Main, News...
July 2, 2026
The U.S. Forest Service this afternoon expanded the closure area in th...
News
July 2, 2026
Water managers are asking residents to avoid excessive water use and p...
News
July 2, 2026
Ridgway Reservoir will close to boaters as soon as planes dispatched t...
News
Timeline unclear for return to homes in evacuated area
July 6, 2026
Evacuees of the Gold Mountain Fire — who have been displaced for more than a week — hope they will return to their homes soon, are thankful for the firefighters working tirelessly to quell the flames and say they are a bit wiser about what they will take if such an event happens again. Three Panoramic Heights residents are taking in stride their circumstances and finding silver linings, despite ev...
Main, News...
Evacuations expand, forest closes as forecast offers little relief
July 1, 2026
A wildfire that started as a wisp of smoke on a cliffside just north of Ouray last weekend exploded to more than 15,000 acres by Wednesday, driven by winds north to the Cimarron Range east of Ridgway....
Main, News...
July 1, 2026
Fourth of July events in Ouray will be scaled back this year in response to the Gold Mountain Fire, with the July 3 fire department benefit concert and the Independence Day parade and kids’ games a go...
News
No word when owners will be able to return
July 1, 2026
Rachel Nichols helped Russell McCrady when he needed emergency treatment for his dog. Little did she know he would return the favor when she and her husband encountered their own emergency, after they...
News
Forced to flee, Denver-area couple improvises, moves celebration
July 1, 2026
The navy blue suit was ready for James Lindaman to attach his great-grandfather’s Air Force airman’s pin to the lapel. Michelle Lindaman spent months arranging every detail of her wedding, from the fl...
News
July 1, 2026
Ouray County commissioners responded to the good, the bad and the ugly from the “2026 Employee Viewpoint Survey,” saying they were pleased county employees said they generally like their jobs, committ...
News
July 1, 2026
The emergency response to the Gold Mountain Fire has been sudden and information is changing from day to day. Here are some answers to questions we have received from readers you might find helpful. P...
News
Emergency foster homes needed for animals
July 1, 2026
UPDATE at 3 p.m. Wednesday – ALL THE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN EVACUATED Second Chance Humane Society is evacuating today due to the Gold Mountain Fire now burning east of Ridgway. The shelter, located on Cou...
News
July 1, 2026
Ouray businesses and residents will have to hold their collective breath awhile longer until city officials decide whether the Fourth of July parade will go on as usual. City officials will announce b...
Feature
July 1, 2026
Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 60 Years Ago July 7, 1966 Dynamite charges started Ouray’s Independence Day Celebration with a ban...
Calendar & Events, Feature...
July 2-16, 2026
July 1, 2026
EDITOR'S NOTE: All events are subject to change, given the state of emergency and the Gold Mountain Fire. Thursday, July 2 Ridgway Concert Series: Levi Platero with opener Shelby Means, free concert i...
Feature
The Tavern opens in space formerly occupied by Full Tilt, O'Brien's
June 24, 2026
When Nancy Feeser and her husband, Mike, bought the building at 726 Main St. in Ouray in February, it was painted green with bright yellow letters announcing O’Brien’s Pub, which had been closed for y...
Calendar & Events, Feature...
June 24, 2026
Thursday, June 25 Cruz Contreras & The Black Lillies with opener Griffin William Sherry, Mountain Air Music Series concert in Fellin Park in Ouray, from 6-10 p.m., free. Tech Thursday – Get help with ...
Columns, Feature...
June 17, 2026
The "power of place" is the theory that physical locations shape our lives, identities and ultimate destinies. This concept suggests that a geographic location is never merely a dot on a map or a set ...
Feature
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS
June 17, 2026
About 10 years ago, Kris Batchelder discovered her passion for paper collage. It was at Christmas, when she sat down with her son to make holiday cards out of construction paper. “I guess I liked it,”...
News
City to hold meeting today at 4 p.m.
June 30, 2026
The city of Ouray is open but staff is not actively marketing to bring visitors to the area, City Administrator Michelle Metteer said this morning. “We are always looking to find a balance on what is ...
News
June 30, 2026
Firefighters will focus their efforts today on building and reinforcing firelines in an effort to keep the Gold Mountain Fire from spreading south toward Ouray and west toward U.S. Highway 550. A tota...
News
Voters can participate online, turn in ballots at secure ballot boxes before 7 p.m. deadline
June 30, 2026
The polls and ballot boxes are open today and the Ouray County clerk wants you to know you have several ways you can vote, given the state of emergency and the Gold Mountain Fire. Ballots for the prim...
Main, News...
Feds to assume operational control today; Ouray Fourth of July celebration in doubt
June 29, 2026
UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Firefighters battling the 7,100-acre Gold Mountain Fire on the ground and in the air are focused on preventing the blaze from crossing County Road 14A. Fire crews consider that road...
Main, News...
June 28, 2026
Dottie Miller hopped online on Friday, running over checklists of items to take with her in the event of an emergency. It’s practically an annual ritual for her, just to make sure she has everything s...
