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Daniel Schmidt daniel@ouraynews.com

News
Town extends contract with chamber
After criticism last spring, group must meet several tourism promotion standardsThe Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce will continue marketing tourism p...
January 17, 2024
Deal helps protect bighorn sheep habitat
News
Deal helps protect bighorn sheep habitat
Montrose sheep ranch retires grazing permits south of OurayEfforts to protect bighorn sheep habitat in the San Juan Mountains recently received a boos...
January 10, 2024
News
Fire District struggles to fill open seat
For more than two months, the Ridgway Fire Protection District Board of Directors has been short a board member and the district has struggled to find...
January 10, 2024
News
Fire Department plans training center
Shipping container in Ridgway would offer permanent, year-round opportunitiesLocal public safety organizations may soon have a permanent training faci...
January 10, 2024
‘What else is there for me but this?’
Feature
‘What else is there for me but this?’
Throughout Shea Freedom’s life, timing has been everything for better and for worse. It was everything when his mother passed away right before he was...
January 10, 2024
News
New program to fill energy workforce gaps
Initiative aimed at training for small-scale energy efficiency jobs For years, local renewable energy companies have struggled to find enough qualifie...
January 3, 2024
News
County eyes permit fee increases
Marijuana businesses expected to bear largest brunt of hike For the first time since 2008, Ouray County is expected to increase user fees across a bro...
January 3, 2024
News
County attorney receives glowing review
County Attorney Leo Caselli on Dec. 20 received glowing remarks from Ouray County commissioners during his annual performance review, earning 97 out o...
January 3, 2024
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Editor Picks
‘Pinched on every front’
Main, News...
‘Pinched on every front’
Historic drought, wildfires, high feed prices strain local ranchers
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
One breezy afternoon in mid-July, Mike Potter's phone started making all kinds of noise. “It goes, beep, beep, beep, beep!” shouted the Ridgway rancher, brandishing his flip phone from the pocket of h...
Flood work could begin within week
Main, News...
Flood work could begin within week
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
Ouray County officials said Tuesday that flood mitigation work below the Gold Mountain Fire’s burn scar could begin as soon as next week, while warning that storms in the coming days could trigger fur...
Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
News
Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
Fairgrounds empty as focus shifts to Elk Fire
By James Hanlon 
August 12, 2026
The incident command post for the Gold Mountain Fire relocated to the Gunnison County Fairgrounds Saturday as Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 took over for Team 1 and combined effort...
County fair carries on
Feature
County fair carries on
Fire doesn't stop 4-H kids from showing their animals this week
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
August 12, 2026
The night the Gold Mountain Fire started, the Cornell family anxiously watched the fire spreading toward their fenced livestock, the billowing smoke filling the canyon. They decided to load up their h...
Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We need to stand firm to preserve alpine tundra
By Dianne Eschman 
August 12, 2026
Dear Editor: The July 23 guest column by Sue Dreamweaver Spielman was excellent and brings up so many issues that we regular backcountry users experience. I have been recreating in this area since 197...
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Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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