Police department dissolved - Ouray County Plaindealer

Ouray Mayor Michael Underwood listens during an Oct. 5 work session aimed at hammering out the details of a new agreement that would put the Ouray County Sheriff's Office fully in charge of providing police services in the city. The city council approved the contract on Monday. Photo by Erin McIntyre | Ouray County Plaindealer

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By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com, on October 21, 2026

Police department dissolved

Council turns over services to sheriff; remaining employee laid off

The city of Ouray terminated the sole employee of its police department and turned over its police services to the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, officially dissolving a stand-alone law enforcement agency that seemed well on its way to fully rebuilding and regaining public trust just 12 months ago.

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‘This is the challenge that I needed in my life’

Ouray Ice Park's new executive director trims staff, seeks more buy-in from recreational climbers amid financial crunch

By By Chart Riggall chart@ouraynews.com

October 21, 2026

In the waning weeks of the 2019 ice climbing season, a 27-year-old Tres Barbatelli stood at the bottom of the Uncompahgre Gorge wondering what he’d just done. Minutes before, he’d rappelled down into ...

Will Coloradans choose the ‘right to hunt’?

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AMENDMENT 83

Will Coloradans choose the ‘right to hunt’?

Proposed constitutional amendment asks who should dictate wildlife policy

By Chart Riggall

October 14, 2026

Colorado’s vote next month on whether to amend the state Constitution by codifying the right to hunt and fish has intensified debate among hunters, conservationists and legal experts over exactly who ...

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City hit with another police suit

Ex-admin assistant claims Ouray lost personal info, violated policies

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com

October 14, 2026

The city of Ouray faces another lawsuit from an ex-employee of the police department. In a complaint filed last week in district court, former Ouray Police Department administrative assistant Lucy Ree...

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County OKs police deal

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

October 14, 2026

Ouray County commissioners approved a revised contract Tuesday that would make the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office the full-time provider of police services in the city of Ouray — but at a higher cost t...

News

In light of budget cuts, Padgett takes 10% salary reduction

By James Hanlon

October 14, 2026

Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett will take a voluntary 10% salary reduction next year in a show of solidarity with other departments that took cuts for the 2027 budget. Padgett said budget reduc...

News

School district to sell workforce unit

Pay raise bumps Ridgway staff out of affordable housing income bracket

By James Hanlon

October 14, 2026

The Ridgway School Board plans to sell the school district’s last affordable housing unit and rejected a land donation that could have been used to build more housing at a board meeting Oct. 8. No sta...

Feature

Runner’s strong season continues

By David Emory

October 14, 2026

Feature

Ridgway soccer falls to league rival Telluride

By Joel Priest

October 14, 2026

Letters, Opinion...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

No, my mother didn’t paint Beaumont pink

By Jenny Lee Phillips

October 14, 2026

Dear Editor: Comparing MTN Lodge to the Beaumont Hotel is as absurd as comparing Ouray to Ridgway. John Kuijvenhoven's scurrilous, out-of-the-blue letter was an attempt to damage my mother's reputatio...

Letters, Opinion...

Commissioners betray Log Hill Village

By Austin Ray

October 14, 2026

Dear Editor: I saw this in the Plaindealer article regarding the Ouray County budget crisis: “Besides reductions, commissioners are considering a radical one-time revenue source that could make up a s...

News

CORRECTION

October 14, 2026

An article in the Oct. 8-14 edition, “Ridgway seeks input on water supply plan,” misstated the date that the Ridgway Town Council is expected to vote on the water supply element of its master plan. Th...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines