Author - News

Columns, Opinion

A civilized Thanksgiving at an uncivilized time

Was the famed "Outlaw Thanksgiving" in Brown’s Park history or simply a tall tale? According to Ann Bassett, the "Queen of the Cattle Rustlers," it wa...

November 12, 2025

Columns, Feature

How the San Juans got their name from an early trailblazer

The San Juan Mountains are not just a mountain range; they are the jagged, breathtaking spine of southwestern Colorado. This is a land of untamed peak...

October 8, 2025

Columns, Opinion

Dam it: the story of Ridgway State Park

Our neighborhood reservoir, Ridgway State Park, has become a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.The park is a modern chapter in the long and ...

September 10, 2025

Columns, Feature

The West’s unsung heroes? Post offices

The American West, including the Western Slope of Colorado, experienced significant population growth in the latter decades of the 19th century. “Boos...

August 6, 2025

Columns, Feature

The rise, fall and rise of Ouray County

Why did thousands of people, most of whom had never even heard of Ouray, Ridgway or Colona, come to this remote part of Colorado? The history of Ouray...

July 9, 2025

Columns, Feature

County’s historic churches home to ample stories

When does a mining camp truly become a town? It happens legally with official documents of incorporation. It occurs economically when businesses arriv...

July 2, 2025

Main, News...

Oh, what fun it is to dance

December 24, 2025

Main, News...

Affordable housing nonprofit to expand across state

Telluride-based Rural Homes plans to build 120 new units in 2026, but future of Ouray project unclear

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

December 24, 2025

Telluride-based Rural Homes is entering a new era of affordable housing work across the state after bringing on a new CEO and looking beyond pilot projects in Ouray and San Miguel counties. The afford...

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

Second Chance Humane Society

December 24, 2025

Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...

Feature

Home Trust of Ouray County

December 24, 2025

Year established as a nonprofit: 2018 What does your organization do for Ouray County? Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Ouray County, where the median price for a ...

Feature

SEASON OF SHARING

Sherbino Theater/ Ridgway Chautauqua

December 24, 2025

Carolyn Snowbarger

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines