Skijoring rides again this weekend

In this photo from 2022, Rider Sarah McConnell (now Sarah Smedsrud) of Ridgway rides Hardy and pulls skier Lang Schuler during the open class skijoring competition. This year’s open class pro division includes a gap jump over a vehicle again, scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For a full schedule of events visit sanjuanskijoring.com. Erin McIntyre — Ouray County Plaindealer

Feature

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com, on January 10, 2024

Competitors for this weekend’s San Juan Skijoring competition will come from as far away as Canada to race the course at the Ouray County Fairgrounds, vying for belt buckles, prize money and bragging rights.

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Ridgway to grow capacity to fight wildland fires

Additional staff, engine can enhance skills, create more revenue

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 3, 2025

Ridgway’s wildland firefighters have mopped up hotspots in Nevada, fought wildfire on the front lines in California and protected structures at home in Colorado. Since the Ridgway Fire Protection Dist...

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County chops event center operations to aid budget

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 3, 2025

Ouray County is performing triage on its 2026 budget as 2025 revenues are coming in lower than expected, placing even more pressure on the county’s general fund savings. County leaders have been worki...

News

New council’s first task: Fill vacancies

December 3, 2025

After soliciting applications, councilors to interview, pick appointments Jan. 5 By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com Ouray city leaders swore in a new mayor and city councilor Monday night, then turned...

News

Slow start to snow season

Wave of storms helps, but snowpack in San Juans well below normal

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

December 3, 2025

A series of post-Thanksgiving storms delivered desperately needed snow to the moisture-starved San Juans, but snowpack at the start of December remains well below average in Ouray County and the surro...

News

SEASON OF SHARING

Ridgway Ouray Community Council

December 3, 2025

Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...

News

Snowpack lagging in San Juans

December 3, 2025

A recent series of storms helped boost the paltry snowpack in the San Juans, but the amount of water in that snowpack in the Gunnison River Basin — known as snow-water equivalent — is still among the ...

Letters, Opinion...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

‘Timeout’ for Padgett sends bad message

By Dear Editor:

December 3, 2025

We don’t put women in timeout; we put children in timeout. When you put a woman in timeout, you are putting her voice in timeout; telling her to go be quiet and that she should be seen and not heard. ...

State to reduce highway speeds near Ridgway

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HIGHWAY 550 SAFETY

State to reduce highway speeds near Ridgway

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

November 26, 2025

The Colorado Department of Transportation plans to lower the speed limit for traffic along a half-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 550 north of Ridgway, near a section of road where the highest number of ...

Main, News...

OURAY'S 2026 BUDGET

City trims jobs, capital expenses

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

November 26, 2025

A cautious Ouray City Council approved a $16.8 million budget for 2026 on Tuesday, leaving a handful of vacant jobs unfilled and slashing capital projects in anticipation of a potential economic downt...

News

Schools adopt frameworks for AI tools

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

November 26, 2025

Both Ridgway Secondary School and the Ouray School District have adopted guidelines for students to use artificial intelligence, joining the first wave of schools in the state to do so. Lining classro...

News

As scams climb, experts offer insight on how to avoid them

Local bank, police officials: Fraud attempts growing in sophistication

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

November 26, 2025

Anyone can become the victim of fraud. In Ouray County, one person lost $17,000 after being coerced into setting up a series of bank transfers. Property owners were duped by a home builder who created...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines