Author - News

Covid

No. 3 top story of 2020: Schools close, then reopen to restrictions

When the first coronavirus cases were identified in Colorado, Ouray and Ridgway schools closed for what was expected to be a short break for deep clea...

December 29, 2020

Covid

No. 4 top story of 2020: Tourists flock to Ouray, outdoors amid pandemic

Top 10: Tourists flock to Ouray and the backcountry amid pandemic With the pandemic shutting down many options for travelers this summer and fueling...

December 29, 2020

Covid

SHOT OF HOPE

After months of anticipation, Ouray County paramedics received the first COVID-19 vaccines in the county Wednesday, the first step toward a long-await...

December 24, 2020

Covid

In a year of cancellations, Santa and his helpers carry on

[tecnavia_gallery slug='in-a-year-of-cancellations-santa-and-his-helpers-carry-on-gallery' view='carousel']On Christmas Eve, five of Santa’s helpers w...

December 24, 2020

Covid

âWe want to finish what we startedâ

When the Colorado National Guard first dispatched two members to Ouray County to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic this spring, they found resourc...

December 10, 2020

Covid

Community fund offers a lifeline

When the Ouray County Response Fund launched in March, Mony Garriga helped hang up signs advertising it. She posted one near the firehouse in Ridgway,...

December 10, 2020

Covid

Reopening Ridgway schools a laborious process

As she read through the state's guidelines for reopening schools during the pandemic, Ridgway Elementary School music teacher Diane Brand tried to ima...

September 10, 2020

Covid

Staying close to home

Faced with the choice between online classes and returning to campus this fall, John Countryman and his family decided to choose both. His three oldes...

September 10, 2020

Columns, Opinion...

OPINION COLUMN: More remote governance undermines accountability

By Plaindealer editorial

March 2, 2026

A newly appointed Ouray city councilor who has attended just half of the board's meetings in person this year has asked fellow councilors to relax rules requiring councilors to attend meetings in pers...

Main, News...

Bright start, cloudy future for bus service

Two years after launch, OurWay ridership has doubled. It’s unclear if grant money and matching local funds will help it keep running

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Georgia Evans greeted the bus driver with jugs of milk and water in her hands and boarded the 11-seater OurWay shuttle, headed home from work in Ridgway to Montrose. She noticed it was a different bus...

Main, News...

Backcountry road closure eyed

County to shut off portion of Yankee Boy Basin to vehicles this summer due to environmental damage

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Ouray County commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to pursue closing an upper section of Yankee Boy Basin this summer to motorized traffic, in response to a resident’s request to reduce environmenta...

News

Councilor seeks relaxed in-person attendance policy

Doherty claims job keeps him out of town; council to decide whether to change cap on remote participation

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

A newly appointed Ouray city councilor who has attended just half of the city council’s meetings in person so far this year has asked the council to relax an attendance policy and allow him to govern ...

News

Go-away-finding: Ouray to nix project, remove signs

After spending more than $100K on branding, design and fabrication, council halts wayfinding initiative that could have cost up to $800K

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 25, 2026

Large maroon wayfinding signs installed on Main Street in Ouray last summer, triggering protests from residents and business owners detesting their appearance and size, will soon be gone like they wer...

Lizteitz

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines