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]

Kotek Launches Prosperity Council as Oregon Struggles With One of the Nation’s Worst Jobless Rates

Diane Megaw Jan 10, 2026

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced the members of her newly established Prosperity Council on Thursday. The Council is tasked with charting the state’s Prosperity Roadmap. Oregon Prosperity Council The Governor’s Prosperity…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Woman Pleads Guilty After Feds Say She Stole Nearly $500K in COVID Relief Meant to Save Jobs

Diane Megaw Jan 9, 2026

The owner of three businesses, 50-year-old Jodi Aliece Jennings of Junction City, Oregon, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to stealing over $487,386.75 in federal funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Junction City Woman Pleads Guilty To…

News

IRS Delays Could Stall Oregon Tax Refunds Until April Unless You File Electronically

Diane Megaw Jan 9, 2026

Oregon’s Department of Revenue urged taxpayers wanting their share of Oregon’s $1.41 billion kicker as soon as possible to file tax returns via E-filing, but there may still be an IRS delay until after mid-February. File Taxes In…

News

Oregon Sues Insulin Giants for $900 Million Over Alleged Price Scheme as Many Patients Still Face…

Diane Megaw Jan 8, 2026

As part of a broader effort to lower prescription drug costs and address harms to working families, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit yesterday targeting a scheme that allegedly costs Oregon patients hundreds of millions…

Oregon’s Unemployment Hits 5.2% as State Falls to 47th Worst in the Nation

Diane Megaw Jan 8, 2026

Oregon Employment Department monthly employment and unemployment data for November shows that the state's unemployment rate was 5.2%, making Oregon one of the worst states for unemployment. Oregon Unemployment Reaches 5.2% in…

Politics & Elections

Oregon National Guard Returning Home After Controversial Trump Deployment Blocked in Court

Diane Megaw Jan 7, 2026

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said yesterday that the Oregon National Guard troops federalized under Title 10 have begun demobilization activities, more than 100 days after their mobilization, as legal challenges worked their way through the…

News

Lawsuit Says Oregon’s New Union Law Punishes Anyone Who Tells Workers They Can Opt Out of Paying…

Diane Megaw Jan 7, 2026

The Freedom Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging HB 3789, an Act relating to union misrepresentation, which took effect on January 1, because the new law imposed penalties as high as $1 billion for informing public employees of their…

News

Oregon Stores Can Now Swipe Everyone’s ID for Age-Restricted Purchases Under New Law

Diane Megaw Jan 6, 2026

Several laws passed in Oregon last year came into effect on January 1, including one that allows retailers to swipe everyone's license for age-restricted purchases. Oregon Stores Can Now Legally Swipe ID For All Age-Restricted…

Environment

Oregon Scientists Warn Wildfires Can Create Toxic Chromium That Lingers in Groundwater for Years

Diane Megaw Jan 6, 2026

Research published in November by the University of Oregon noted that serpentine rocks rich in Chromium-3- a vital micronutrient- can become a toxic heavy metal when exposed to the extreme heat produced during a wildfire, and this toxin…

News

Oregon Voters Will Decide This Year Whether to Block Gas Tax and Payroll Tax Hikes after the…

Diane Megaw Jan 5, 2026

A statewide vote on increases to the gas tax, payroll tax, and vehicle registration fees is now certain this year after enough petitioners signed to force a ballot. Oregon Gas And Taxes On Ballot Measure In 2026 Last Monday,…

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