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Backcountry road closure eyed

County to shut off portion of Yankee Boy Basin to vehicles this summer due to environmental damage

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Ouray County commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to pursue closing...

News

Councilor seeks relaxed in-person attendance policy

Doherty claims job keeps him out of town; council to decide whether to change cap on remote participation

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

A newly appointed Ouray city councilor who has attended just half of t...

News

Go-away-finding: Ouray to nix project, remove signs

After spending more than $100K on branding, design and fabrication, council halts wayfinding initiative that could have cost up to $800K

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Large maroon wayfinding signs installed on Main Street in Ouray last s...

Main, News...

Bright start, cloudy future for bus service

Two years after launch, OurWay ridership has doubled. It’s unclear if grant money and matching local funds will help it keep running

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Georgia Evans greeted the bus driver with jugs of milk and water in her hands and boarded the 11-seater OurWay shuttle, headed home from work in Ridgway to Montrose. She noticed it was a different bus driver from the usual one. Evans would know. The 26-year-old single mom takes the bus every day to work at Mountain Market in Ridgway. She makes good money at the grocery store, and the service is th...

Columns, Opinion...

Wet snow, later sunsets mark spring’s approach

By Karen Risch

February 25, 2026

Thanks to warming sun, wet snow showers, spells of shirtsleeve weather, earlier sunrises and later sunsets, meteorological spring (March 1) is upon us. It’s been an a-ha moment these last two weeks as...

Feature

Looking Back

February 25, 2026

Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago February 24, 1966 In a decision handed down Feb. 10, District Judge Fred Calhoon rule...

News

County attorney gets high marks in evaluation

Niece, Nauer give Caselli 99 out of 100 points; no record of evaluation from Padgett, who missed meeting

By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

February 25, 2026

Ouray County Attorney Leo Caselli received a near-perfect annual performance review score from two county commissioners who reviewed his performance earlier this month. Caselli scored 99 out of 100 po...

News

For first time in four years, Ridgway to hold election

Two vying for mayor, three competing for five council seats

By lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

By Lia Salvatierra The town of Ridgway will hold an election for mayor and town council for the first time in four years, since there are enough candidates who qualified to run for the election to mak...

News

Ridgway sewer rates may rise this year

Town engineer: Millions of dollars in state-mandated improvements needed

By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

February 25, 2026

Ridgway residents may end up paying more on their sewer bills next year, but the timing of the proposed increase and the amount is still up in the air. If town leaders decide to raise rates, it will b...

News

City reroutes funds to pay for pedestrian crosswalk project

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Ouray city councilors voted last week to redirect funds originally designated for wayfinding signs to build two crosswalks on either side of town, which is costing more than expected. During a Feb. 17...

News

City to consider creating local license for tobacco retailers

February 25, 2026

Ouray city councilors will hold a work session to discuss a proposal to create a local license for tobacco retailers, on top of a state license, with a goal of reducing underage access to nicotine pro...

News

Councilor criticizes spending

February 25, 2026

Councilor Dave Doherty voiced frustration about the council’s move to spend money on two items it had initially or previously approved before he was appointed to the board. He voted against approving ...

Feature

Good for you!

Send us your celebrations!

February 25, 2026

Both Ridgway climbing teams traveled to Eagle on Feb. 21 for the Western Slope Regional Championship, with the boys’ team finishing second out of eight teams and the girls’ team finishing fourth out o...

Calendar & Events, Feature...

Calendar & Events

Feb. 26 – March 11, 2026

February 25, 2026

Thursday, February 26 Pasta Bar community dinner fundraiser with the Ouray School Parents and Teachers Together organization, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Ouray Community Center, 320 Sixth Ave. $20 adults,...

Calendar & Events, Feature...

Calendar & Events

Feb. 19-28, 2026

February 18, 2026

Thursday, February 19 Community book club, noon-1 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library. Bring lunch and discuss "The Road to Tender Hearts" by Annie Hartnett. Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech pr...

Feature

Wine Fest returns to Ouray

By Plaindealer Staff Report Plaindealer@ouraynews.com

February 11, 2026

The fourth annual Ouray Winter Wine Festival just happens to fall on Valentine's Day this year. And that means not only will there be wine — there will be flowers, chocolate and more goodies to help s...

Columns, Feature...

How science fiction, silver built Mount Sneffels

By Carolyn Snowbarger

February 11, 2026

For those of us lucky enough to step onto our decks or open our front doors to a view of the northern San Juans, one silhouette dominates the horizon: Mount Sneffels. Known as the "Queen of the San Ju...

Columns, Feature...

Senior’s work ethic pays off with superb season

By By Bernie Pearce Special to the Plaindealer

February 11, 2026

The majority of high school student-athletes in Ouray County are headed on a post-graduation pathway in a career in something other than sports. But for some, their drive to excel extends to a desire ...

News

Councilors select new legal counsel

February 25, 2026

The Ouray City Council approved selecting Karp Neu Hanlon as its new legal counsel during a Feb. 17 meeting. The law firm has an office in Ridgway with additional offices in Glenwood Springs, Aspen an...

News

Homeowners’ insurance taking bigger bite of budget

By By Rachel Cohen KUNC

February 25, 2026

In a nondescript office building in Littleton, insurance agents sit in cubicles, talking into headsets. They are fielding calls from homeowners searching for coverage that won’t break the bank. “It's ...

News

Bill would put workplace safety rules in state law

Legislation anticipates lack of federal enforcement

By Sara Wilson Colorado Newsline

February 25, 2026

A bill championed by a pair of Colorado Democrats seeks to put federal workplace safety law into state statute in anticipation of rollbacks and lack of enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Healt...

Obituaries

Barbara Wiggins

February 25, 2026

April 11, 1943 – February 17, 2026 Barbara Wiggins, a longtime resident of Aurora, Colorado, died February 17, 2026, at the Medical Center of Aurora. She was 82. Barb was born on April 11, 1943, in Sc...

Obituaries

Rachel Wimer

February 25, 2026

January 19, 1937 – January 25, 2026 On January 25, 2026, after a long battle with congestive heart failure, Rachel Trezize Wimer passed away in her beloved Lake Helen home, surrounded by her family. S...

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