Silverton, Colorado. Adobe Stock/Brad Pict

Covid

By News Staff, on October 1, 2021

San Juan County still has COVID outbreaks, despite 99.9% vaccination rate

By Rae Ellen Bichell

San Juan County, Colorado, can boast that 99.9% of its eligible population has received at least one dose of covid-19 vaccine, putting it in the top 10 counties in the nation, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If vaccines were the singular armor against covid’s spread, then on paper, San Juan County, with its 730 or so residents on file, would be one of the most bulletproof places in the nation.

Yet the past few months have shown the co...

Main, News...

Inmon sentenced to prison in sex assault case

By Erin McIntyre

June 5, 2026

A Ridgway man convicted of sexual assault by a Ouray County jury will spend at least four years in prison. Jeffrey Michael Inmon, 48, was convicted in a four-day jury trial in April. Jurors deliberate...

Main, News...

Second Chance adopts new challenge in expansion

Humane society takes over Delta shelter, seeks to rehome more animals

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

Second Chance Humane Society is adopting a new beast: another Western Slope animal shelter in Delta. The Ridgway-based nonprofit organization officially took the reins of the Delta Animal Shelter on M...

Main, News...

Staff criticizes commissioners

Survey: Workers satisfied with bosses

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

Ouray County’s employees are largely happy with their direct supervisors and department heads and dissatisfied with the Board of County Commissioners, according to a recent anonymous staff survey. Som...

Main, News...

City reverses, will stick with sheriff for now

Council concerned about budget impacts from rebuilding police department

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

The Ouray City Council is reversing course on rebuilding an independent police department, agreeing Monday to instead continue to rely on the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services...

News

Board: Ice Park at ‘inflection point’

Seeking help from city, nonprofit claims funding sources drying up as operational costs climb

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

The nonprofit organization that runs the Ouray Ice Park cautioned Monday that it has reached a crossroads, saying its operational costs continue to climb even as its funding sources are saturated. In ...

News

Crystal bill passes House

Legislation to transfer reservoir to city moves on to Senate committee

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

A bill to transfer Crystal Reservoir to the city of Ouray is another step closer to becoming law after the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed it on Tuesday. The legislation now awaits ap...

News

Ridgway Library aims to boost access to resources

Board identifying other priorities in creation of strategic plan

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 3, 2026

The Ridgway Public Library is homing in on its priorities for future years in a strategic plan that the board of trustees aims to adopt this fall. Top priorities include broadening access to the libra...

Letters, Opinion...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Medics, rescuers provided best of care

June 3, 2026

Dear Editor: A huge thank you to our incredible Ouray County Emergency Medical Services and our volunteer Ouray Mountain Rescue Team for taking such good care of me when I took a bad fall last Thursda...

Letters, Opinion...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Advocacy is about preserving historic character, public health

June 3, 2026

Dear Editor: I was pleased to see an article in the Plaindealer about people exercising their right as American citizens to address their representatives via letters to City Council. It is obvious tha...

A Plaindealer promise: to be human-powered

Columns, Opinion...

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A Plaindealer promise: to be human-powered

By Erin McIntyre

June 3, 2026

We used to be able to say, “Seeing is believing.” Now we’re learning to be more discerning about images and videos we see posted online. We’re counting people's fingers in photos, looking for clues ti...

News

Looking Back

June 3, 2026

Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago June 2, 1966 Last week Dr. and Mrs. Lester Heidorn and Mostyn Lupher filed a complain...

By Rae Ellen Bichell

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines