Videos E-edition
Latest News
News
‘Pinched on every front’
Main, News...
‘Pinched on every front’
Historic drought, wildfires, high feed prices strain local ranchers
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
One breezy afternoon in mid-July, Mike Potter's phone started making all kinds of noise. “It goes, beep, beep, beep, beep!” shouted the Ridgway rancher, brandishing his flip phone from the pocket of h...
Flood work could begin within week
Main, News...
Flood work could begin within week
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
Ouray County officials said Tuesday that flood mitigation work below the Gold Mountain Fire’s burn scar could begin as soon as next week, while warning that storms in the coming days could trigger fur...
Features coverage
Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
Aug. 20-Sept. 2, 2026
August 19, 2026
Thursday, August 20 Community book club, noon-1 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library. Bring lunch and discuss "Whistler" by Ann Patchett. Friday, August 21 Historic True Grit Walking Tour, 3 p.m., free....
County fair carries on
Feature
County fair carries on
Fire doesn't stop 4-H kids from showing their animals this week
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
August 12, 2026
The night the Gold Mountain Fire started, the Cornell family anxiously watched the fire spreading toward their fenced livestock, the billowing smoke filling the canyon. They decided to load up their h...
‘She has taught me so much about bravery’
Feature
‘She has taught me so much about bravery’
'Edie,' a one-woman show about a gay civil rights activist, plays in Ouray Friday
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
August 12, 2026
The way Jessica Toltzis sees it, Edie Windsor chose bravery: A gay civil rights campaigner who sued the United States government in her 80s for the right to allow same-sex marriage — and won. If Winds...
Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
Aug. 13-27, 2026
August 12, 2026
Thursday, August 13 Ouray County Republican Women meeting, 6 p.m. at 6085 County Road 23 in Ridgway. Contact Patty Blackford at 970-318-8891 for details. Friday, August 14 Ouray County Fair at the Our...
Good For You!
Feature
Good For You!
August 5, 2026
Send us your celebrations! The “Good For You!” page is a place for reader-submitted photos illustrating community, celebrations and more. Want to submit a photo for publication? Here are some guidelin...
Special Sections
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
Editor Picks
Debra Lynn Todd
Obituaries
Debra Lynn Todd
August 19, 2026
November 5, 1953 – August 15, 2026 Debra Lynn Todd, 72, of Ouray, Colorado, passed away on August 15, 2026. She was born November 5, 1953, in Hutchinson, Kansas. She was the daughter of Chester and Ka...
Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
News
Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
Fairgrounds empty as focus shifts to Elk Fire
By James Hanlon 
August 12, 2026
The incident command post for the Gold Mountain Fire relocated to the Gunnison County Fairgrounds Saturday as Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 took over for Team 1 and combined effort...
Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We need to stand firm to preserve alpine tundra
By Dianne Eschman 
August 12, 2026
Dear Editor: The July 23 guest column by Sue Dreamweaver Spielman was excellent and brings up so many issues that we regular backcountry users experience. I have been recreating in this area since 197...
Letters, Opinion...
County clerk provided excellent service
By Jim Myers 
August 12, 2026
Dear Editor: I would like to acknowledge the excellent service I received from Damon Todd, Ouray County clerk and recorder. I had a question/complaint about the online vehicle license renewal system. ...
Letters, Opinion...
Rather than sales tax, charge CR 361 road toll
By Jeremy Hellman 
August 12, 2026
Dear Editor: I agree with the recent proposal by Ouray County to fund a rainy-day account for use in seemingly annual “emergencies” such as the rockfall last year on County Road 361, the cleanup from ...
Facebook

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

Ouray County Plaindealer
Office address:

195 S Lena St. Unit D
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
970-325-4412

Mailing address:
PO Box 529
Ridgway CO 81432

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2023 Ouray County Plaindealer