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]

Education

Oregon Lawmakers Push to Scrap the 27-Year-Old School Funding Model Over Weak Student Outcomes

Lucille McNamara Jan 20, 2026

Some lawmakers are ‘sick and tired’ of pouring huge amounts of money into the Oregon education system, with little to no satisfying outcomes at the end of every school year. Instead, they propose a new and streamlined system to replace the…

Education

Oregon Universities Warn They Could Burn Through Funds in Just a Few Years as Costs Soar and…

Lucille McNamara Jan 19, 2026

Oregon’s public universities are caught in a growing financial squeeze, with spending rising faster than revenue, a trajectory that could drain institutional reserves within three to five years. The warning comes from a new report issued…

Crime & Courts

Medford Man Sent Back to Prison After Dark Web Cocaine Parcels Trigger Federal Sting

Lucille McNamara Jan 18, 2026

MEDFORD, Ore. — An Oregon man on federal supervised release for distributing cocaine was again sentenced to federal prison in Medford, Oregon, earlier this week for attempting to sell cocaine he had bought on the dark web. Dominick…

News

Oregon Warns Medicaid Cuts May Be Inevitable as Costs Explode Beyond the 2026 Budget

Lucille McNamara Jan 18, 2026

Cutting Medicaid benefits could be the only option left for Oregon lawmakers as the spiraling costs of a projected $564 million exceed the 2026 budget. Lawmakers had earlier projected annual health plan increases of 3.4%, but are now…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Man Indicted for Cyberstalking After Allegedly Threatening to Kill Massachusetts Prosecutor

Lucille McNamara Jan 17, 2026

Lewis Floyd (40) of Oregon has been indicted by a Boston federal grand jury for alleged Cyber stalking and threatening a Massachusetts state prosecutor. Tidings Context A federal indictment is a formal charge approved by a grand jury.…

News

Oregon–Washington I-5 Bridge Replacement Gets Coast Guard Approval but Cost Balloons to $13.6…

Lucille McNamara Jan 17, 2026

The I-5 replacement bridge across the Columbia River, which will link commuters between Oregon and Washington, will be a fixed-span construction, according to the Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, who yesterday…

News

Oregon Transportation Crisis Grows as Lawmakers Delay Action and Funding Runs Out

Lucille McNamara Jan 16, 2026

As the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) continues to grapple with a deteriorating network of roads, bridges, and pavements, lawmakers continue to dilly-dally about making a decision to alleviate the $242 million funding gap.…

Crime & Courts

Crew Sentenced After Using Stolen Trucks and Chains to Rip Open ATMs in Oregon, Florida, and…

Lucille McNamara Jan 16, 2026

Three men sentenced to prison yesterday for bank conspiracy, robbery, and theft used stolen trucks and tow chains to forcibly open ATMs in Oregon, Florida, and Missouri. Their haul totaled more than $350,000. Tidings Insight Tow chain…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Aviation Parts Smuggling Plot Exposed as Man Is Sentenced for Trying to Send Tech to Russia

Lucille McNamara Jan 16, 2026

Sanjay Kaushik from Delhi, India, was yesterday sentenced to federal prison for violating the Export Control Reform Act when he conspired to export aviation components and a navigation and flight control system from an Oregon-based supplier…

Education

Oregon Students Spend Weeks Less in School Than the U.S. Average and It’s Crippling Test Scores

Lucille McNamara Jan 15, 2026

Oregon is the worst offender nationwide of chronic school absenteeism, which amplifies the negative effects reflected in its end-of-year exam outcomes. The Average American High School Student Spends Between 35 and 47 More Days…

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