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News
Disaster relief sales tax headed for ballot
County pauses pursuit of road and bridge use tax
By James Hanlon 
August 26, 2026
Ouray County commissioners approved a ballot question Tuesday to ask voters for a county-wide 0.5% disaster recovery sales tax at the Nov. 3 election. Commissioners also paused efforts to pursue a 3% ...
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News
Advocates for fire authority pivot
By James Hanlon 
August 26, 2026
Organizers pitch placing county EMS under Ridgway Fire Ouray County plans to pivot efforts to consolidate a proposed fire and emergency response authority by merging Ouray County Emergency Medical Ser...
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News
Firefighting resources shrink as blaze nears containment
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
August 26, 2026
A new team assumed command of the Gold Mountain Fire response over the weekend, ending a 55-day streak of management by three different federal incident management teams. A Type 3 incident management ...
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News
City revenue healthy in June
By Mike Wiggins 
August 26, 2026
The city of Ouray’s primary sources of revenue increased nearly across the board in June, although city leaders are bracing for a decline when revenue from July is reported next month. The city pulled...
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News
City seeks wider range of visitors
By Mike Wiggins 
August 26, 2026
The city of Ouray branded itself “The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado” years ago. Now it wants visitors to know there’s more to the city beyond hiking, climbing and off-roading. Ouray city coun...
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Pilot’s death ruled an accident
News
Pilot’s death ruled an accident
Report: Divers had to wait to recover body from helicopter due to risk from electric current
By Chart Riggall 
August 25, 2026
The death of a pilot whose firefighting helicopter crashed into Silver Jack Reservoir last month has been ruled an accident by a Grand Junction medical examiner, according to an autopsy report obtaine...
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News
Fire, EMS consolidation proponents consider next steps
By James Hanlon 
August 25, 2026
Advocates for a county-wide consolidated fire and emergency response authority still believe there is a path forward, even though the proposal suffered another setback last week when the Ouray City Co...
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Bear activity ramping up
News
Bear activity ramping up
Second bruin killed in a week after several conflicts, entering home
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
August 19, 2026
State wildlife officials killed a young, female bear that entered a Ridgway home last weekend after days of conflicts and at least one incident with the bear killing chickens. Colorado Parks and Wildl...
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Main, News...
Police admin assistant resigns, blasts city
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
August 19, 2026
The Ouray Police Department's administrative assistant has resigned, leaving the office with one remaining employee assigned to desk duty. The resignation comes just after the city's response to a civ...
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News
Disaster relief tax moves closer to ballot
Ouray, Ridgway councils negotiate for larger share of revenue; use tax for roads all but ruled out
By Mike Wiggins and James Hanlon 
August 19, 2026
A proposed countywide sales tax to address fires, floods and other natural disasters appears to have a clear path to the November ballot, while a potential use tax on construction materials to raise m...
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County road superintendent arrested on suspicion of DUI
News
County road superintendent arrested on suspicion of DUI
By James Hanlon 
August 19, 2026
Editor's note: On Aug. 25, Seventh Judicial District County Court Judge Ryan Hess approved a motion to dismiss the case involving Ty Barger and the case was sealed. There is no longer a pending DUI ca...
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News
Ouray won’t join fire authority
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
August 19, 2026
Council cites unanswered questions, concerns about consolidation A proposal to consolidate all of Ouray County’s fire departments and its emergency medical services into one organization absorbed anot...
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News
County OKs flood construction contract
By By James Hanlon james@ouraynews.com 
August 19, 2026
Ouray County commissioners awarded Haynes Excavation Inc. the contract for the Emergency Watershed Protection project at a special meeting Monday for certain areas below the Gold Mountain Fire burn sc...
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News
Ridgway student proposes ‘free box’ for donations
By James Hanlon 
August 19, 2026
A presentation about an idea for a “free box” by a Ridgway National Honor Society student at the Ridgway Town Council meeting Aug. 12 led to lengthy discussion and a $750 contribution to the project, ...
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News
Ridgway town council asks county for 15% of proposed disaster recovery sales tax
By James Hanlon 
August 17, 2026
The Ridgway Town Council asked Ouray County to consider a slightly higher distribution of funds from a proposed disaster recovery sales tax fund, while requesting more clarification on a possible cons...
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Bear killed after entering Ridgway home, killing chickens
News
Bear killed after entering Ridgway home, killing chickens
By erin@ouraynews.com 
August 17, 2026
State wildlife officials killed a young, female bear that entered a Ridgway home on Saturday after days of conflicts and at least one incident with the bear killing chickens. Colorado Parks and Wildli...
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‘Pinched on every front’
Main, News...
‘Pinched on every front’
Historic drought, wildfires, high feed prices strain local ranchers
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
One breezy afternoon in mid-July, Mike Potter's phone started making all kinds of noise. “It goes, beep, beep, beep, beep!” shouted the Ridgway rancher, brandishing his flip phone from the pocket of h...
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Flood work could begin within week
Main, News...
Flood work could begin within week
By Chart Riggall 
August 12, 2026
Ouray County officials said Tuesday that flood mitigation work below the Gold Mountain Fire’s burn scar could begin as soon as next week, while warning that storms in the coming days could trigger fur...
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Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
News
Firefighter base moves to Gunnison
Fairgrounds empty as focus shifts to Elk Fire
By James Hanlon 
August 12, 2026
The incident command post for the Gold Mountain Fire relocated to the Gunnison County Fairgrounds Saturday as Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 took over for Team 1 and combined effort...
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Looking Back
News
Looking Back
August 12, 2026
Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago With progress on the Ouray side of Imogene Pass Jeep road nearing completion, plans a...
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Editor Picks
Popular trail needs new steward
Main, News...
Popular trail needs new steward
Uncompahgre Riverway Trail founder, longtime volunteer ready to step down
By James Hanlon 
September 23, 2026
Chip Marlow, the man who spearheaded the construction of the Uncompahgre Riverway Trail from Ridgway to Ridgway State Park, has maintained the multiuse path largely by himself for many years. Now 80 y...
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Main, News...
‘Super El Niño’ won’t be savior for West Slope
Officials: Warming Pacific temps may bring more snow but won't wipe out drought or fill reservoirs
By Chart Riggall 
September 23, 2026
GRAND JUNCTION — Amid a stream of bad news for Western Slope water stakeholders last week, Russ Schumacher had the pleasure of opening the sluice. Nearly on the far side of the state’s worst drought y...
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Judge to hotel: End workforce housing
Main, News...
Judge to hotel: End workforce housing
Injunction prohibits MTN Lodge from housing resort construction workers
By James Hanlon 
September 23, 2026
A district court judge has ordered Ridgway's largest hotel to stop housing construction workers who are building a new Four Seasons in Mountain Village. In a preliminary injunction filed Sept. 16, the...
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Investigators close case on mine shaft death
Main, News...
Investigators close case on mine shaft death
Nearly a year later, authorities conclude Ridgway resident Jennifer Nelson accidentally drowned
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
September 23, 2026
Eleven months after rescue volunteers found Jennifer Nelson's body in a water-filled mine shaft on Red Mountain Pass, investigators are left wondering what her final moments looked like. Their case, w...
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City ready to cut losses with building
News
City ready to cut losses with building
More than a year after purchase, council tells staff to sell empty Sixth Avenue property for reduced price
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
September 23, 2026
When the two-story building across the street from Ouray City Hall went up for sale last spring, Ouray city leaders scrambled to buy it, envisioning a top-tobottom renovation culminating in a new, lar...
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First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

Ouray County Plaindealer
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Ridgway, Colorado 81432
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Ridgway CO 81432

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