Author - News

Columns, Feature

Anniversaries a reminder of power of this place

The "power of place" is the theory that physical locations shape our lives, identities and ultimate destinies. This concept suggests that a geographic...

June 17, 2026

Columns, Opinion

War to peace: rebranding the San Juans

For decades, the San Juans were valued primarily for what could be pulled out of them. These mountains were a brutal, dangerous locale defined by the ...

May 13, 2026

Columns, Feature

A valley of broken promises and bitter water

For anyone driving the lonely stretch of Colorado Highway 141 through the West End of Montrose County, the sign for “Disappointment Valley” usually pr...

April 8, 2026

Columns, Opinion

Wyatt Earp’s brief, quiet chapter in the San Juans

Wyatt Earp wasn’t born a legend. He was an opportunist, a man with a keen eye for the next horizon and a knack for finding — or perhaps stirring up — ...

March 11, 2026

Columns, Feature

How science fiction, silver built Mount Sneffels

For those of us lucky enough to step onto our decks or open our front doors to a view of the northern San Juans, one silhouette dominates the horizon:...

February 11, 2026

Columns, Feature

1884 ‘Big Snow’ a reminder: Careful what you wish for

So far this winter we have had a reprieve from icy sidewalks and snow shoveling — a far cry from what Silverton experienced with the legendary "Big Sn...

January 14, 2026

Main, News...

Fire surges into Cimarrons

Evacuations expand, forest closes as forecast offers little relief

By Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com

July 1, 2026

A wildfire that started as a wisp of smoke on a cliffside just north of Ouray last weekend exploded to more than 15,000 acres by Wednesday, driven by winds north to the Cimarron Range east of Ridgway....

Main, News...

City curtails holiday events

By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

July 1, 2026

Fourth of July events in Ouray will be scaled back this year in response to the Gold Mountain Fire, with the July 3 fire department benefit concert and the Independence Day parade and kids’ games a go...

News

Blaze forces evacuations, destroys family cabin

No word when owners will be able to return

By By Mike Wiggins, Erin McIntyre and Deb Hurley Brobst mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com

July 1, 2026

Rachel Nichols helped Russell McCrady when he needed emergency treatment for his dog. Little did she know he would return the favor when she and her husband encountered their own emergency, after they...

News

Fire crashes wedding party

Forced to flee, Denver-area couple improvises, moves celebration

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

July 1, 2026

The navy blue suit was ready for James Lindaman to attach his great-grandfather’s Air Force airman’s pin to the lapel. Michelle Lindaman spent months arranging every detail of her wedding, from the fl...

News

Looking Back

July 1, 2026

Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago July 7, 1966 Dynamite charges started Ouray’s Independence Day Celebration with a ban...

Carolyn Snowbarger

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines