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Signs of trouble in Ouray

City halts production after public backlash over size, appearance of wayfinding signs

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

July 9, 2025

Ouray business owners and residents threw up a symbolic stop sign in f...

Main, News...

Go Fourth and celebrate

July 9, 2025

The crowd cheers as a fire department tanker truck sprays the wet side...

Main, News...

County scrambles to pay for road repairs from rockfall

Leaders pull from multiple sources to cover $300,000 tab, look to replenish emergency fund

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

July 9, 2025

Ouray County is scraping together money to pay for emergency repairs o...

News

Smoke blankets Ouray County as wildfires burn in region

By Mike Wiggins

July 11, 2025

Heavy smoke and haze choked Ouray County for a second straight day Friday as a series of wildfires churned through tinder-dry trees and brush in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality health advisory for a wide swath of southern and southwestern Colorado, including Ouray County, until 9 a.m. Saturday. Health offic...

News

Hot Springs moves forward with upgrades

Council OKs bathhouse design contract; pipeline replacement, heat exchange system on tap this fall

By By Lia Salvatierra and Mike Wiggins lia@ouraynews.com mike@ouraynews.com

July 9, 2025

A series of much-anticipated upgrades to the Ouray Hot Springs Pool is coming together, with the city beginning infrastructure replacements this fall and searching for ways to pay for building a new b...

News

Foyster named to Planning Commission

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

Pam Foyster of Ridgway has been appointed to the Ouray County Planning Commission with her term ending April 30, 2028. Foyster, a semi-retired nurse, also serves on the Ridgway Planning Commission. Bo...

News

Woman rescued from Ouray Via Ferrata

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

A 42-year-old Denver woman was rescued on July 3 after she fell and broke her leg while climbing in the Ouray Via Ferrata, according to the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team. The woman was climbing the upstr...

News

County pauses changes to event center fee schedule

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

Fees to use the Ouray County 4-H Event Center and Fairgrounds will not change for now. Ouray County commissioners decided Tuesday to hold off approving a new fee schedule until they better understand ...

News

Sex assault trial reset for January

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

The trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in 2023 has been rescheduled for January. Seventh Judicial Chief District Judge Cory Jackson scheduled an eight-day trial to begin ...

News

County OKs relocation of Log Hill mailboxes

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

Ouray County commissioners unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to relocate a series of mailboxes for Fairway Pines subdivision residents on Log Hill Mesa. The board approved a memorandum of understand...

News

District allowed to tap board member after improperly noticed meeting canceled

By Plaindealer Staff

July 9, 2025

Ouray County commissioners agreed to temporarily waive their right to fill a vacancy on the Ridgway Fire Protection District board of directors after the district failed to do so in a timely fashion. ...

Main, News...

Get into the groove

July 2, 2025

Carrie Ann Mund, left, dances with Tawnya Schiebel during the Mariachi de San Jose band’s performance in Ridgway’s Hartwell Park on June 29. The band performed as part of the fifth annual Fete de la M...

Columns, Feature...

The rise, fall and rise of Ouray County

By Carolyn Snowbarger

July 9, 2025

Why did thousands of people, most of whom had never even heard of Ouray, Ridgway or Colona, come to this remote part of Colorado? The history of Ouray County follows the familiar story of the American...

Feature

Melodrama returns to stage in Ouray

Annual carefree performance set for July 18-21. Yes, cheering, booing, popcorn-throwing are encouraged

By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com

July 9, 2025

If you find it difficult to keep quiet at the theater, the Ouray County Players invite you to come on out and see "Spaghetti Western or … Mission Im-pastable" at the Wright Opera House. No one's going...

Feature

Good for you!

July 9, 2025

Send us your celebrations! The “Good For You!” page is a new feature we have launched in the Plaindealer, where we publish reader-submitted photos illustrating community, celebrations and more. Maybe ...

Calendar & Events, Feature...

Calendar & Events

July 10-22, 2025

July 9, 2025

THURSDAY JULY 10 Painting on canvas for tweens and teens from 3:30-4:30 at the Ridgway Public Library, 200 Charles St. Supplies provided. Please sign up at the library or call 970-626-5252. Sketch com...

Feature

Celebrating the Fourth in Ouray? Load up on sunscreen, patience, courtesy

Private security to help with traffic, parking, so law enforcement can be more proactive

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

July 2, 2025

The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July in Ouray are ubiquitous. The powerful spray of fire hoses. The shrieks of kids racing through Fellin Park. Cheers and honking horns on Main Street. This yea...

Feature

Meet your neighbor: Robert Stoufer

By By Chloe Kiparsky Plaindealer intern

July 2, 2025

Name: Robert Stoufer Age: 73 Lives in: Ouray When did you come to Ouray? I studied to be a geologist, but I never did geology for a living. I went to college in Mississippi, and did grad school in Kan...

Columns, Opinion...

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A patriotic way to celebrate the Fourth

By Erin McIntyre

July 9, 2025

"Are you the newspaper? Are we gonna be in the paper?" These are questions I hear when people see me taking photos at parades. I usually shrug my shoulders and smile, because the truth is I don't know...

Letters

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lucky to have newspaper

Lucky to have newspaper

By Dear Editor:

July 9, 2025

Thank you, Mike and Erin at the Plaindealer, for screening such an excellent documentary, “For the Record,” on June 28 at the Wright Opera House. The entire time we were watching the film, we were thi...

Letters

Vote harms those in need, helps the wealthy

By Dear Editor:

July 9, 2025

This is an important update on the state of the big, ugly bill that was passed last week by a 218-214 margin in the House of Representatives. Yes, our 3rd Congressional District representative, Jeff H...

Obituaries

Darrell Hartigan

July 9, 2025

September 15, 1947 – May 12, 2025 Darrell’s waiting is done. He received the call on May 12, 2025. The time had come to be reunited with his beloved wife, Catherine, who had been waiting for him since...

Obituaries

Grace Stoufer

July 9, 2025

August 13, 1953 – May 28, 2025 Grace Stoufer, 71, passed away the night of Wednesday, May 28, in Greenwood Village, Colorado. She had developed an infection as a complication of multiple sclerosis. Gr...

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