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News
County renews water lease for fourth year
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
April 15, 2026
Ouray County commissioners signed off on an agreement Tuesday to lease and help pay for backup water to support the county’s irrigators for a fourth year. The lease secures a 2021 no-call agreement be...
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News
Ditch users, county at impasse about culvert
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
April 15, 2026
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to more precisely reflect the condition of the culvert the ditch owners want replaced. A group of ranchers from the West Arm Ditch Company is refusing Oura...
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News
Sex assault trial delayed for third time
By Mike Wiggins 
April 15, 2026
The trial for a man charged with sexually assaulting a then-17-year-old girl in Ouray County in 2023 has been postponed for a third time. Nate Dieffenderfer is now scheduled for an eight-day trial sta...
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News
Planned EV chargers move to Visitor Center
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
April 15, 2026
During an April 8 meeting, the Ridgway Town Council agreed to move a charging station planned for the Ouray County 4-H Event Center and Fairgrounds to town property next to the Ridgway Visitor Center....
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Looking Back
News
Looking Back
April 15, 2026
Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago April 14, 1966 The city-wide revival meeting underway this week at the Chipeta Theatr...
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News
Pilot composting program coming to Ridgway
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 15, 2026
Ridgway residents will soon be able to participate in Bruin Waste Management’s first residential composting service, though the program has faced some delays. Creating a composting program has been on...
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Easter egg hunters hop to it
Main, News...
Easter egg hunters hop to it
April 8, 2026
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Town mayor re-elected in landslide
Main, News...
Town mayor re-elected in landslide
Voters select incumbents Grambley, Scoville, newcomer Greenwood
By By Lia Salvatierra and Erin McIntyre lia@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
John Clark will continue serving as Ridgway mayor, defeating his only challenger in 14 years since he was first elected, newcomer Tia Mihelarakis. Clark received 321 votes to Mihelarakis’ 51 votes. Cl...
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Main, News...
Does Ouray need a new pool house? Council, public split
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
A series of tweaks to the design of a proposed new pool house at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool has exposed a deep divide among Ouray City Council members and the public over whether the city should proce...
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News
Council absorbs more criticism over police
Employee pleads 'give us answers' as city OKs higher reimbursement rate for law enforcement services
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
The Ouray City Council on Monday agreed to pay Ouray County more for providing law enforcement services in the city, but not before absorbing another round of blistering criticism from the public and ...
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News
County, Forest Service to discuss Yankee Boy closure next week
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
Ouray County commissioners will hold a work session next week with the U.S. Forest Service to discuss their plan to close the upper portion of the road into Yankee Boy Basin to reduce environmental an...
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News
Ouray man killed in highway accident
By Plaindealer Staff Report Plaindealer@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
A 34-year-old Ouray man died in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 550 south of Ridgway Monday night Alixzander Thomsen was driving the Dodge Caravan, headed toward Ouray, when the crash occurred ...
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Looking Back
News
Looking Back
April 8, 2026
Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago April 14, 1966 The Ouray City Council, meeting Monday in special session, adopted by ...
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News
Coming soon to a curb near you: Free recycling
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
All three local governments in Ouray County are pursuing a new statewide program that aims to make recycling free to residents. The Producer Responsibility Program is the result of a state law passed ...
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Man convicted of sex assault, other charges
News
Man convicted of sex assault, other charges
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
April 8, 2026
Editor’s note: This article includes details about a sexual assault case and also mentions suicidal ideation. If you or anyone else needs help, please call Colorado Crisis Services at 988. Jurors spen...
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Ridgway municipal election results
News
Ridgway municipal election results
By Plaindealer Staff 
April 8, 2026
Ridgway will keep its long-time mayor and add a new face to its town council. According to initial election results from the town released late Tuesday, Mayor John Clark beat challenger Tia Mihelaraki...
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News
Ouray man killed in accident
By Plaindealer Staff 
April 7, 2026
A 34-year-old Ouray man died in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 550 south of Ridgway last night, which is still under investigation. Alixzander Thomsen was driving the Dodge Caravan, headed tow...
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Fatal accident under investigation
News
Fatal accident under investigation
By Plaindealer Staff 
April 6, 2026
UPDATED STORY HERE: Ouray man dies in accident A fatal crash involving a Dodge Caravan and a Ford F-350 truck hauling a trailer on U.S. Highway 550 south of Ridgway tonight is under investigation. Acc...
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Ridgway sues MTN Lodge
Main, News...
Ridgway sues MTN Lodge
Town seeks payment of sales, lodging taxes; hotel calls lawsuit 'misguided'
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 1, 2026
The town of Ridgway is suing the owners of MTN Lodge over their plans to use the hotel as workforce housing for the next several years, aiming to suspend operations and demanding they pay lodging and ...
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Main, News...
Board rebukes commissioner
Niece, Nauer censure Padgett for secretly recording closed-door meeting
By By Lia Salvatierra and Erin McIntyre lia@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com 
April 1, 2026
Two Ouray County commissioners publicly reprimanded their fellow commissioner after discovering she secretly recorded an executive session last week. Portions of the audio from that executive session ...
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Editor Picks
After hiatus, a rally for high school baseball in Ridgway
Feature, Main...
After hiatus, a rally for high school baseball in Ridgway
Sporting nearly 30-year-old jerseys, pilot junior varsity team takes field, aims for long-term viability through fundraising
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 15, 2026
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect when Ridgway School District last had a baseball team, given updated information provided by Ouray County Baseball after the story was published. ...
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Main
Zero-waste policy draws public fire
Council tables proposal for compostable, recyclable materials over concerns from business owners, community groups
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
April 15, 2026
Ridgway town councilors tabled a draft “zero-waste” policy for events on town property after public backlash about how the rules would impact business owners and community groups. The proposal discuss...
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Administrator sought info backing chief decision
Main
Administrator sought info backing chief decision
Records: Officers concerned about training
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
April 15, 2026
Ouray City Administrator Michelle Metteer sought input from neighboring law enforcement agencies about how they conduct background checks — after she decided not to hire Daric Harvey as the permanent ...
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Track and field returns to Grand Junction
Feature
Track and field returns to Grand Junction
April 15, 2026
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Padgett must put needs of county ahead of own
By Dear Editor: 
April 15, 2026
Dear Editor: There is a need to acknowledge the recent revelations at the special Ouray County Board of Commissioners meeting March 30, where Commissioner Lynn Padgett first denied, then admitted to s...
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Ridgway, Colorado 81432
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