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Willie Richardson

Thanks, Sandy, for giving it one more shot
Opinion
Thanks, Sandy, for giving it one more shot
When people ask how my wife, Sandy, and I met, I tell them the following story: I was afoot in Ridgway one night, and while taking a shortcut through ...
February 16, 2022
The only resolution I can keep: make no resolutions
Opinion
The only resolution I can keep: make no resolutions
I’m trying to decide which New Year's resolutions I’ll be breaking this year. 1. Quit chewing tobacco. Yeah right! Like that’s gonna happen! I’ll quit...
January 19, 2022
An ice-crusted heart is where the home is
Opinion
An ice-crusted heart is where the home is
Growing up here, I despised the cold and snow. At 6 a.m., 58 years ago, my stepdad Roger and I were driving the team toward the silage pit. The temper...
December 24, 2021
How a mangy Hobo found a home with us
How a mangy Hobo found a home with us
In 2018, a cat showed up in our courtyard. He sat by the door meowing. Sandy opened the door and he marched in like he owned the place. We explained t...
November 18, 2021
That cat food is smelling pretty good right now
Opinion
That cat food is smelling pretty good right now
Sandy has gone to Indiana to visit our family. She left Hobo the cat and me here to look after things. What the heck was she thinkin’?! That's kinda l...
October 21, 2021
A guide to being a real man of the West
A guide to being a real man of the West
About this time last year, Sandy and I decided we wanted to have a turkey for Thanksgiving. Considering myself to be a real man of the West, it occurr...
September 15, 2021
Let’s fulfill Sparky’s prophecy by coming together
Let’s fulfill Sparky’s prophecy by coming together
Normally my column is lighthearted and humorous, hopefully bringing some joy into someone's life who might be feeling down. This column will be differ...
July 15, 2021
I can’t outrun her, so I might as well stay with her
Opinion
I can’t outrun her, so I might as well stay with her
Since Sandy and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary, I thought it only fitting to write this column. On June 1, 2018, Sandy and I were mar...
June 16, 2021
At my age, the pros still outweigh the cons
Opinion
At my age, the pros still outweigh the cons
I'm writing this column on my 71st birthday. Now that I'm a full-fledged, certified, card-carrying member of the social security crowd, I want to info...
May 19, 2021
Nonsensical or profound, my favorite ‘Willie-isms’
Opinion
Nonsensical or profound, my favorite ‘Willie-isms’
Not knowing how much time I have left on Earth, I want to share some of my favorite sayings. Some are my originals, but most are quotes from family an...
April 14, 2021
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Editor Picks
Bright start, cloudy future for bus service
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...
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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...
this is a test
Councilor seeks relaxed in-person attendance policy
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 ...
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Go-away-finding: Ouray to nix project, remove signs
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...
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Wet snow, later sunsets mark spring’s approach
Columns, Opinion...
Wet snow, later sunsets mark spring’s approach
By Karen Risch 
February 25, 2026
Thanks to warming sun, wet snow showers, spells of shirtsleeve weather, earlier sunrises and later sunsets, meteorological spring (March 1) is upon us. It’s been an a-ha moment these last two weeks as...
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Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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Ridgway, Colorado 81432
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Ridgway CO 81432

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