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Top story of 2024: With housing, progress for some, uncertainty for others

Gains in planning and constructing deed-restricted housing in 2024 were matched by struggles to preserve one of Ouray County’s largest existing afford...

January 1, 2025

News

Top story of 2024: Feds affirm plan to limit hikers, campers

Hikers and campers will need permits to visit Blue Lakes southwest of Ridgway as soon as the summer of 2025 as part of a larger wilderness management ...

January 1, 2025

News

Ouray business owner touts benefits of work visa program

For the past five high-tourism seasons, university students from Brazil to Malaysia came to work at Ouray Grocery on work exchange visas.Owner Tom Fed...

December 25, 2024

Feature

New wine bar invites sipping, snacking

Chloe’s Charcuterie & Wine is bringing an elevated tasting and snacking experience to the former Provisions Cafe in Ridgway. Owner Holly Kintz was...

December 25, 2024

News

County mulls bolstering weapons ban

Ouray County leaders are considering more stringent rules prompted by a new state law which prohibits firearms in “sensitive spaces” like local govern...

December 18, 2024

Feature

For park, 30th birthday is ice-ing on the cake

The Ouray Ice Park is entering its third decade strong, hosting a number of new features and a new competition for the 2024-25 season, the Internation...

December 18, 2024

News

Blasting above Ouray postponed again

The owner of a property on Queen Street whose controversial blasting caused turmoil last summer — including two stop-work orders issued by Ouray Count...

December 11, 2024

News

County to try new meeting policies

In an effort to make meetings more efficient, Ouray County leaders have agreed to tighten deadlines and restructure their meetings. These changes come...

December 11, 2024

News

County holds off on new winter maintenance agreement

Ouray County commissioners have postponed approving the latest request from a resident to plow a road to access his home during the winter, saying the...

December 11, 2024

News

County wildlife species, ecology re-surveyed

This summer Peggy Lyon made her way through some of the very same fens and alpine tundra as she did 26 years ago, collecting data about all the differ...

December 11, 2024

Main, News...

A visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus

December 10, 2025

Main, News...

Vehicle problems toss wrench at sheriff

Maintenance costs pile up as agency wrestles with delays in replacing patrol cars

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 10, 2025

Gio Mendoza’s coworkers thought he was missing for more than an hour. Emergency dispatchers were scrambling to get in touch with him. They had no idea the Ouray County sheriff’s investigator was stran...

Main, News...

Resident: Tax money should fund ‘creatives’

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 10, 2025

A Ridgway woman is proposing the town give "creative" residents a monthly, unconditional cash payment to encourage them to stay living and working in town. Ridgway resident Tia Mihelarakis proposed a ...

News

Commissioner opposes change to cost-savings policy

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 10, 2025

Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett voted against a minor change to the county's new cost-savings policy, citing unclear language as the reason she canceled her attendance at a statewide conference...

News

County OKs budget, will diminish savings

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 10, 2025

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the county's disaster fund balance heading into 2026. Ouray County commissioners approved the county's 2026 budget during their regul...

Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines