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

PacificSource Layoffs Hit Four Oregon Cities as Insurer Pulls Back From Marketplace Plans

Lucille McNamara May 31, 2026

PacificSource, which recently left the Affordable Care Act marketplace in Oregon, is laying off 97 employees in Portland, Salem, Bend, and Springfield, effective at the end of July. The nonprofit insurer provides coverage for 500,000…

News

Oregon Prison Data Incident Exposes Staff, Vendor, Visitor and Prisoner Information

Lucille McNamara May 31, 2026

A former Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) employee has been fired for accessing more than 33,000 files containing the personal information of staff, vendors, prisoners, and visitors. The announcement of the ‘data extraction’…

Crime & Courts

84-Year-Old Klamath Falls Man Arrested After Fatal Shooting of Alleged Vehicle Thief

Lucille McNamara May 31, 2026

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — An 84-year-old man from Klamath Falls has been arrested after allegedly shooting a suspect, who died from his injuries, trying to break into his vehicle during the early hours of Friday morning. The victim was found…

Crime & Courts

Oregon Bank Manager Accused of Embezzling $1.9 Million From Employer Could Face 30 Years

Lucille McNamara May 29, 2026

A former Coos Bay bank manager appeared in the Eugene U.S. District Court yesterday for embezzling $1.9 million from her employers. Forty-four-year-old Heather Lynn Casas pleaded not guilty after she was indicted by a federal grand jury.…

News

Oregon Faces Federal Lawsuit for Refusing to Issue Confidential License Plates to Federal Agents

Lucille McNamara May 29, 2026

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a lawsuit against Oregon for refusing to grant confidential license plates to federal agents. Also in the department’s firing line are the states of Washington, Massachusetts, and Maine. …

Crime & Courts

Romanian Woman Gets 3 Years for Scam That Defrauded 12 Elderly Oregon Residents

Lucille McNamara May 28, 2026

A 34-year-old Romanian woman, who defrauded 12 elderly Oregon residents and operated the same scam in France and the U.K., was sentenced to three years in prison when she appeared in the U.S. District Court in Portland yesterday. Rexona…

Politics & Elections

Portland Votes to Restrict Masked Immigration Agents Despite Legal Concerns

Lucille McNamara May 28, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. — Despite an Appeals Court ruling that a local government ordinance cannot supersede federal legislation, the Portland City Council voted in favor of banning immigration agents from wearing face masks and failing to wear…

Crime & Courts

Oregon State Hospital Escapee Sentenced After Stealing State Vehicle During Getaway

Lucille McNamara May 27, 2026

Forty-one-year-old Christopher Lee Pray has added 57 months to his existing 22-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the theft of a state-owned vehicle to make his getaway from the Oregon State Hospital. Pray, who appeared in…

Crime & Courts

16-Year-Old Turns Himself In After Salem Police Search Following Downtown Shooting

Lucille McNamara May 27, 2026

SALEM, Ore. — A 16-year-old youth turned himself in at the Marion County Juvenile Department yesterday for his involvement in a shooting in downtown Salem a week ago. The shooting occurred at 6.20 p.m. on May 20, in which a 17-year-old…

Nearly Half of Oregonians Could Not Cover a $500 Emergency as Living Costs Keep Rising

Lucille McNamara May 26, 2026

Many Oregonians are struggling to manage the mounting pressures of the rising cost of living, with nearly half of residents unable to cover a $500 emergency expense. The Oregon Treasury Says the Cost of Living is Responsible for…

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