Congressman focuses on free speech, health care during telephone town hall

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd listens to Ouray County commissioners during a meeting in April. The Republican congressman from the 3rd Congressional District last week held his third telephone town hall since being elected, answering questions and discussing issues ranging from health care and the federal budget bill to First and Second Amendment rights. Photo by Lia Salvatierra | Ouray County Plaindealer

News

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com on September 24, 2025

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd defended First and Second Amendment rights and components of President Donald Trump’s signature budget bill including changes to health care coverage during a Sept. 17 telephone town hall.

Main, News...

Hurd mum on reservoir transfer

Congressman not yet saying whether he'll back city taking over Crystal Reservoir

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd is remaining mum on whether he will support a bill that would transfer Crystal Reservoir from the U.S. Forest Service to the city of Ouray. Since Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hick...

Main, News...

Prairie dog mitigation to proceed

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

Top of the Pines will hire a contractor to lethally fumigate a portion of its prairie dog population, despite adopting a management plan prioritizing the animals’ natural occurrence. During a regular ...

Main, News...

Once in ‘crisis,’ Ouray police rebuilding

A year after grave warning, the department is nearly fully staffed, overhauling policies and regaining trust

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

Daric Harvey needs another dry erase board. The one hanging on the wall next to his desk is out of room, crammed with a checklist of goals and initiatives Ouray’s interim police chief has etched in bl...

News

Postal Service probing locked boxes in Ridgway

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

The U.S. Postal Service is addressing complaints from Ridgway residents who had their post office boxes at the Ridgway Post Office locked without notice, violating the agency’s policy. Ridgway residen...

News

County names trio of manager finalists

Community meet and greet set for Oct. 20; decision could come next day

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

Ouray County commissioners have selected three finalists for the county manager vacancy, a step toward ensuring they will usher in new, permanent county leadership for the first time in more than two ...

News

School board approves purchase of properties

Ouray district could use Fourth Street parcels to expand campus, build new gym; dollar amounts not disclosed

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

The Ouray School Board has decided to spend an undisclosed amount of money to buy two neighboring properties for the purpose of expanding the school's campus and possibly building a new gym. Board mem...

‘Ordinary mom’ helps bring history to life

Feature

NEIGHBORS AND HELPERS

‘Ordinary mom’ helps bring history to life

By By Ariel Hessler Special to the Plaindealer

September 24, 2025

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the location Amanda Caldwell taught in Longmont. For Amanda Caldwell, most mornings start the same way: coffee with her husband, then breakfast ...

Feature

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS

Spotlight on the Arts: Katy Kristoffersen

By By Natasha Hessler Special to the Plaindealer

September 24, 2025

For Katy Kristoffersen music is therapeutic. Kristoffersen, who is now the music director at the United Church of the San Juans in Ridgway, double- majored in psychology and music at Miami University ...

News

Ridgway fire chief gets raise

Fire District board approves expense without public discussion, after taking 10 months to finalize performance evaluation

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

September 24, 2025

Ridgway Fire Chief Chris Miller will receive a 14% salary increase and be paid a $95,000 salary for 2025 retroactively, after the Ridgway Fire Protection District’s board of directors approved giving ...

Letters

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Why the delay in hiring Ouray police chief?

September 24, 2025

Dear Editor: I attended a Ouray City Council meeting some time ago when the interim police chief, Daric Harvey, came up. I've followed with great interest the progress — or lack of — since then. Offic...

Letters

Thankfully, reservoir came without coal mine

September 24, 2025

Dear Editor: The historical commentary provided in Carolyn Snowbarger's column in the Sept. 11 edition of the Plaindealer left out the most interesting details, specifically the great, award-winning j...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines