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]

Public Safety

Missing Oregon Camper Found Alive on Closed Wildfire-Damaged Trail After Search by More Than 100…

Diane Megaw Jul 11, 2026

Search and Rescue Teams from Marion and Benton Counties succeeded in their mission on Thursday night when the missing 68-year-old camper, John Nelson, was found alive in a deep drainage near the South Breitenbush Trail, about five miles by…

Crime & Courts

Armenian National Pleads Guilty in Ryuk Ransomware Case That Hit Oregon Tech Company

Diane Megaw Jul 10, 2026

An Armenian national extradited from Ukraine to the United States, 34-year-old Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges on Wednesday for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks and an extortion conspiracy targeting…

News

Salem Fireworks Explosion Injures Five and Damages Homes After Police Say Illegal Mortars Were Used

Diane Megaw Jul 6, 2026

SALEM, Ore. — An illegal fireworks explosion at a residence in the 4200 block of Prairie Star Court N, Salem, caused significant injuries and property damage on July 4. At about 10:44 p.m. on Independence Day, Salem Fire and Patrol…

Oregon Minimum Wage Rises but Workers Still Need $33 an Hour to Afford Rent

Diane Megaw Jul 5, 2026

Despite Oregon’s minimum wage hike last week, the increase only reaches a limited number of people- minimum wage workers- who are struggling to cover living costs and need more than an inflationary adjustment. Oregon Minimum Wage…

News

Oregon Wins Court Fight as Judge Blocks Trump Order Targeting Vote-by-Mail

Diane Megaw Jun 29, 2026

A federal court has blocked an Executive Order (EO) that would undermine vote-by-mail, a well-established voting process in Oregon, 7 other states, and Washington, D.C., where all elections are conducted by mail, Oregon was the first…

News

Portland 911 Wait Times Improve but Trainee Turnover Cost City $3.4 Million

Diane Megaw Jun 28, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — According to a recent Bureau of Emergency Communication (BOEC) audit, Portland 911 call wait times have significantly improved, but the audit revealed that costs of employee attrition need to be addressed. …

News

Portland Monthly Bills Keep Climbing as City Fees, Utilities and Taxes Add Up

Diane Megaw Jun 28, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — For Portland residents- already balancing tight household budgets- a series of separate local tax and fee increases converging in the same budget cycle is getting harder to absorb. While city and county leaders emphasize…

Crime & Courts

Former Clackamas County Commissioner Faces New Identity Theft Charges After DOJ Says She May Have…

Diane Megaw Jun 27, 2026

A Clackamas County grand jury returned a new 19-count indictment against ex-Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside on Thursday, adding charges related to opening multiple credit accounts and obtaining a federal pandemic relief loan…

News

Major Oregon Data Center Lawsuit Challenges Hillsboro Tax Breaks Worth Millions

Diane Megaw Jun 26, 2026

A group of Oregonians has escalated the pushback against Data Center expansion from community rallies to the courtroom, filing a lawsuit on June 22 that challenges the legal approval of 17 Enterprise Zone (EZ) applications allegedly rushed…

News

Oregon Challenges Trump IRS Deal That Could Give His Family Immunity and Create $1.776 Billion…

Diane Megaw Jun 25, 2026

As part of a multistate coalition, the Oregon Attorney General filed an amicus brief condemning the manufactured “settlement” agreement designed to create a taxpayer-funded windfall for President Trump and his family in Trump v. IRS.…

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