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]

Health

Oregon Medicaid Audit Finds Up to $4.1 Million in Overpayments, Putting Federal Funding at Risk

Lucille McNamara Sep 17, 2026

Secretary of State (SoS) auditors have identified 645 potential duplicate system IDs linked to up to an estimated $4.1 million in Medicaid over-payments, putting Oregon at risk of losing federal funding. The auditors' report relates to…

Crime & Courts

Klamath Falls Man Faces Four Attempted Murder Charges After Gunfire Hits Fire District Vehicle

Lucille McNamara Sep 16, 2026

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — A 50-year-old Klamath Falls man has been arrested for attempted murder following a shooting incident in which a woman was injured. The incident occurred during the early evening on Sunday, September 13, 2026, when…

Business & Economy

Lonza Breaks Ground on $235 Million Bend Expansion With More Than 700 Jobs Expected

Lucille McNamara Sep 16, 2026

BEND, Ore. — An expanded biotech manufacturing facility in Bend will create more than 80 high-wage permanent jobs and 650 construction jobs. In a Sept. 14 press release, Governor Tina Kotek announced the start of the project, which she…

Crime & Courts

Portland Man Gets 18 Years for Killing Good Samaritan Who Tried to Help Woman in Distress

Lucille McNamara Sep 13, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the death of Aaron McInnis, who was gunned down while trying to help a woman in distress. Arvoni Alexander Hayes pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter…

Education

Global Study Links Heavy AI Use to Lower Student Scores as Oregon District Restricts Student AI…

Lucille McNamara Sep 13, 2026

Recent international reports reveal that students who rely heavily on AI achieve lower academic scores than those who use the tool moderately. However, if used properly, AI can support learning, the Bend-La Pine Oregon public school…

Crime & Courts

North Bend Office Manager Arrested at Home After Company Finds Large Charges on Business Credit…

Lucille McNamara Sep 10, 2026

COOS COUNTY, Ore. — The 53-year-old office manager of a North Bend company has been arrested by the Coos County Sheriff’s Office and charged with first-degree aggravated theft and the unlawful use of a credit card. Brandie H. Hughson was…

Public Safety

Portland Student Expected to Survive After Inhaling Chemical Gases at Benson High School

Lucille McNamara Sep 10, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — A 15-year-old Portland student at Benson Polytechnic High School inhaled gases produced by a mixture of chemicals, but did not drink the mixture, as originally reported by investigators. He was admitted to a hospital in…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Woman, 80, Accused of Holding Loaded Gun Under Son’s Chin

Lucille McNamara Sep 9, 2026

EUGENE, Ore. — An 80-year-old woman from Eugene, who voluntarily contacted 911 to inform them that she had pointed a firearm at her son, has been arrested and charged. Yvonne Ballew of Ivy Glen Drive told dispatch that she had tried to…

Crime & Courts

Former Oregon AT&T Employee Gets Prison After SIM Swaps Drain Nearly $600,000 From Customers

Lucille McNamara Sep 9, 2026

A former employee of an AT&T store in Portland was yesterday sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for selling access to AT&T’s network to criminals who used customer PII to carry out SIM swaps. Forty-four-year-old Kenneth…

Crime & Courts

K-9 Zoro Leads Deputies to Man Hiding in Field After Myrtle Creek Home Break-In

Lucille McNamara Sep 7, 2026

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — Zoro, a member of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, helped arrest a suspected burglar after tracking him in a field in Myrtle Creek late Saturday night. A report of a burglary in progress at a private…

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