Businesses share struggles with senator - Ouray County Plaindealer

News

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com, on September 2, 2026

Businesses share struggles with senator

'You guys are in crisis,' Hickenlooper tells proprietors wrestling with aftermath of Gold Mountain Fire

Ouray County business owners bent the ear of U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Friday, sharing stories of declining profits and mass cancellations in the wake of the Gold Mountain Fire in the hopes the Democrat can help secure federal disaster relief funding.

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Hickenlooper hopeful for fire disaster order

Senator tours flood-damaged areas, surveys planned fire mitigation efforts

By By Chart Riggall chart@ouraynews.com

September 2, 2026

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper said Friday he was optimistic the Trump administration will declare the Gold Mountain Fire a federal disaster, arguing Congress “wouldn’t settle for” the White House withho...

Main, News...

County employees remain on paid leave

EMS paramedic, deputy emergency manager sent home days after fire started

By By James Hanlon james@ouraynews.com

September 2, 2026

Ouray County has had two emergency- related employees on paid administrative leave since the early days of the Gold Mountain Fire. A third employee, Road and Bridge Superintendent Ty Barger, was place...

Main

Factors behind the fire: What drove its spread?

Experts: Age-old forests, climate change, extreme drought created prime conditions for Gold Mountain Fire

By Chart Riggall

August 26, 2026

In the summer of 1879, the largest wildfire in Colorado history at the time tore through 26,000 acres of rugged forest about eight miles south of Silverton and presaged a vast shift in its landscape. ...

News

Tax districts approved for proposed project

Metro districts would fund improvements for possible 19-acre mixed-use Ridgway development

By James Hanlon

August 26, 2026

The Ridgway Town Council approved creating four metropolitan districts at its Aug. 12 meeting for a proposed residential and commercial development on 19 acres in north Ridgway. The development, Alpen...

News

Officials push Trump for disaster declaration

Polis: Federal funding needed to help pay for $17M in damages from Gold Mountain, Aspen Acres fires

By Chart Riggall

August 26, 2026

Federal, state and local officials pushed this week for President Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration for the Gold Mountain and Aspen Acres fires that would open the door to additional federa...

Feature

New principal brings international experience

Michael Flaim named interim leader of Ouray preK-8 students

By James Hanlon

August 26, 2026

Michael Flaim, an educator who taught economics and social studies at international schools for nearly 20 years, has started as Ouray School’s interim preK-8 principal for the 2026-2027 school year. T...

News

Construction to control flooding begins

Work focuses on removing debris, building berms, barriers; project set to finish by Sept. 20

By James Hanlon

August 26, 2026

Crews from Haynes Excavation began work last week to repair and protect areas prone to flooding and debris flows beneath the Gold Mountain Fire burn scar. The $2.8 million Emergency Watershed Protect ...

News

Disaster relief sales tax headed for ballot

County pauses pursuit of road and bridge use tax

By James Hanlon

August 26, 2026

Ouray County commissioners approved a ballot question Tuesday to ask voters for a county-wide 0.5% disaster recovery sales tax at the Nov. 3 election. Commissioners also paused efforts to pursue a 3% ...

Letters

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Public trails for all, not personal interests

By Jeff Lindberg

August 26, 2026

Dear Editor: In response to the letter to the editor from Dianne Eschman in the Aug. 13 edition, as an avid off-roader and business owner in Ouray, I take issue with a few claims made. Off-highway veh...

Letters

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

County needs a disaster fund, not an endless tax

By George Kerber

August 26, 2026

Dear Editor: I am writing because the proposed disaster recovery fund sales tax deserves careful consideration before voters approve it. I’m concerned the ballot language creates an unlimited forever ...

Columns, Feature...

Monsoon flooding as old as Ouray itself

By Karen Risch

August 26, 2026

Situated on debris fans created by Portland and Cascade creeks, Ouray lies in a 5,000-foot deep rock bowl drained by five major creeks emptying into the Uncompahgre River. It’s not surprising that for...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines