The American West, including the Western Slope of Colorado, experienced significant population growth in the latter decades of the 19th century. “Boosterism” was one of the government strategies used ...

Ouray gardeners, like their counterparts across the Four Corners states, count on the Southwest Monsoon from July to September. In the city of Ouray it brings over 30% (7.31 inches) of our average ann...

I read with interest a summer reading list published earlier this year in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and made a note to check out Andy Weir's new book since I loved "The Martian." Here's the descripti...

Dear Readers, If you’re reading this message in the e-edition of the newspaper, great. That means you probably got your paper when you wanted to read it. If you’re reading this message in the printed ...

"Are you the newspaper? Are we gonna be in the paper?" These are questions I hear when people see me taking photos at parades. I usually shrug my shoulders and smile, because the truth is I don't know...

Why did thousands of people, most of whom had never even heard of Ouray, Ridgway or Colona, come to this remote part of Colorado? The history of Ouray County follows the familiar story of the American...

When does a mining camp truly become a town? It happens legally with official documents of incorporation. It occurs economically when businesses arrive to support the mining interests. Its culture beg...

When filmmaker Heather Courtney set out to make a film about rural America, she decided to do it through the lens of a local newspaper. She visited a small-town weekly in the Texas panhandle, the Cana...

For six lovely days, June 2-7, our San Juan earth was cool and wet. Local peaks regained their winter white. Ouray days averaged 65 degrees, 11 degrees below the new normal June average, 76. Nights av...

The Plaindealer just celebrated its 148th birthday. Personally, I don't think it looks a day over 99. Still, from time to time, we need to show the paper some love and spruce it up. That's why we've b...

The newspaper you’re reading is mailed to nearly 900 post office boxes and street addresses in more than 40 states every week and sent to more than 1,300 email addresses. Once in a while, a mailed new...

A longtime goal for the Ridgway High School girls’ soccer program was to make it to the second round of the state playoffs, travel to the Front Range to take on one of the top seeds and put up a compe...

Ouray County, along with much of far western Colorado and other Southwestern states, is now in severe drought status, according to NOAA’s U.S. West Drought Monitor, released Tuesday, May 20. More worr...

In high school track and field, athletes are limited to competing in four events. It’s a way to ensure competitive balance, limit wear and tear on athletes and — in the case of the Ridgway girls' team...

It is time to begin planning our explorations into the San Juan Mountains again. Be certain to include another trek on Last Dollar Road, connecting Ridgway and Telluride over a 21-mile, unpaved, breat...

After a 4-0 victory over Bayfield on Monday, the Ridgway High School girls' soccer team clinched a record of .500 or better for the eighth time in the past decade. Throw out a season lost to the COVID...

It’s probably no coincidence that the Ridgway High School girls’ soccer team has heated up on the field as temperatures have warmed up outside. In the sunshine, practices can focus much more on team p...

April, a notorious trickster of a month, has lived up to its reputation this year. Fine hot spells, not-so-good freezing temperatures, ample snow and, unfortunately, a continuing drought. It’s been a ...

It can be difficult for a coach not to oversee every aspect of an athlete’s training or competition during a given season. It’s also rough to juggle scheduling conflicts when an athlete competes in mu...

Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. I've been thinking about that quote from C.S. Lewis a lot lately, because I'm concerned about secret activities in the city of Ouray t...