Ouray Interim Police Chief Daric Harvey is leaving his job over his objections to City Administrator Michelle Metteer’s insistence that he undergo a second, more extensive background check to determin...

For the second year in a row, Ouray County commissioners fought over who should serve as board chairperson, rejecting requests from supporters of Commissioner Lynn Padgett to appoint her to the positi...

Space to Create’s owner and property management company are pledging to remedy issues with Ouray County’s first affordable housing project and re-establish strong communication with residents after re...

The Ridgway Town Council approved qualifying a homebuyer for a deed-restricted unit in the Vista Park Commons neighborhood after discussing whether the unit was advertised fairly. The council, acting ...

Ridgway town councilors decided to delay final approval of a new anti-idling ordinance after hearing public concerns and discussing other issues related to the new rules during a Dec. 10 regular meeti...

Ouray County leaders decided Tuesday to cancel most 4-H Event Center and Fairgrounds events after San Juan Skijoring in January, until the county comes up with a plan to manage the space. It’s unclear...

An article on Page 2 of the Dec. 11–17 edition incorrectly reported the remaining fund balance of Ouray County’s disaster fund. There is $57,445 remaining in the fund going into 2026.

Furnished with a boost in property tax revenue, the board in charge of operating and maintaining the Cedar Hill Cemetery north of Ouray will embark next year on the first of a series of overdue mainte...

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...

Gio Mendoza’s coworkers thought he was missing for more than an hour. Emergency dispatchers were scrambling to get in touch with him. They had no idea the Ouray County sheriff’s investigator was stran...

A Ridgway woman is proposing the town give "creative" residents a monthly, unconditional cash payment to encourage them to stay living and working in town. Ridgway resident Tia Mihelarakis proposed a ...

Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett voted against a minor change to the county's new cost-savings policy, citing unclear language as the reason she canceled her attendance at a statewide conference...

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the county's disaster fund balance heading into 2026. Ouray County commissioners approved the county's 2026 budget during their regul...

The Ouray School District is looking at calendar options for the next two years, and officials are considering feedback from a survey of parents, staff, students and the community to help its decision...

Ridgway is ready to adopt its largest budget ever for 2026, after its council decided how much funding it will grant to 20 community organizations. During a Dec. 3 budget workshop, town councilors agr...

Ouray County commissioners agreed to grant Wolf Cattle and Land Co. temporary access to plow snow on County Road 7 to complete a wildfire mitigation project. The ranch will receive a right-of-way encr...

Outgoing Ouray County Clerk and Recorder Cristy Lynn has issued a recommendation for her replacement when she leaves her role in January. Lynn sent a letter to county commissioners formally recommendi...

Ridgway’s wildland firefighters have mopped up hotspots in Nevada, fought wildfire on the front lines in California and protected structures at home in Colorado. Since the Ridgway Fire Protection Dist...

Ouray County is performing triage on its 2026 budget as 2025 revenues are coming in lower than expected, placing even more pressure on the county’s general fund savings. County leaders have been worki...