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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Time for Hurd to take climate change gravely
April 1, 2026
Editor’s note: The Plaindealer mistakenly published a previous letter to the editor from Ellie Kehmeier in last week’s edition. We are publishing the letter she most recently submitted in this week’s ...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Public concern led to inquiry into gated road
April 1, 2026
Dear Editor: I appreciate the Plaindealer’s coverage and article on the Board of County Commissioners' meeting about the blocked access to the Greyhound Road. The article correctly stated that there w...
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Letters, Opinion...
Presence doesn’t equal performance on council
March 25, 2026
Dear Editor: As an advocate for responsible remote work, I disagree with the sentiment expressed in the “City: No to more remote governance” article published in your March 5-11 edition. This is not a...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Kudos to Hurd too soon
March 25, 2026
Dear Editor: I was very surprised to see in the March 19-25 edition of the Plaindealer a full-page advertisement, paid for by The Wilderness Society, thanking Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd saying, “R...
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Letters, Opinion...
Burn pit would be useful for wildfire mitigation
March 11, 2026
Dear Editor: Not only is a burn pit a good idea, it is a necessity, but not in the way described. Times and codes are changing. The new fire and construction codes will require more area to be cleared...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Burn pit an idea that should go up in smoke
March 11, 2026
Dear Editor: Today is a rare day. Snow capped mountains with a cloudless sky are not rare, but when the air is also clear, that is rare, because too often smoke fills the Ouray and Ridgway valleys. Th...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
New pool house should include solar array
March 11, 2026
Dear Editor: In none of the large, taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects in the city over the past years — the school, the courthouse complex, the pool, the water plant and the sewer treatment plant...
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Letters, Opinion...
Elected officials should fly ‘Betsy Ross’ flag
March 4, 2026
Dear Editor: I saved last year’s July 10-16 edition of the Plaindealer because its coverage of the city of Ouray’s Independence Day parade reminded me that it marked the beginning of what would be a y...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Ouray fortunate to have city administrator
March 4, 2026
Dear Editor: We all know how lucky we are to live in Ouray, but most of us do not know how fortunate we are to have Michelle Metteer as our city administrator. She is a soft-spoken person so I would l...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In time of need, Ouray County shows up
February 18, 2026
Dear Editor: On behalf of the Ouray County Coroner’s Office, I want to express our sincere gratitude to this community for stepping up when it mattered most. Over the past few weeks, our office manage...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bonds between students credit to Ouray families
February 18, 2026
Dear Editor: There are many instances where we are told that our children’s behavior is not a reflection of their parenting. As a parent of a sometimes rebellious child, I welcome that sentiment. But ...
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Letters, Opinion...
Rural or urban, access to lawmakers vital
February 18, 2026
Dear Editor: Several months ago, I attempted to contact Rep. Jeff Hurd regarding an issue in Ouray County. Upon calling his office, I was connected to a voicemail that stated the best way to contact h...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Prairie dogs should be celebrated, not killed
February 4, 2026
Dear Editor: Thank you for alerting the public to the absurd bluff of Mark Kirk. He is threatening to sue the Ouray County commissioners if they don’t adopt a regulation to accommodate the exterminati...
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Letters, Opinion...
How about new signs?
January 28, 2026
Dear Editor: My wife and I are very proud of all the many improvements that have been made to our little town of Ridgway since we moved here about 10 years ago. We have one suggestion that we feel wou...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Town was right to table anti-idling ordinance
January 28, 2026
Dear Editor: I want to commend the Ridgway Town Council for its decision not to move forward with the proposed vehicle idling ordinance and for taking a thoughtful, practical approach to the issue. I ...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time to reconsider policing in Ouray
December 24, 2025
Dear Editor: With the departure of Interim Police Chief Daric Harvey, Ouray once again faces instability in its police department. Rather than automatically rebuilding the same structure, this feels l...
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Letters, Opinion...
Let’s recommit to being kind, understanding
December 24, 2025
Dear Editor: As we welcome the winter solstice, and the slow return of the light, I want to share some thoughts for the season, and the year to come. I believe the core values of the season, whatever ...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘Timeout’ for Padgett sends bad message
By Dear Editor: 
December 3, 2025
We don’t put women in timeout; we put children in timeout. When you put a woman in timeout, you are putting her voice in timeout; telling her to go be quiet and that she should be seen and not heard. ...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Nauer’s ‘timeout’ idea is a non-starter
By Dear Editor: 
December 3, 2025
Had I not participated in scores of Ouray County Board of County Commissioners' and Planning Commission meetings, that Commissioner Lynn Padgett was elected or appointed to, I may have felt differentl...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
SMPA’s rate structure is regressive
By Dear Editor: 
November 12, 2025
Concerning the proposed San Miguel Power Association rate increase: Has the recent peak/off-peak rate structure worked to reduce the demand charge from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Associatio...
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Editor Picks
Crystal Reservoir transfer bill clears Senate, but clock’s ticking
Main, News...
Crystal Reservoir transfer bill clears Senate, but clock’s ticking
By Chart Riggall, chart@ouraynews.com 
October 2, 2026
Federal legislation to transfer ownership of Crystal Reservoir to the city of Ouray cleared the U.S. Senate this week, sending the bill to the House of Representatives as the clock winds down for Cong...
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A Skyway show worth seeing
Main, News...
A Skyway show worth seeing
September 30, 2026
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Main, News...
Budget slashing begins
Board considers own pay cut, trimming staff, claiming leftover road paving funds
By James Hanlon 
September 30, 2026
Department by department, piece by piece, Ouray County commissioners worked toward cutting $1.5 million from the county’s draft budget at all-day budget sessions Sept. 23 and 29. Commissioners set a 1...
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Ouray sergeant’s job? It’s unclear
Main, News...
Ouray sergeant’s job? It’s unclear
What does the only remaining full-time police employee do for work? Nobody — including Matt Troxell — will say
September 30, 2026
Each weekday, the Ouray Police Department’s sole full-time employee hops in an unmarked black and white SUV for the 15-minute commute from his home in Ridgway to his job in Ouray. Sgt. Matt Troxell ba...
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News
More squeeze, less juice: How proposed disaster relief sales tax compares with other communities
A smaller tax base means Ouray County is asking taxpayers to pay more money to generate less revenue
By Chart Riggall 
September 30, 2026
Ouray County’s proposed sales tax hike to fund future disaster relief would take more out of residents’ and visitors’ pockets to provide a substantially less plush fiscal cushion than other Colorado l...
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First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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