MEET ME AT THE FAIR

Amelia Blankmeyer, age 8, guides her market hog into the livestock auction ring on Aug. 14, 2022, with help from others at the Ouray County Fair last summer. Blankmeyer, of Colona, participated in 4-H for the first time last year, according to her mom, Rachel. The 2023 county fair runs today (Thursday) through Saturday. Erin McIntyre — Ouray County Plaindealer

Feature

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com, on August 9, 2023

MEET ME AT THE FAIR

It's time for the Ouray County Fair and this year's event features everything from livestock shows to cotton candy, face painting, snow cones and carnival games. The local 4-H club has tripled in membership since last year, with 24 local kids participating in the program and 18 of them expected to sell animals at the auction.

Main, News...

UPDATE: Body of Ridgway man found in Chaffee County

By Mike

October 28, 2026

The bodies of a college student from Ridgway and another man were found Wednesday afternoon in Chaffee County, five days after they left for a weekend hiking trip and got caught in a snowstorm. Kaden ...

Main, News...

A well-deserved honor

By Erin McIntyre

October 28, 2026

The Telluride Foundation is honoring Williams with its 2026 Volunteer of the Year award. Williams, who moved to Ouray in 1975, is a longtime volunteer and former Ouray city councilor. Her experience i...

News

Cow Creek project fight heads to key hearing

By Chart Riggall

October 28, 2026

A Colorado judge will consider next week whether regional water managers have enough ground to stand on to pursue a plan to divert water from Cow Creek into Ridgway Reservoir, as a long-running battle...

News

SMPA proposes fifth consecutive rate hike

Trio of increases would raise access charge 27%

By Chart Riggall

October 28, 2026

San Miguel Power Association has proposed to hike its base monthly access charge for the vast majority of its customers from $33 to $42, marking the fifth straight year the power provider has sought a...

News

Agency warns of ongoing flood threats in burn scar

By Chart Riggall

October 28, 2026

A U.S. Forest Service survey of the Gold Mountain Fire says flooding and debris flows will likely continue to be dangers within the most severely scorched areas of the burn scar. A report released thi...

News

Ridgway college student missing after hike

Searchers looking for Kaden Matsuda, s econd man near Buena Vista

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

October 28, 2026

Dozens of searchers spent a third day Wednesday looking for a college student from Ridgway and another man who went hiking in the central Colorado mountains last weekend and didn’t return. Kaden Matsu...

News

Plan to donate land for housing rescinded

Home Trust withdraws Pleasant Valley project application

By James Hanlon

October 28, 2026

The Home Trust of Ouray County withdrew a request for a land use variance before county commissioners could vote to deny it at a hearing Tuesday. The variance would have allowed Martha Campbell to sub...

Letters

Romero will be strong voice in Congress

By Dave Ressler

October 28, 2026

Dear Editor: I am writing regarding a subject with which I am well familiar and about which I care deeply: health care. I am writing as a registered independent voter, and a former longtime and genera...

Letters

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Vote for Romero is vote for clean air, water

By Ellie Kehmeier

October 28, 2026

Dear Editor: Let’s face it, we baby boomers are unlikely to see any significant reversal of global warming in our lifetimes. Which means more punishing droughts and heat waves, and more brutal wildfir...

Letters

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

City leaders bear blame for demise of Ouray PD

By Richard Weston

October 28, 2026

Dear Editor: The demise of the Ouray Police Department started with city leadership's decision to let former Interim Chief Daric Harvey patrol our streets for months without a full background check. D...

News

CORRECTION

By Plaindealer Staff

October 28, 2026

An article in the Oct. 22-28 edition, “County wants water users to take on reservoir lease,” misstated the amount of funds that Tri-County Water Conservancy District receives to operate and manage Our...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines