Author - News

Obituaries

Craig F. Schneider, age 73, passed away on November 25th in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was born on February 18th, 1948 to Francis and Lillian Schneider a...

December 9, 2021

News

CALENDAR & EVENTS

ART SHOW: Ouray County Community Art Show at the Ridgway Library during normal hours. Nov. 12 through Jan. 12. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Every Friday and ...

December 9, 2021

News

AROUND THE REGION

GUNNISON Gunnison County commissioners plan to rely heavily on grant funding to take on 16 infrastructure projects in 2022, including the completion o...

December 9, 2021

SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

[tecnavia_gallery slug='spirit-of-the-season-gallery' view='carousel']After a year hiatus due to COVID-19, Ridgway's Noel Night and Ouray's Yule Celeb...

December 9, 2021

A BOUNCE IN THEIR STEP

[tecnavia_gallery slug='a-bounce-in-their-step-gallery' view='carousel']The Ridgway-Ouray Girls Basketball team. Top from left to right: Assistant Coa...

December 9, 2021

A BIG WISH LIST

One-year-old Nina Jones of Ouray watches as bigger kids tell Santa what they want for Christmas at Noel Night in Ridgway on Dec. 3. The event attracte...

December 9, 2021

Weehawken Creative Arts

Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is featuring nonprofit organizations which are based in Ouray County and serve Ouray County in a series of...

December 9, 2021

Opinion

LOOKING BACK

50 YEARS AGO December 9, 1971 - With the advent of excellent sledding conditions, kids have been observed all over Ouray, sledding in areas not partic...

December 9, 2021

LOOKING BACK

50 YEARS AGO December 2, 1971 - NOTICE: One of the rope blocks from the ski tow is missing and the tow cannot be operated without it. No questions wil...

December 1, 2021

Obituaries

Steve “Parky” Parkinson

Steve “Parky” Parkinson, of Ridgway, passed away with his family beside him on November 9, 2021 at the age of 67 after tenaciously fighting metastatic...

December 1, 2021

Main, News...

New county manager seeks to lead with heart

After careers in big cities and large governments, Antonio Mendez is shifting his perspective

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 4, 2026

Ouray County is unlike most places Antonio Mendez has lived or worked before, and Mendez brings experience unlike the county has seen in two decades, or possibly ever. Ouray County’s new manager grew ...

Main, News...

City leader pulls police from patrol duty

Administrator cites concerns about training, liability; sheriff's office assumes full control of services in Ouray

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

February 4, 2026

Ouray City Administrator Michelle Metteer has pulled the police department’s two remaining officers off of patrol duty and reassigned them to administrative tasks, citing concerns about liability and ...

News

County considers asking voters for tax hike in November

Staff to research potential funding measures for EMS, road and bridge; sheriff won't seek question this fall

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 4, 2026

Ouray County leaders want to research and poll the public’s appetite for asking voters for more tax revenue, to raise additional money for the county’s Emergency Medical Services and the Road and Brid...

News

Ridgway gets initial OK for $1.34M grant

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

February 4, 2026

Ridgway has received initial approval for a $1.34 million grant to help it explore an all-electric building code for new construction and help electrify municipal operations, to lower its carbon footp...

Feature

Good for you! Uncompahgre STEAM Fair

February 4, 2026

The “Good For You!” page is a place for reader-submitted photos illustrating community, celebrations and more. Want to submit a photo for publication? Here are some guidelines for submissions: - This ...

News Staff

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines