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

Phil and Penny Knight Commit Record $1 Billion to Create University of Oregon Engineering College

Lucille McNamara Sep 24, 2026

Oregon billionaire businessman Phil Knight and his wife Penny have committed a record $1 billion to the University of Oregon (UO) to establish an engineering college. Not only is this the largest donation ever made to a comprehensive…

Politics & Government

Oregon’s Corporate Health Care Ban Goes National as Congress Introduces Similar Bill

Lucille McNamara Sep 24, 2026

Following in Oregon’s footsteps, Congress has introduced the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act to stop private equity firms, insurance companies, or other corporate actors from making healthcare decisions. They…

Crime & Courts

Coos County Bookkeeper Accused of Embezzling More Than $300,000 From Local Business

Lucille McNamara Sep 22, 2026

COOS COUNTY, Ore. — A Coos County bookkeeper has been arrested on allegations of embezzling more than $300,000. Forty-eight-year-old Maria R. Padgett was arrested and lodged at the Coos County Jail and is facing 16 counts of first-degree…

Crime & Courts

Eugene Builder Admits Taking More Than $850,000 for Newport Townhouses That Were Never Built

Lucille McNamara Sep 22, 2026

EUGENE, Ore. — A Eugene builder, who defrauded owners of vacant lots in Newport of more than $850,000, is now facing 20 years in prison. David Paul Williams (46) appeared in the Portland U.S. District Court yesterday after pleading…

Public Safety

Broken Sprinklers and Electrical Hazards at Centennial Mills Were Documented by Portland Fire &…

Lucille McNamara Sep 20, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Fire & Rescue had already identified fire and safety concerns at the Centennial Mills building before the eight-story flour mill was engulfed by fire on August 2. This is disclosed in a Portland Fire…

Education

Oregon Public Schools Lose 9,000 Students as Districts Face Budget Cuts and Closures

Lucille McNamara Sep 20, 2026

Public schools are hemorrhaging students as seven of Oregon’s 10 largest school districts record their lowest enrollment levels in at least 17 years. Enrollment Figures Drop By 9,000 Public school enrollments fell by a…

Crime & Courts

Police Say Portland Man Used Blowtorch to Break Into Food Carts Across the City

Lucille McNamara Sep 18, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Police Bureau has released a series of photographs of Theodore Cody Jackson (29), an alleged food cart burglar, to help identify additional cases. PPB’s Central Neighborhood Response Team (NRT), which was…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Man Admits Paying U.S. Soldiers for Information on HIMARS, Bradley and Stryker Systems Sent…

Lucille McNamara Sep 17, 2026

Ruoyu Duan of Hillsboro, who trained as a U.S. Army soldier to handle sensitive classified military information, has pleaded guilty to transmitting national defense information to China. Forty-one-year-old Duan will be sentenced by U.S.…

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…

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