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

Klamath County Driver Dies After Swerving Into Big Rig On Highway 97

Diane Megaw Apr 2, 2025

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — A driver tragically died in a two-vehicle crash near milepost 176 on Highway 97 in Klamath County on Monday, March 31, at 8:46 a.m. after losing control of their car and swerving across the highway. The Oregon…

News

Oregon Fraud Fighter Summit Brings Scam Protection Tips to Medford on April 12

Diane Megaw Apr 1, 2025

MEDFORD, Ore. — The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) and the Oregon division of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) are hosting the Fraud Fighter Summit and Resource Fair on Saturday, April 12, in Medford.…

Environment

Oregon Governor Proclaims April Arbor Month to Combat Tree Loss and Boost Community Health

Diane Megaw Apr 1, 2025

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued a proclamation yesterday proclaiming April 2025 to be Oregon Arbor Month, making the whole month of April a time to observe the importance of trees to the state's people. Oregon Arbor Month Takes…

Oregon Lawmakers Push to Ban Cell Phones in Schools with Off-and-Away-All-Day Bill

Diane Megaw Mar 30, 2025

As many states grapple with cell phone use in schools, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has advocated for a bill—House Bill 2251—to restrict cell phone use in schools across Oregon. Tidings Data Snapshot Oregon public schools / scale…

News

Oregon Governor Joins Push to Close OHSU Research Center Housing Monkeys and Baboons Amid Animal…

Diane Megaw Mar 30, 2025

Gov. Tina Kotek has added her voice to the yearslong advocacy of animal rights activists pressuring the Oregon Health & Science University to shut down its nationally renowned primate research center. OHSU Primate Research…

Crime & Courts

Court Bans Grants Pass From Enforcing Homeless Rules Until Disability-Friendly Sites Are Built

Diane Megaw Mar 29, 2025

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — The Josephine County Circuit Court granted a preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of municipal camping site rules until disability-friendly sites are made available yesterday in the Disability Rights Oregon et…

News

Sudden End To Oregon’s $117 Million In Federal Covid-Era Grants Will Affect Key Health Initiatives

Diane Megaw Mar 29, 2025

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), terminated approximately $117 million in…

Crime & Courts

Portland Man Steals SUV from Burglarized Business, Crashes During High-Speed Chase

Diane Megaw Mar 28, 2025

Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies arrested a 28-year-old Portland man speeding away from a Cottage Grove traffic stop in a Scion xB SUV stolen from a Portland business that he'd allegedly burglarized on Tuesday afternoon.…

Crime & Courts

Missing Oregon Man’s Remains Found in Applegate Valley Spark Suspicious Death Investigation

Diane Megaw Mar 28, 2025

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. — The skeletal remains found in the Applegate Valley in April 2024 were identified as 63-year-old Nathan Louis Merkel of Wimer, who was reported missing in September 2023. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) has…

Crime & Courts

2 Teenagers Hospitalized In Sutherlin Crash After Pulling Into Path Of Excavator-Hauling Pickup

Diane Megaw Mar 28, 2025

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — A two-vehicle crash east of Sutherlin on Wednesday evening left two 17-year-olds critically injured after pulling into the path of a 2001 Ford F-250 pickup towing an excavator on a flatbed trailer. Responding to…

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