Spring has sprung: Baby birds chirp riotously in birdhouses, leftover snow vanishes under an ascending sun, crocus and forsythia flutter in the March wind. This first month of spring 2025 has been two...

Sunshine Week, which started Sunday, is an annual celebration of Americans’ right to know what government is doing. This year, there is far more to be concerned about than to celebrate, both nationall...

Dear Editor: Thank you for reporting on the Ouray County commissioners' public hearing regarding Red Mountain Alpine Lodge’s Special Use Permit renewal. County staff and Commissioner Michelle Nauer no...

Dear Editor: My heart goes out to Kricket Olin, former alpine ranger, with the Ouray Ranger District of the Uncompahgre National Forest. She was incredibly qualified for that position and had received...

Dear Editor: It seems the chair of the Board of County Commissioners (Jake Niece) has lost track of common courtesy. Rather than praise the Planning Commission for their dedication, thoughtfulness and...

Dear Editor: Let’s get real for a minute. I’m guessing that in Ouray County our interactions with federal government programs are connected primarily with Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, grazing a...

Two weeks ago, following the first of two meltingly wet 8-inch February snowstorms, the grape hyacinths, daffodils and tulips decided it was time to shake off winter. Their deep green foliage was a re...

Dear Editor: I want to thank you for publishing the very informative article by Lindsey Toomer of the Colorado Newsline and the policies of our police (Feb. 6-12 edition). I am personally very concern...

Dear Editor: I would like to thank the Plaindealer for your well-researched article on law enforcement intergovernmental agreements in Colorado. To make it clear, I am not a resident of Ouray, but I d...

Dear Editor: In his first day in office President Trump revoked former President Biden’s Executive Order No. 14087, which was designed to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare and Medicaid enroll...

Who wants to come have lunch and tell us what you think of the Plaindealer? Yep, we're looking for some of our readers to share their opinions. Sounds like fun, right? We're inviting readers to apply ...

Dear Editor: I have been involved in the wild horse and burro issue for over 40 years. The best researched facts I have found are Craig Downer’s 2012 book, "The Wild Horse Conspiracy," and James Klein...

Dear Editor: The decision to bypass a thorough four-month vetting process in selecting Ouray’s new police chief raises serious concerns about our community’s commitment to professionalism and fairness...

Dear Editor: I would like to express my sincere appreciation for everyone in the community who has reached out to me after the recent death of my husband, Don Moden. I am overwhelmed with gratitude fo...

It’s been a bitter January for most of the Mountain West and eastern two-thirds of the country. The huge arctic airmass responsible for this outbreak measured 10,000 feet deep on soundings in Riverton...

Dear Editor: I write this letter not to you, but to my mother, Lynn Padgett. One of my earliest memories is holding her hand as we walked through Ouray, knocking on doors and meeting residents. I didn...

Dear Editor: I would like to express my gratitude for the remarkable act of kindness demonstrated by Jay and Jackie Lauderdale, and Cat and Barthold Lichtenbelt in making a nearly one-million-dollar d...

Dear Editor: I am writing to thank the Plaindealer for their article last week, "Police chief finalists to visit Ouray." The general public, although we have a tremendous stake in who leads our Police...

Put Ophir, Colorado, on your exploration bucket list for this summer. At 9,695 feet in elevation, this off-the-beaten-path community is seven miles southwest of Telluride and 10 “adventurous” miles fr...

Dear Editor: Where moo the cows that once feasted On the greenest of Uncompahgre grasses? Perhaps they were whisked away by green aliens, Jersey drones, Mothman, or the chupacabra? Or maybe the bovine...