Author - News

Covid

Stories of the year No. 1: Vaccine arrives, but challenges remain

Editor's note: The story of the vaccine arriving in Ouray County was the top story of 2021. This week's edition features 10 top stories from the past ...

December 24, 2021

Covid

Stories of the year No. 2: Restrictions loosen, events and visitors return

The arrival and availability of COVID vaccines brought a gradual end to most of the state’s pandemic restrictions on businesses and gatherings, allowi...

December 24, 2021

News

Stories of the year No. 8: Space to Create finally breaks ground

More than five years after Ridgway was selected for an affordable housing project, ground broke on the Space to Create building this summer. When comp...

December 24, 2021

News

State funding fuels housing proposals

A second Ridgway development project has received a Colorado Community Revitalization Grant from the state, while a major Ouray development has receiv...

December 23, 2021

News

State requires schools to raise taxes

Both Ouray County school districts will be required by the state to begin increasing their mill levies annually for the next nine years under a mandat...

December 16, 2021

News

Ouray extends RV permit program

Ouray will continue to allow local workers to camp in recreational vehicles in the city through next November, though only one employer used the progr...

December 9, 2021

Covid

COVID cases climb after holiday

After nearly a week with only one new COVID case, Ouray County reported eight new cases Monday, which Public Health Director Tanner Kingery attributed...

December 9, 2021

News

Panel OKs Ridgway townhome project

The Ridgway Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend approval of six new townhouses on Charles Street after two lengthy discussions about design...

December 1, 2021

News

Dog survives deer attack

[tecnavia_gallery slug='dog-survives-deer-attack-gallery' view='carousel']John Randolph will never forget the sound. Just minutes after letting his do...

December 1, 2021

Covid

Performance venues shift COVID protocols

Two performing arts venues in Ouray County have split on requirements for attendees as local COVID case numbers remain high: Ouray’s Wright Opera Hous...

November 24, 2021

News

Police investigating fireworks shot at homes

City plans to enact ban on personal use of pyrotechnics

By Mike Wiggins, Erin McIntyre, Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

June 17, 2025

Police are searching for suspects who shot a barrage of fireworks onto homes on Sunday night, sparking fires in the southern part of Ouray. The explosions startled residents just after 9 p.m., with fi...

Feature, Main...

MURAL IN BLOOM

By Erin McIntyre

June 12, 2025

Artist Yulia Avgustinovich works on the mural she was commissioned to paint on the southeast side of the Space to Create building in Ridgway on Monday. Avgustinovich, who has been a professional mural...

Main, News...

Prison ordered in sex assault

Judge: Crime shows 'true character' of Ridgway man alternately commended, castigated

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

June 11, 2025

A judge has sentenced a Ridgway man to three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 28-year-old woman in 2023 after he claimed he was drunk and thought she was his wife. Brian Scranton, 49, hugged ...

News

Road, retaining wall fixes nearing $300K

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 11, 2025

The cost of repairing County Road 361 and a retaining wall following a large rockfall is nearing $300,000, a sum Ouray County is paying in full. When commissioners declared the event an emergency in F...

News

Trail closures could trigger domino effect

With Blue Lakes, part of Imogene Pass off limits,other areas could see more wear and tear

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 11, 2025

Closures of beloved hiking and off-highway vehicle trails in and around Ouray County this summer could congest and pressure other areas. The popular Blue Lakes trailhead is closed through August due t...

Liz Teitz

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines