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News
Ouray School Board considers calendar options
Opinions vary on start, end, graduation dates, four-day school week
By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer 
December 10, 2025
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...
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News
Ridgway finalizes budget for 2026
December 10, 2025
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...
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News
Ranch allowed temporary access to plow County Road 7
December 10, 2025
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...
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News
Clerk recommends employee replace her
December 10, 2025
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...
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Ridgway to grow capacity to fight wildland fires
Main, News...
Ridgway to grow capacity to fight wildland fires
Additional staff, engine can enhance skills, create more revenue
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 3, 2025
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...
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Main, News...
County chops event center operations to aid budget
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 3, 2025
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...
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New council’s first task: Fill vacancies
News
New council’s first task: Fill vacancies
After soliciting applications, councilors to interview, pick appointments Jan. 5
December 3, 2025
Ouray city leaders swore in a new mayor and city councilor Monday night, then turned their attention to the council’s most pressing issue: Finding and appointing two more councilors to fill out the ra...
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News
Slow start to snow season
Wave of storms helps, but snowpack in San Juans well below normal
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
December 3, 2025
A series of post-Thanksgiving storms delivered desperately needed snow to the moisture-starved San Juans, but snowpack at the start of December remains well below average in Ouray County and the surro...
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News
SEASON OF SHARING
Ridgway Ouray Community Council
December 3, 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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News
Snowpack lagging in San Juans
December 3, 2025
A recent series of storms helped boost the paltry snowpack in the San Juans, but the amount of water in that snowpack in the Gunnison River Basin — known as snow-water equivalent — is still among the ...
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State to reduce highway speeds near Ridgway
Main, News...
HIGHWAY 550 SAFETY
State to reduce highway speeds near Ridgway
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
The Colorado Department of Transportation plans to lower the speed limit for traffic along a half-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 550 north of Ridgway, near a section of road where the highest number of ...
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Main, News...
OURAY'S 2026 BUDGET
City trims jobs, capital expenses
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
A cautious Ouray City Council approved a $16.8 million budget for 2026 on Tuesday, leaving a handful of vacant jobs unfilled and slashing capital projects in anticipation of a potential economic downt...
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News
Schools adopt frameworks for AI tools
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
Both Ridgway Secondary School and the Ouray School District have adopted guidelines for students to use artificial intelligence, joining the first wave of schools in the state to do so. Lining classro...
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News
As scams climb, experts offer insight on how to avoid them
Local bank, police officials: Fraud attempts growing in sophistication
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
Anyone can become the victim of fraud. In Ouray County, one person lost $17,000 after being coerced into setting up a series of bank transfers. Property owners were duped by a home builder who created...
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News
CORRECTION
November 26, 2025
An article on Page 6 of the Nov. 20-26 edition incorrectly reported the Ridgway Town Council's votes on a new anti-idling ordinance. The ordinance was approved 5-1, with Councilor Michelle Montague vo...
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News
Housing report: Few first-time buyers can afford average-priced homes in Ouray County
100% of Ridgway homes out of affordable price range
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
An estimated 100% of potential firsttime homebuyers in Ridgway and 93% of those in Ouray County cannot afford to buy an average-priced home. Those are among the most striking findings in a housing nee...
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News
Ridgway predicts revenue drop, approves draft budget
Town expects to exceed $5M in general fund spending, dip into reserves
By By Erin McIntyre and Lia Salvatierra erin@ouraynews.com lia@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
Ridgway plans to spend more than $5 million from its general fund in 2026, while at the same time town leaders are predicting a drop in revenue. The town will need to draw on its reserves to balance t...
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News
Local governments brace for possible downturn
At forum, leaders forecast flat or declining revenue in 2026 after years of record taxes
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 26, 2025
After raking in record-shattering sales and property taxes and socking away healthy reserves the last several years in the wake of the pandemic, local governments in Ouray County say revenues have fla...
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‘There’s not a day where I don’t do something impactful’
Main, News...
‘There’s not a day where I don’t do something impactful’
Community paramedicine brings vital care to mountain, rural places
By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer 
November 19, 2025
Editor’s note: There’s a proposal to start a community paramedicine program here in Ouray County, and we wanted to know more about how these kinds of services work in other places in Colorado where th...
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Main, News...
Commissioner: ‘My patience is gone’
Claiming continued poor behavior, Nauer asks Padgett to take 'timeout,' attend meetings remotely
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
Ouray County Commissioner Michelle Nauer has asked Commissioner Lynn Padgett to take a "timeout" and attend meetings by Zoom while the county makes leadership transitions over the next few months, cit...
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Editor Picks
Onward and upward
Main, News...
Onward and upward
January 28, 2026
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Main, News...
Town prepares for legal battle
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
January 28, 2026
Ridgway retains attorney after MTN Lodge owners say they won't pay taxes on long-term worker housing The town of Ridgway has retained litigation attorneys from a Denver law firm, gearing up for a figh...
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Main, News...
County eyes budget cuts
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
January 28, 2026
Manager: Looking for ways to avoid cutting employees Ouray County leaders have loosely settled on wanting to cut $500,000 from the county’s 2026 budget, anticipating they will have more unexpected exp...
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News
Coroner seeks help with unclaimed body
January 28, 2026
Ouray County's coroner is seeking help finding friends of a man who was estranged from his family and died at a Ouray hotel. Quality Inn staff found William Curio Jr., who went by Billy, in his hotel ...
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News
Citing violations, county orders disc golf tourney to cease
January 28, 2026
Ouray County has ordered a disc golf tournament held on Log Hill Mesa to stop operating without a special- use permit, citing concerns about illegal gambling as well as other county rule violations. C...
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Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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Ridgway, Colorado 81432
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