By Jim Pettengill Many lawmen in the old west had short careers. Some served for a couple of years, or a few months. One southwestern Colorado lawman served his communities for more than 30 years, mo...

50 YEARS AGO June 18,1970 - The 54-member Colorado Environmental Commission will begin work on a two-year study aimed at preserving the environment of Colorado and the quality of life in the state. Th...

Dear Editor, We at Mountain Chill Radio would like to express our gratitude to the Ouray County community for tuning into our simulcast and COVID-19 coverage on 98.9 FM KURA. The FCC Special Temporary...

Dear Editor: Compliments on your recent article, “Marketing contractor worked behind scenes with mayor” Such a comprehensive article certainly leaves readers with much, and many, to consider. The most...

Dear Editor: As many residents are aware, there was a protest for Black Lives Matter in Fellin Park on Thursday, June 4. Jordan Leo and I were the coordinators of that event. We would like to take a m...

Dear Editor: Justin Perry has demonstrated his commitment to the city, chief of police for five years and as city administrator. He now wants to serve the county. He has training (master’s degree in c...

Dear Editor: I live in a very nice village. Thirty years ago I was a tour guide in Europe leading groups of motorcyclists through the Alps in seven countries. We would have lunches and dinners in idyl...

Dear Editor: The purpose of this letter from the Ouray Chamber Resort Association Board is a response to Mayor Greg Nelson’s recent accusations about bills not paid and bad checks written by OCRA. In ...

Dear Editor: It deeply concerns me how the current Ouray City Council is conducting public business, examples of which were factually reported in the May 28 issue of the Plaindealer, headline reading:...

Dear Editor, Last week, I listened to the Ouray County public forum between sheriff candidates Justin Perry and Ted Wolfe. While both men clearly care about our community, some answers were particular...

Ouray’s family-owned grocery store has new owners, but they’re deeply rooted in the community. Many locals will recognize them as natives who moved away and have returned to take on owning a fixture i...

50 YEARS AGO June 11, 1970 - An inebriated hitchhiker purporting to be John the Baptist was arrested on Highway 62 near Ridgway Sunday afternoon, June 7. The man, who finally identified himself as Joh...

Heading south on U.S. 550 toward Red Mountain Pass, a few weather-beaten houses sit across from the Idarado viewpoint. As you’re navigating those switchbacks, do you wonder who, what, how, and why thi...

Don’t spit into the wind. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape. Don’t mess with the comics. Everyone knows the first two idioms about seemingly self-defeating acts. The third, far lesser known one was told to...

Editor’s note: Ouray Police Chief Jeff Wood was invited to write a guest column detailing his thoughts and the Police Department’s policies on use of force in light of the killing of George Floyd and ...

Dear Editor: Even though I have not lived in the City of Ouray for some time, I feel I still have a “connection” to the Switzerland of America. Over the past several issues of the Plaindealer, I have ...

Dear Editor: A white police officer calmly kills a handcuffed black man, forcing his knee into the other’s throat until he dies. This was not a rare example of casual and racist police brutality. It h...

Dear Editor: The Bipartisan Committee members, who successfully circulated the petition requesting a recall election for the county sheriff position, wants to remind the voters of Ouray County that th...

After nearly two years of displacement, all county employees have moved back into the newly renovated Ouray County Courthouse, with only a few items left to move out of storage. The courthouse, howeve...

A hummingbird is a glittering garment Of the rainbow” —John James Audubon In late April or early May, one of my favorite species of birds arrives: hummingbirds! The Black-chinned Hummingbird is one of...