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Years after acquittal, man gets prison in second case

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: BRIAN SCRANTON CONVICTED OF SEX ASSAULT

Years after acquittal, man gets prison in second case

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

Editor’s note: This story contains details about an alleged sexual ass...

County endures year of resignations, infighting

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: TUMULT WITHIN TOP RANKS OF COUNTY

County endures year of resignations, infighting

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

Ouray County government weathered a year of turmoil and transition in ...

After tear down and rebuild, agency again faces upheaval

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: POLICE TURMOIL CONTINUES

After tear down and rebuild, agency again faces upheaval

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

After more than a year of turmoil that consumed 2024 and bled over int...

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Goodbye 2025,

Goodbye 2025, hello 2026

December 31, 2025

hello 2026 Look inside for a recap — in no particular order — of the top stories in the county in 2025

Looking Back, Opinion...

Looking Back

By Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer

December 31, 2025

60 Years Ago December 30, 1965 What can we expect to happen to our pocketbook in 1966? Here are some clues gleaned from the 43rd Annual National Agricultural Outlook Conference held in Washington D.C....

Mobile home park preservation highlights housing progress

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: SWISS VILLAGE SAVED

Mobile home park preservation highlights housing progress

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

As the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, things looked bleak for the residents of Swiss Village Mobile Home Park in Ouray. They had rallied to form a cooperative in the wake of learning the park was...

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: ATHLETIC COMPLEX FINISHED

Field of dreams realized in Ridgway

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

Ridgway Secondary School athletes were tired. Tired of running on hard surfaces that were tough on their bodies and practicing in school hallways and backyards. Tired of carpooling to Olathe in order ...

Legislators seek to transfer reservoir to city

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: CRYSTAL RESERVOIR BILLS INTRODUCED

Legislators seek to transfer reservoir to city

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

Bipartisan members of Congress representing Ouray County co-sponsored bills introduced in 2025 to transfer Crystal Reservoir from the U.S. Forest Service to the city of Ouray, nearly a year after the ...

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: RIDGWAY WINS CONDEMNATION CASE

Town builds public trail after judge allows land buy

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

The town of Ridgway won its case to condemn private property to build a public trail from the River Park subdivision to Ridgway Secondary School, after attempts to purchase a slice of property from th...

Spike in wrecks prompts concern, improvements

News

TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: HIGHWAY 550 SAFETY CONCERNS

Spike in wrecks prompts concern, improvements

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 31, 2025

A spike in fatal and serious-injury accidents on U.S. Highway 550 in Ouray County in 2025 caught the attention of the public and the Colorado Department of Transportation, which moved to expedite some...

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Oh, what fun it is to dance

December 24, 2025

Main, News...

Affordable housing nonprofit to expand across state

Telluride-based Rural Homes plans to build 120 new units in 2026, but future of Ouray project unclear

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 24, 2025

Telluride-based Rural Homes is entering a new era of affordable housing work across the state after bringing on a new CEO and looking beyond pilot projects in Ouray and San Miguel counties. The afford...

‘I want to see them get to the most terrifying part of the climb … and see them complete it’

Columns, Feature...

PREP ROUNDUP

‘I want to see them get to the most terrifying part of the climb … and see them complete it’

By By Matt Meyer Special to the Plaindealer

December 31, 2025

Ridgway coach Jonny Zaugg dedicated to helping young c limbers of all skill levels When Jonny Zaugg returned to Ridgway several years ago, he saw an opportunity to give back to the community and be th...

Calendar & Events, Feature...

Calendar & Events

December 31, 2025

Thursday, January 1 Polar Bear plunge at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 3 Trivia Night. Free to attend. 7 p.m. at the Wright Opera House, 472 Main St. in Ouray. Wednesday, Jan...

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

Second Chance Humane Society

December 24, 2025

Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...

Feature

Home Trust of Ouray County

December 24, 2025

Year established as a nonprofit: 2018 What does your organization do for Ouray County? Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Ouray County, where the median price for a ...

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

Sherbino Theater/ Ridgway Chautauqua

December 24, 2025

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership

December 24, 2025

Letters, Opinion...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Time to reconsider policing in Ouray

December 24, 2025

Dear Editor: With the departure of Interim Police Chief Daric Harvey, Ouray once again faces instability in its police department. Rather than automatically rebuilding the same structure, this feels l...

Letters, Opinion...

Let’s recommit to being kind, understanding

December 24, 2025

Dear Editor: As we welcome the winter solstice, and the slow return of the light, I want to share some thoughts for the season, and the year to come. I believe the core values of the season, whatever ...

Columns, Opinion...

From start to finish, a too-warm, too-dry 2025

December 24, 2025

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Wunderground’s “meteorologists qualify a white Christmas as one with at least an inch of snow on the ground [SOG] on Christmas morning,” (Hayden Marshall and Jonathan Er...

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

West Region Wildfire Council

December 24, 2025

Year established as a nonprofit: 2007 What does your organization do for Ouray County? With wildfires becoming a greater and greater risk to Western Colorado, WRWC strives to educate and aid in wildfi...

News

Commissioners appoint replacement clerk

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 24, 2025

Ouray County commissioners have appointed a current employee to replace outgoing Clerk and Recorder Cristy Lynn when she leaves her position in January. Commissioners unanimously approved appointing c...

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