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]

Environment

Oregon Ash Trees Face Growing Threat as Emerald Ash Borer Reaches New Willamette Valley Sites

Diane Megaw Jun 24, 2026

The highly destructive emerald ash borer (EAB) was found in three new communities across the northern Willamette Valley this month, and officials warn these can quickly spread to surrounding trees if measures aren’t put in place. …

Education

Oregon Ranks Near Bottom in Education as Most Students Miss Reading and Math Benchmarks

Diane Megaw Jun 23, 2026

In a new national report, challenges to Oregon's child well-being emerged, with trends suggesting that student achievement and early learning are lagging, particularly in reading and maths. Oregon Children Learning Proficiencies…

News

Oregon Sees Fewer Newcomers Getting Driver’s Licenses as Population Slowdown Raises Economic…

Diane Megaw Jun 21, 2026

Last year, about 88,000 people gave up their old driver’s licenses in exchange for Oregon IDs, suggesting that they plan to stay. At the same time, the number of migrants receiving their first Oregon driver’s license fell by more than 2%…

News

Southern Oregon Heat Advisory Begins Tomorrow as Rogue Valley Temperatures Could Hit 103

Diane Megaw Jun 21, 2026

According to a Heat Advisory issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Medford, temperatures in much of Southern Oregon and Northern California may soar, reaching 103 degrees across the Rogue Valley early this week. The NWS warned…

Oregon Small Businesses Face Cost Pressure as State Jobs Lag Behind Last Year’s Count

Diane Megaw Jun 21, 2026

Small-business confidence is slipping nationally, and in Oregon, local warning signs include higher costs and uncertainty faced by Main Street Employers. At the same time, the state’s job market remains stuck below last year’s level.…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Bias Crime Arrest Attempt Ends in Fatal Police Shooting Near Highway 101

Diane Megaw Jun 20, 2026

A 49-year-old man, Daniel Edward Noonan, was fatally shot on Wednesday after engaging Oregon State Police (OSP) and Newport, Oregon, Police Department officers sent to arrest him for various bias crimes at the intersection of Highway 101…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Man Sentenced After His Brother Escaped Kidnapping and Was Mistakenly Shot by Police

Diane Megaw Jun 20, 2026

A North Albany man living at his parents’ home after returning from prison, John Dakota Lyon, was sentenced to 77 months after kidnapping his brother, Maverick Lyon, who was home on a college break, before forcing Maverick to face police,…

News

Oregon’s Homelessness Crisis Shows Measurable Improvement in New State Count

Diane Megaw Jun 19, 2026

Recent state data indicate that Oregon's unsheltered homelessness, in comparable year-to-year counts, has reduced by 6.4%. Unsheltered Homelessness in Oregon Declines A new analysis of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…

Oregon Rent-Fixing Case Brings $7 Million Settlement Over Claims Landlords Used Software to Push…

Diane Megaw Jun 19, 2026

Yesterday, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a $7 million settlement with LivCor, LLC, one of the property management companies named as defendants in ongoing antitrust litigation against the software company RealPage.…

Environment

Klamath River Dam Removal Was Not an Instant Cure as Fish Parasite Threatens Young Salmon

Diane Megaw Jun 18, 2026

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — Monitoring of the Klamath River continues after elevated levels of a potentially dangerous fish parasite were detected. The Karuk Tribe confirmed that the river still needs time and water to heal following the dam…

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