Videos Login Subscribe Renew E-edition
logo
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
  • News
  • Features
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Letters
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds
    • Place a Classified
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Legal Notices
    • Read Statewide Legal Notices
  • Archives
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
      • Columns
      • Letters
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Place a Classified
    • Advertise
    • Contact us
    • Legal Notices
      • Read Statewide Legal Notices
    • Archives
News
By Plaindealer Staff Report, on April 26, 2023
Plaindealer honored with 19 awards

The Ouray County Plaindealer took home 19 awards last weekend from the four-state Top of the Rockies journalism contest, including five first-place prizes and an award for public service. The Plaindealer won the top number of awards among small newsrooms in a four-state region.

The contest, sponsored by the Colorado Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and open to news organizations in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico, drew more than 1,700 entries from more than 100 print, online and broadcast media outlets, as well as freelance journalists. Entries were judged by journalists from Illinois and Ohio and divided into small, medium, large and extra-large newsrooms, based on staff size.

The Plaindealer competed in the small newsroom category along with news organizations including Colorado Newsline, Boulder Reporting Lab, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Source New Mexico, and Moab Sun News.

The Plaindealer received awards for:

First place

• Breaking news, co-publisher Erin McIntyre and reporter Liz Teitz, for their coverage of the Simms Fire that destroyed a home and other property and burned more than 300 acres in May 2022.

The judges said: “Excellent job of showcasing emotions tied to this story. Includes facts from all parties and emphasizes questions yet to be answered. Well done.”

• Agriculture and environment story, Teitz, for her story about the U.S. Forest Service concluding that a local hunting outfitter accidentally triggered the Cow Creek Fire that burned more than 800 acres east of Ridgway in 2019. Federal officials denied Plaindealer requests for more information for more than two years before finally releasing a report in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

• Sports feature, co-publisher Mike Wiggins, for a story documenting the reopening of Ouray’s Rotary Park ice rink after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic.

• News photography, McIntyre, for a series of photos illustrating the Simms Fire destruction and residents’ reaction at a community meeting held by the Forest Service.

• Headline writing, Wiggins, for a series of news and feature story headlines.

Second place

• Breaking news, McIntyre and Wiggins, for their story documenting the fatal Jeep accident that killed Ouray resident Don Fehd and two other people on Camp Bird Road last September.

• Beat reporting, Teitz, for her ongoing coverage of affordable housing issues in Ouray County.

• News reporting, Teitz, for her story about the cause of the 2019 Cow Creek Fire.

• Business news story, Teitz, for her story about a receiver being appointed to handle the assets of the troubled Ouray Silver Mines and search for a new owner of the Revenue Virginius Mine.

• Obituary reporting, McIntyre, for her story recalling life of Ouray resident Bill Fries, who made a music career under the stage name “C.W. McCall.”

• Short-form feature, McIntyre, for her profile of Ouray County resident Tom Hennessy and his love of restoring old typewriters.

• Feature photography, McIntyre, for her photos of Hennessy.

• Sports photography, McIntyre, for her photos of the 2022 Ouray Ice Festival.

Third place

• Public service, McIntyre, Teitz and Wiggins, for the Plaindealer’s news coverage and editorial writing chronicling the Simms Fire, the federal government’s handling of the prescribed burn that triggered the wildfire and the aftermath.

It’s the third year in a row the Plaindealer has received an award in the public service category. The Plaindealer won first place in the public service category last year for reporting on Ouray County’s discipline of Public Health Director Tanner Kingery and Emergency Manager Glenn Boyd, the county’s lawsuit against McIntyre for requesting their disciplinary records and the county’s decision to ultimately settle the case and pay the Plaindealer’s attorney’s fees. The records were released by the employees. The newspaper also won first place for public service in 2021 for its coverage of then-Sheriff Lance FitzGerald’s legal troubles and subsequent recall.

• Politics feature, Wiggins, for a story explaining how county voters favored no Republican candidates at any level in the November election for the first time in at least 60 years.

• Obituary reporting, Wiggins and McIntyre, for their story remember Ridgway native Devin Overton, who was killed in an avalanche in San Miguel County in March 2022.

• Short-form feature, McIntyre, for her story on Eva Schoonover competing in the Fourth of July Ouray water fights while battling Stage 4 cancer.

• Sports feature, Teitz, for her story on the combined Ouray, Ridgway and Silverton boys’ track team winning the Class 2A 4×400 relay race for the second year in a row.

• Sports photography, McIntyre, for her photos documenting the 2022 San Juan Skijoring competition.

News
Ridgway keeps water restrictions
By Erin 
July 16, 2025
Ridgway remains in Stage 3 watering restrictions, upheld during a July 9 meeting by town councilors who cited concerns about persistent dry conditions and no permanent fix allowing the town to access ...
this is a test
Hunting down the ghosts
Main, News...
Hunting down the ghosts
Veterans services officer finds and assists those who served with benefits, problems
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
During his time as a bus driver in Telluride, Mikael Madsen encountered many of his fellow veterans struggling to survive a Western Slope winter. At the time, Madsen was what he calls a military ghost...
this is a test
Wildfires surge across region
Main, News...
Wildfires surge across region
Brief monsoon could bring relief — or lightning — before dry spell returns
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
Four lightning-sparked wildfires that had scorched more than 20,000 acres in southwestern Colorado as of Wednesday continue to churn through tinder-dry terrain, as hundreds of firefighters struggle to...
this is a test
Judge to rule on land condemnation
News
Judge to rule on land condemnation
Town seeks slice of property for walking trail; resident c laims use unnecessary
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
A district judge is expected to rule this week on whether the town of Ridgway can seize a slice of a resident’s property to create a walking trail, after a trial concluded last week. The conflict date...
this is a test
Aspen Democrat seeks to unseat Hurd in Congress
News
Aspen Democrat seeks to unseat Hurd in Congress
Alex Kelloff, first-time candidate for public office, stumps in western Colorado
By Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
An Aspen Democrat tried and failed twice in the last two elections to represent the 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. Now, a different Democrat from Aspen hopes he’ll have better luck in 2...
this is a test
News
Trio of incidents keeps rescuers busy
July 16, 2025
The Ouray Mountain Rescue Team kept busy last weekend, rescuing or assisting two hikers and a paraglider who were injured over three consecutive days. The first incident happened around 12:30 p.m. Jul...
this is a test
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
Editor Picks
News
County to tackle problem with addresses
Irregularities create trouble for emergency responders
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
Sometimes it takes Ouray County emergency responders knocking on doors and waking people at three different homes at 2 a.m. to find the person who needs their help because no addresses are listed on t...
this is a test
Funding issue postpones Ouray wildfire mitigation
News
Funding issue postpones Ouray wildfire mitigation
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
July 16, 2025
A 93-acre wildfire mitigation project in the hillsides above Ouray is on hold until at least next fall, while project leaders keep their fingers crossed for more than $500,000 in federal money. The Ou...
this is a test
News
Application period opens for county manager job
July 16, 2025
Ouray County's next administrator will be required to live within the county. That's just one of the requirements listed in the application to become Ouray County’s next manager, which is open after c...
this is a test
Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
July 17-30, 2025
July 16, 2025
THURSDAY JULY 17 "Natural Tie–Dye" activity with the youth garden club for ages 8–18, from 3:30–4:30 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library, 300 Charles St. Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech proble...
this is a test
News
Town moves ahead with housing administrator
July 16, 2025
The Ridgway Town Council has agreed to proceed with developing a contract with the Home Trust of Ouray County for the nonprofit to provide shared services as an affordable housing administrator for th...
this is a test
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

  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Accessibility Policy