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Latest News
News
Nine vying to fill two openings on Ouray City Council
Council will use ranked choice voting to select councilors
By Mike Wiggins 
January 2, 2026
The three-member Ouray City Council will have plenty of options to cho...
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County endures year of resignations, infighting
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: TUMULT WITHIN TOP RANKS OF COUNTY
County endures year of resignations, infighting
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
Ouray County government weathered a year of turmoil and transition in ...
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After tear down and rebuild, agency again faces upheaval
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: POLICE TURMOIL CONTINUES
After tear down and rebuild, agency again faces upheaval
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
After more than a year of turmoil that consumed 2024 and bled over int...
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Years after acquittal, man gets prison in second case
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: BRIAN SCRANTON CONVICTED OF SEX ASSAULT
Years after acquittal, man gets prison in second case
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
Editor’s note: This story contains details about a sex assault case. Ten years after he was first arrested for alleged sex assault in Ouray County, a Ridgway man was convicted in another sex assault case and sentenced to three years in prison in 2025. Brian Scranton took a plea deal and was convicted of attempted sexual assault in June, after 18 months of court proceedings that attracted public at...
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Looking Back
Looking Back, Opinion...
Looking Back
By Compiled from the files of The Ouray County Herald, The Ridgway Sun, and The Ouray County Plaindealer 
December 31, 2025
60 Years Ago December 30, 1965 What can we expect to happen to our pocketbook in 1966? Here are some clues gleaned from the 43rd Annual National Agricultural Outlook Conference held in Washington D.C....
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Mobile home park preservation highlights housing progress
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: SWISS VILLAGE SAVED
Mobile home park preservation highlights housing progress
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
As the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, things looked bleak for the residents of Swiss Village Mobile Home Park in Ouray. They had rallied to form a cooperative in the wake of learning the park was...
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News
Field of dreams realized in Ridgway
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: ATHLETIC COMPLEX FINISHED
Field of dreams realized in Ridgway
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
Ridgway Secondary School athletes were tired. Tired of running on hard surfaces that were tough on their bodies and practicing in school hallways and backyards. Tired of carpooling to Olathe in order ...
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Legislators seek to transfer reservoir to city
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: CRYSTAL RESERVOIR BILLS INTRODUCED
Legislators seek to transfer reservoir to city
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
Bipartisan members of Congress representing Ouray County co-sponsored bills introduced in 2025 to transfer Crystal Reservoir from the U.S. Forest Service to the city of Ouray, nearly a year after the ...
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Town builds public trail after judge allows land buy
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: RIDGWAY WINS CONDEMNATION CASE
Town builds public trail after judge allows land buy
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
The town of Ridgway won its case to condemn private property to build a public trail from the River Park subdivision to Ridgway Secondary School, after attempts to purchase a slice of property from th...
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Spike in wrecks prompts concern, improvements
News
TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR: HIGHWAY 550 SAFETY CONCERNS
Spike in wrecks prompts concern, improvements
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 31, 2025
A spike in fatal and serious-injury accidents on U.S. Highway 550 in Ouray County in 2025 caught the attention of the public and the Colorado Department of Transportation, which moved to expedite some...
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Oh, what fun it is to dance
Main, News...
Oh, what fun it is to dance
December 24, 2025
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Affordable housing nonprofit to expand across state
Main, News...
Affordable housing nonprofit to expand across state
Telluride-based Rural Homes plans to build 120 new units in 2026, but future of Ouray project unclear
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 24, 2025
Telluride-based Rural Homes is entering a new era of affordable housing work across the state after bringing on a new CEO and looking beyond pilot projects in Ouray and San Miguel counties. The afford...
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Features coverage
‘I want to see them get to the most terrifying part of the climb … and see them complete it’
Columns, Feature...
PREP ROUNDUP
‘I want to see them get to the most terrifying part of the climb … and see them complete it’
By By Matt Meyer Special to the Plaindealer 
December 31, 2025
Ridgway coach Jonny Zaugg dedicated to helping young c limbers of all skill levels When Jonny Zaugg returned to Ridgway several years ago, he saw an opportunity to give back to the community and be th...
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Calendar & Events
Calendar & Events, Feature...
Calendar & Events
Jan. 1-14, 2026
December 31, 2025
THURSDAY JANUARY 1 Polar Bear plunge at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, 1 p.m. SATURDAY JANUARY 3 Trivia Night. Free to attend. 7 p.m. at the Wright Opera House, 472 Main St. in Ouray. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7...
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Second Chance Humane Society
Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
Second Chance Humane Society
December 24, 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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Feature
Home Trust of Ouray County
December 24, 2025
Year established as a nonprofit: 2018 What does your organization do for Ouray County? Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Ouray County, where the median price for a ...
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Sherbino Theater/ Ridgway Chautauqua
Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
Sherbino Theater/ Ridgway Chautauqua
December 24, 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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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership
December 24, 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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Special Sections

Best of

Business and Real Estate

Summer Guide

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Editor Picks
Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time to reconsider policing in Ouray
December 24, 2025
Dear Editor: With the departure of Interim Police Chief Daric Harvey, Ouray once again faces instability in its police department. Rather than automatically rebuilding the same structure, this feels l...
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Letters, Opinion...
Let’s recommit to being kind, understanding
December 24, 2025
Dear Editor: As we welcome the winter solstice, and the slow return of the light, I want to share some thoughts for the season, and the year to come. I believe the core values of the season, whatever ...
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From start to finish, a too-warm, too-dry 2025
Columns, Opinion...
From start to finish, a too-warm, too-dry 2025
December 24, 2025
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Wunderground’s “meteorologists qualify a white Christmas as one with at least an inch of snow on the ground [SOG] on Christmas morning,” (Hayden Marshall and Jonathan Er...
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Feature
SEASON OF SHARING
West Region Wildfire Council
December 24, 2025
Year established as a nonprofit: 2007 What does your organization do for Ouray County? With wildfires becoming a greater and greater risk to Western Colorado, WRWC strives to educate and aid in wildfi...
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News
Commissioners appoint replacement clerk
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
December 24, 2025
Ouray County commissioners have appointed a current employee to replace outgoing Clerk and Recorder Cristy Lynn when she leaves her position in January. Commissioners unanimously approved appointing c...
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First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines

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