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

Invasive Freshwater Quagga Mussels Found Attached to a Watercraft at the Ashland Boat Inspection…

Lucille McNamara Mar 24, 2026

ASHLAND, Ore. — Invasive quagga freshwater mussels were discovered on a motorboat that entered Oregon last Friday. They were destroyed, and the watercraft was decontaminated by the Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW). The mussels…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Man Gets Life Sentence After Shooting Parents as They Slept

Lucille McNamara Mar 24, 2026

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — “Too much fighting and too much drinking” prompted 59-year-old Christopher Allan Turner to murder his elderly parents, resulting in his life imprisonment sentence on Friday. According to court documents, Turner shot…

Crime & Courts

Fentanyl Discovered During Cell Search at Oregon’s Largest Prison, Officer Sent to Hospital

Lucille McNamara Mar 23, 2026

A Snake River Correctional Institution officer was admitted to the hospital last Thursday after suspected exposure to fentanyl while conducting a cell search. The white powdery substance later tested positive for fentanyl. The…

News

Spring Break Travel in Oregon Faces Uncertainty as Trump Threatens to Send ICE Agents to Airports

Lucille McNamara Mar 23, 2026

A voting stalemate, which has resulted in the resignation of several Transportation Security Administration (TSA), agents, could seriously disrupt the plans of Oregonians flying to spring break holiday destinations. President Donald…

Education

Oregon School Cell Phone Ban Now in All 197 Districts as Students Report Better Focus

Lucille McNamara Mar 20, 2026

A blanket ban on cell phone use has been implemented in all 197 school districts in Oregon and, on Wednesday, Governor Tina Kotek visited Estacada High School in Clackamas County to witness first-hand her Executive Order 25-09 in operation.…

Crime & Courts

Californian Faces Life Imprisonment in Sex Trafficking Scheme Spanning Oregon and Four Other States

Lucille McNamara Mar 20, 2026

Brandon Denzel Washington, who used ‘fists, lies, and manipulation’ to coerce vulnerable women to support his lavish lifestyle, was convicted yesterday of six federal felonies related to his multi-state sex trafficking activities.…

Crime & Courts

Medford Business Owner Accused of Laundering 13 Million Dollars in Drug Proceeds Through Southern…

Lucille McNamara Mar 19, 2026

MEDFORD, Ore. — An illegal resident from Mexico, who used his Oregon businesses to launder narcotics trafficking proceeds involving more than $13 million, appeared in court yesterday, charged with money laundering. Jose Alonso Paramo…

Environment

Oregon Senator Urges Federal Action on Klamath River Water Crisis as Drought Strains the Basin

Lucille McNamara Mar 18, 2026

U.S. Senator for Oregon, Ron Wyden, is urging the federal government to become more involved in water management in critical water resource areas, such as the Klamath River Basin. Wyden points out that western states, like Oregon, are…

Crime & Courts

Blowtorches and Construction Worker Disguises Used in ATM Robbery Spree Across Oregon and the West…

Lucille McNamara Mar 18, 2026

A string of ATM and bank robberies throughout Oregon, California, and Washington, amounting to over $5.5 million, led to a guilty plea yesterday by a member of the South American theft group. Francisco Antonio Marin Ilbaca (46), of…

Crime & Courts

Former Medford Business Leader Indicted Over Alleged 100,000 Dollar Theft From Southern Oregon…

Lucille McNamara Mar 17, 2026

MEDFORD, Ore. — The former CEO of the Builders’ Association of Southern Oregon (BASO), Bradley Bennington, has been indicted on charges of aggravated theft and identity theft. The indictment follows his arrest last month after a lengthy…

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