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

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…

News

West Nile Virus Found in Eagle Point Mosquito Trap During Routine Testing

Diane Megaw Jul 19, 2026

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — A mosquito pool at Eagles Point in Jackson County has tested positive for West Nile virus for the first time in 2026 West Nile Virus Identified In Eagle Point Trap After the West Nile virus (WNv) was been…

News

East Evans Creek Fire Community Meeting Set Today as Containment Reaches 8%

Diane Megaw Jul 19, 2026

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — While firefighters have made significant progress holding containment lines over the last 36 hours, taking advantage of a brief window of cooler weather to reach 8% containment on the 13,999-acre blaze, ODF South West…

Crime & Courts

Jackson County Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Case After Investigators Link Pills to Overdose Death

Diane Megaw Jul 16, 2026

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — A 28-year-old Jackson County, Oregon, man, Eduardo Cortes Cortes, was sentenced to 5½ years in federal prison last Thursday on fentanyl distribution-related charges, after police linked an overdose death to Cortes…

News

Salem Weighs $5 Billion Data Center Proposal as Power and Water Demands Raise Concerns

Diane Megaw Jul 15, 2026

SALEM, Ore. — The City of Salem has officially acknowledged a proposal from Verrus, a developer specializing in data center infrastructure, to potentially establish a facility at the Mill Creek Corporate Center. Proposed Data…

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