Calendar & Events, Feature...
Jan. 29 – Feb. 11, 2026
January 28, 2026
THURSDAY JANUARY 29 After school craft time for elementary school students, 4-4:45 p.m. at the Ouray Public Library, 320 Sixth Ave. Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech problems from 4-6 p.m. at t...
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Feature
'Anna' documents how Ouray-based Pfaff pushed ahead after amputation of toes
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
January 21, 2026
Anna Pfaff’s choice to move onward and, especially upward, resonates beyond world-class peaks in a locally made film on the elite Ouray-based climber. "Anna" is a 22-minute portrait of Pfaff’s return ...
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Feature
Send us your celebrations!
January 21, 2026
Ridgway Secondary School guidance counselor Terra Malmstrom gave a presentation during a conference celebrating Rudolf Steiner in December at Harvard Divinity School. Her presentation, "Beyond Surviva...
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Calendar & Events, Feature...
Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 2026
January 21, 2026
Thursday, January 22 Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech problems from 4-6 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library, 300 Charles St. Walk-ins welcome. Film club: "Famous Last Words," with the Ouray Pub...
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Feature
January 14, 2026
Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago January 20, 1966 Two men, injured Thursday night when their ore truck plunged over a ...
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Columns, Feature...
By Carolyn Snowbarger 
January 14, 2026
So far this winter we have had a reprieve from icy sidewalks and snow shoveling — a far cry from what Silverton experienced with the legendary "Big Snow” in March 1884. We are complaining about the pe...
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Columns, Feature...
By Mary Menz Special to the Plaindealer 
January 14, 2026
Birdwatching is one of the most accessible hobbies for people of all ages. Little special equipment is required, though beginners often find binoculars and a guidebook to help them identify bird speci...
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Calendar & Events, Feature...
Jan. 15-29, 2026
January 14, 2026
Thursday, January 15 Community book club, noon-1 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library. Bring lunch and discuss "Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy. Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech problems...
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Calendar & Events, Feature...
Jan. 8-22, 2026
January 7, 2026
Thursday, January 8 Sewing class: Mug Rugs, from 1-3 p.m. at the Ridgway Public Library, 300 Charles St. Sign up at the front desk. Tech Thursday – Get help with quick tech problems from 4-6 p.m. at t...
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Columns, Feature...
PREP ROUNDUP
By By Matt Meyer Special to the Plaindealer 
December 31, 2025
Ridgway coach Jonny Zaugg dedicated to helping young c limbers of all skill levels When Jonny Zaugg returned to Ridgway several years ago, he saw an opportunity to give back to the community and be th...
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Calendar & Events, Feature...
Jan. 1-14, 2026
December 31, 2025
THURSDAY JANUARY 1 Polar Bear plunge at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, 1 p.m. SATURDAY JANUARY 3 Trivia Night. Free to attend. 7 p.m. at the Wright Opera House, 472 Main St. in Ouray. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
December 24, 2025
Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...
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Feature
December 24, 2025
Year established as a nonprofit: 2018 What does your organization do for Ouray County? Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Ouray County, where the median price for a ...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
December 24, 2025
Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
December 24, 2025
Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
December 24, 2025
Year established as a nonprofit: 2007 What does your organization do for Ouray County? With wildfires becoming a greater and greater risk to Western Colorado, WRWC strives to educate and aid in wildfi...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
December 24, 2025
Editor's note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharin...
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Columns, Feature...
PREP ROUNDUP
By By Bernie Pearce Special to the Plaindealer 
December 24, 2025
The Hills are alive with the sound of coaching, as Scott “Scotty” Hill received his indoctrination to the Ridgway High School coaching ranks at the San Juan Mountain Madness basketball tournament earl...
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Feature
Ridgway's True Grit Cafe marks anniversary as community institution
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
December 24, 2025
If you walk into True Grit Cafe, there's a good chance the proprietor herself will be the one who greets you before the door shuts behind you. She doesn't spend much time up in her office, where there...
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News
By Mike Wiggins 
May 8, 2026
A former Ouray woman was ordered Thursday to spend two years on probation for retaliating against a woman who accused her son of sexual assault in 2023. Kristyn Trujillo must also perform 96 hours of ...
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Main, News...
Drought conditions prime for insect infestation in county, experts warn
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
May 6, 2026
In some parts of Ouray County it may look like popcorn grows on trees. The milky, honey-colored pocks on the trunks of ponderosa pines and other trees signal efforts to fend off their attackers: bark ...
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Main
By By Mike Wiggins, Lia Salvatierra and Erin McIntyre lia@ouraynews.com mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com 
May 6, 2026
A state mandate requiring local governments to adopt stricter building rules to protect new and remodeled homes against wildfire has sparked varying reactions from elected officials in Ouray County. T...
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News
Manager: 'Folks want to feel we are doing our jobs, not delegating it to AI'
By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer 
May 6, 2026
Ouray County commissioners want to regulate how employees use artificial intelligence when doing county work and limit cybercrime risk. Commissioners on April 29 looked at the first draft of an AI pol...
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News
Following strong pushback from businesses, nonprofits, board devises more relaxed regulations
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
May 6, 2026
The town of Ridgway's Sustainability Advisory Board will pilot “zero-waste” rules at the town’s summer concert series, while it continues to craft a broader policy to implement for all events on town ...
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