies Remain…

News

Oregon Sues EPA Over Rule Delaying Phaseout of Greenhouse Gases in Cooling Equipment

Diane Megaw Jul 22, 2026

Oregon has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its administrator, Lee Zeldin, to review a new rule that delays the phase-out of a group of powerful greenhouse…

News

Oregon Heat Wave Could Push Columbia Basin to 105 Degrees as Fire Weather Warnings Expand

Diane Megaw Jul 21, 2026

With temperatures potentially reaching 105 degrees in the Columbia Basin, several heat and other weather advisories have been issued for northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Meteorologists Warn of Extreme Heat Across Oregon…

News

Oregon Child Welfare Report Finds Many Case Reviews Still Missing 60-Day Target

Diane Megaw Jul 20, 2026

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) first quarter report on work underway to improve the child welfare system indicated that child abuse investigations are being resolved faster, yet nearly four in 10 assessments still took…

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