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Latest News
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 P...
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News
Police chief, sheriff urge Ouray council to rethink strict response time policy
Councilors table plan requiring officers to live within 10 miles of city after concern from leaders
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
The Ouray City Council on Monday pitched and then quickly ditched a pr...
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News
SMPA approves rate increases
Monthly base, peak energy charges to rise in 2026 as electric cooperative prepares for escalating wholesale power costs
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
The San Miguel Power Association board of directors on Tuesday approve...
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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 they’ve been offered for years. We hope this story helps readers understand how these kinds of health programs serve other communities. Bob and Helen Abbott, both 83, need help monitoring their health i...
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News
Ridgway hires North Carolina agency for tourism, marketing
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
The town of Ridgway has hired a North Carolina-based agency for its tourism and marketing services, choosing an outside perspective familiar with rural communities. During a Nov. 12 town council meeti...
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News
Ouray to set aside funding for down payment help
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
The city of Ouray will earmark up to $100,000 in 2026 for a down payment assistance program aimed at helping middle-income homebuyers who make too much money to qualify for other assistance. City coun...
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News
News
Ridgway adopts expedited process for affordable housing projects
Town to expedite housing projects
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
November 19, 2025
Ridgway has formalized an expedited review process for affordable housing projects, a requirement for applying for Proposition 123 affordable housing funds. Proposition 123 was a 2022 statewide ballot...
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News
Town moves toward anti-idling rules
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
Editor’s note: This has been corrected to accurately reflect the council's vote on the ordinance. Ridgway town councilors gave initial approval to a new rule aimed at discouraging vehicle idling, spec...
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Outgoing mayor offers blunt assessment of election, state of affairs in Ouray
News
Outgoing mayor offers blunt assessment of election, state of affairs in Ouray
Funk bemoans lack of candidates, urges citizens to unify
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 19, 2025
With just a few days left in his tenure, outgoing Ouray Mayor Ethan Funk on Monday lamented the lack of city council candidates in this month’s election and encouraged residents to rise above what he ...
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News
Ouray County EMS to assess medical needs
By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer 
November 19, 2025
Ouray County Emergency Medical Services plans to perform an assessment to learn about the community’s medical needs, with hopes it will lead to a establishing a community paramedicine program. Communi...
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‘I did it for the animals’
Main, News...
‘I did it for the animals’
Continuing a tradition she started more than 20 years ago, Ridgway's Dana Ivers partners with land trust to shield 170 acres from development
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 12, 2025
Dodging prairie dog holes, Dana Ivers walked through her roughly 170-acre property on the southern side of Ridgway, admiring the sound and clear color of snowmelt rushing through ditches and into her ...
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Judge delays sex assault trial again
Main, News...
Judge delays sex assault trial again
Over objections to another holdup, defense says DNA expert not available in January
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 12, 2025
The trial for one of three men accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Ouray County in 2023 has been postponed for a second time. Seventh Judicial Chief District Judge Cory Jackson agreed...
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Features coverage
George and Michael Gardner Fund
Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
George and Michael Gardner Fund
November 19, 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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Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
Correct Usage
November 19, 2025
Thursday, November 20 "Fraud Watch: What Every Local Should Know" free panel discussion about fraud awareness and prevention with local experts at the Sherbino Theater, 604 Clinton St. in Ridgway. Doo...
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UpstART Theater
Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
UpstART Theater
November 12, 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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Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
Nov. 13-24, 2025
November 12, 2025
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13 Community Meet-and-Mingle Happy Hour for entrepreneurs, creatives and locals from 4:30–6 p.m. at San Juan Blooms, 185 N. Lena St. (upstairs at the Old Fire House). Free and open t...
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Ridgway girls run down state title
Feature
Ridgway girls run down state title
Young team blows past competition to hoist Class 2A cross country trophy
By By Matt Meyer Special to the Plaindealer 
November 5, 2025
There isn’t a perfect translation for “hill” in Chinese. That's something Natasha Hessler discovered when she arrived at the famous creek crossing during the Colorado State Cross Country Championship ...
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Get a peek inside, help a good cause
Feature
Get a peek inside, help a good cause
From log home to modern loft, home tour benefits affordable housing
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
November 5, 2025
If you’re the type of person who watches home improvement shows, you know what shiplap and wainscoting are, or you drive past historic homes and think, “I wonder what that place looks like inside,” yo...
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Editor Picks
Ouray to pursue 24-hour police coverage
News
Ouray to pursue 24-hour police coverage
Interim chief suggests change after council OKs response time policy that could impact his job status
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
November 12, 2025
Ouray’s interim police chief will explore implementing around-the-clock police coverage, a significant change aimed at nullifying a new policy the city council adopted last week that could otherwise m...
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News
County hires deputy attorney, makes other transition plans
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
November 12, 2025
Ouray County commissioners have hired a new deputy county attorney and made transition plans for three other vacant county leadership roles. For varying reasons, four top-level county roles were vacat...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
SMPA’s rate structure is regressive
By Dear Editor: 
November 12, 2025
Concerning the proposed San Miguel Power Association rate increase: Has the recent peak/off-peak rate structure worked to reduce the demand charge from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Associatio...
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Letters, Opinion...
A solution to prairie dog, wolf release issues
By Dear Editor: 
November 12, 2025
Dear Editor: I’m surprised that no one has considered the fairly obvious solution to the wolf release issue and the Top of the Pines prairie dog problem. Release the wolves at Top of the Pines. Charle...
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Join us Friday for film, talk about local news inspiration, challenges
Columns, Opinion...
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Join us Friday for film, talk about local news inspiration, challenges
By Erin McIntyre 
November 12, 2025
I still can’t believe we own a newspaper. It feels silly to type that sentence. We’re almost seven years into being the caretakers of this community institution, publishing for 148 years. And yet, it ...
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First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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