Author

Lucille McNamara

Lucille McNamara is a Daily Tidings reporter with 27 years of journalism experience, covering Oregon public safety, crime and courts, plus statewide policy and community impact stories including housing, education, health, and immigration. She previously worked at The Star.
Contact: [email protected]

News

Oregon Senator Pushes New AI Safety Bill as Fears Grow Over Chatbots Harming Teen Mental Health

Lucille McNamara Jan 25, 2026

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the social interaction behavior of billions of people globally, and now the advent of artificial intelligence chatbots could be threatening the mental health of children, making them increasingly…

Politics & Elections

Oregon Braces for Major ODOT Layoffs After Governor and Republicans Battle Over Failed…

Lucille McNamara Jan 25, 2026

While lawmakers engage in political maneuvering, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) remains in limbo, and badly needed funding remains elusive. House Bill 3991 would have raised the $242 million sorely needed for ODOT to…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Murder Convict Arrested by ICE After Being Named on DHS Worst of the Worst List

Lucille McNamara Jan 24, 2026

A Vietnamese man, living illegally in Oregon, is one of five of the several ‘worst of the worst’ criminals listed on the latest U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) website after being highlighted by U.S. Immigration and Customs…

Oregon Hospitals See Spike in Serious Infections Linked to Staffing Problems and Sterile-Procedure…

Lucille McNamara Jan 24, 2026

Oregon hospitals statewide are falling short of national standards for reducing deadly surgical site infections, including a number of medically-related conditions. According to the Oregon Health Association (OHA), apart from surgical…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Millions for Mexican Drug Networks

Lucille McNamara Jan 23, 2026

An illegal U.S. resident, who laundered more than $4 million for drug traffickers operating in the Portland metropolitan area, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison when she appeared in federal court on Wednesday.…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Woman Faces Prison After Dumping Half a Million Gallons of Toxic Wastewater Into Hillsboro…

Lucille McNamara Jan 23, 2026

An Oregon woman is facing prison and a hefty fine for allowing half-a-million gallons of water contaminated with *hydrofluoric acid, titanium, arsenic, molybdenum, vanadium, and other heavy metals into a sanitary sewer system in Hillsboro.…

Education

Portland Public Schools Braces for 288 Job Cuts as Enrollment Drops and a $50 Million Budget Gap…

Lucille McNamara Jan 22, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — A proposal to slash $50 million from the Portland Public Schools’ (PPS) budget could result in 288 jobs lost. Tidings Data Snapshot PPS budget gap / planned reductions 2026 27 $50M Projected budget gap…

Crime & Courts

Jury Awards $800,000 in Oregon Discrimination Case After Two Female Lawyers Were Denied Courtroom…

Lucille McNamara Jan 22, 2026

Two female lawyers, one Black and one Latina, won a combined $800,000 in damages on Wednesday after a lengthy discrimination lawsuit involving a Washington County deputy sheriff. Tidings Insight Civil rights verdicts often include…

Oregon Forms Data Center Advisory Committee as AI Growth Raises Fears Over Energy Costs and Water…

Lucille McNamara Jan 21, 2026

Amid growing concerns about the energy needs of rapidly expanding data centers, which are investing billions of dollars in training and running AI models, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has appointed a statewide Data Center Advisory Committee.…

Crime & Courts

Portland Neighborhood Urged to Share Surveillance Footage as Manhunt Continues for Gunman Who Shot…

Lucille McNamara Jan 21, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is appealing to the public who live in the Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood, and who have surveillance cameras at their homes, to assist them in the search for a white male who shot and injured…

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