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’s Overdose Deaths Climb to One of the Highest Rates in America Despite Nearly 1 Billion Spent…

Lucille McNamara Dec 15, 2025

Oregon’s drug use problem continues to claim lives, despite millions of dollars spent by the state government to curb death by opioid overdose. The state government spent more than $980.7 million on publicly funded substance use services…

News

Oregon Watchdog Saves Residents More Than 5 Million Dollars as Insurance Complaints Surge in 2025

Lucille McNamara Dec 15, 2025

The insurance industry dominated consumer complaints investigated by the Oregon government watchdog agency, the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), which saved Oregonians $5,658,813 in the first nine months of 2025. Tidings Data…

Crime & Courts

High Speed Chase From Newport to Lincoln City Ends When Spike Strips Stop Oregon Suspect

Lucille McNamara Dec 14, 2025

A high-speed car chase, which eventually involved multiple law enforcement agencies, ended when the suspect’s vehicle came to a halt after driving over spike strips near SE 51 Street in Lincoln City. The incident occurred on December 11…

Crime & Courts

Portland Man Shot at Two Officers and Could Spend 30 Years in Prison

Lucille McNamara Dec 14, 2025

PORTLAND, Ore. — A sentence of 20 years handed down earlier this week to a man who shot at two Portland Police officers sends a strong message that this type of crime will not be tolerated in Multnomah County, says Senior Deputy District…

Education

Oregon Rolls Out New School Rating System, But ODE May Be Too Short-Staffed To Make Them Work

Lucille McNamara Dec 14, 2025

The Oregon State Board of Education (OSBE) has begun the process of implementing Senate Bill 141 to create a new education accountability system. The OSBE has approved a set of rules introducing statewide metrics that all 197 school…

Crime & Courts

Medford Police Arrest 19 Year Old After December 5 Shooting Investigation Expands

Lucille McNamara Dec 13, 2025

MEDFORD, Ore. — Nineteen-year-old Audrik Darling of Medford has been arrested in connection with a shooting on December 5 and a kidnapping, assault, and unlawful use of a weapon on October 11, 2025. In a news release, the Medford Police…

Oregon May Be Sitting on One of the World’s Biggest Lithium Deposits but Who Really Benefits if It…

Lucille McNamara Dec 13, 2025

A massive deposit of lithium, which could overtake the giant South American ‘Lithium Triangle,’ has been identified in Malheur County, Oregon. Tidings Data Snapshot Identified lithium resources : share of world total…

News

Oregon’s Longest-Serving Lawmaker Faces Expanded Ethics Probe Over Side Jobs and Salary Increase

Lucille McNamara Dec 12, 2025

Oregon’s longest serving lawmaker, Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner), faces an expanded ethics probe over side jobs and a grant to substantially raise his salary. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission earlier this week voted unanimously to…

News

New SNAP Work Rules Could Cut Food Aid for 37,000 Oregonians as Exemptions Shrink

Lucille McNamara Dec 12, 2025

The SNAP rule waivers, which were ended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will immediately affect 37,000 Oregonians, a figure expected to increase over time. Hard-hit by the new laws are Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents…

Oregon Job Numbers Reveal Unemployment Was Climbing All Along After Shutdown Left Economists Blind

Lucille McNamara Dec 11, 2025

The federal government shutdown left economists flying blind about unemployment in Oregon, but newly released figures from the Oregon Department of Employment show the picture was worsening all along. Preliminary August data pegged…

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