Main, News...
Commissioner seeks reimbursement of $11,000; board to discuss request in April
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett is asking the county to pay nearly $11,000 for the attorney she hired after the county road and bridge superintendent filed a harassment complaint against her la...
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Main, News...
Commissioners approve guidelines after hours of tension-filled debate
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Ouray County commissioners spent six hours debating two new policies – specifying how they should treat each other and the public – in meetings last week and this week that devolved into the type of c...
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News
New foundation forms to raise money for $1.6M Ouray project
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
When Jerry Hellman wants to read a book, he buys one — he’d rather read it on his own time than have to rush to return it to the Ouray Public Library. His wife, Bonnie, though, is a loyal library patr...
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News
Letter alleges agency failed to follow proper procedures before Crystal Reservoir drawdown
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Ouray County leaders sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service arguing the agency violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it partially drained Crystal Reservoir and proposed permanently rem...
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News
Owner of building without water, electricity irate after assessor classifies land as commercial
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Ouray County commissioners refused a Ridgway property owner's request for a tax refund and asked him to leave the room for disorderly conduct during a meeting Tuesday. Brent Kimball lives in the 127-y...
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News
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Leaders of the Ouray County Ranch History Museum and the Ridgway Railroad Museum have asked the Ridgway Town Council for help moving along expansion plans on their shared property, saying they’ve reac...
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News
County leaders to invest in more avalanche risk signs, revisit possibility of creating new parking area
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
Ouray County leaders agreed to invest in better signs and revisit talks about a new parking area to make County Road 361 safer for users including recreationists, mine operators and county road and br...
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News
March 26, 2025
An article in the March 20 edition about a plan to control prairie dogs at Top of the Pines mispelled the last name of Elk Meadows resident Scott Layton.
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News
By LIA SALVATIERRA 
March 24, 2025
Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett is asking the county to pay nearly $11,000 for the attorney she hired after the county road and bridge superintendent filed a harassment complaint against her la...
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News
By Plaindealer Staff 
March 20, 2025
U.S. Postal Service employees and community members plan to rally in Grand Junction this afternoon (March 20) in response to the agency’s plan to reduce mail delivery service in rural areas. The Posta...
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Main, News...
Fired police chief Wood agrees to drop claim; Ouray denies wrongdoing
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
March 20, 2025
The city of Ouray and its insurer paid former Police Chief Jeff Wood $120,000 to settle the wrongful termination and defamation lawsuit he filed against the city last year. City officials agreed to th...
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Main, News...
Scranton pleads guilty to reduced charges, will receive prison
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
A Ridgway man has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in a sex assault case in exchange for a sentence of one to six years in prison. Brian Scranton, 49, waived his right to a jury trial and will be con...
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News
Residents object asTop of the Pines seeks county permission to use lethal fumigation
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
Editor’s note: This story has been edited to correctly spell Scott Layton's name. Top of the Pines leadership asked for permission from Ouray County on Tuesday to use lethal fumigation to reduce its ...
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News
Basic details on staffing, funding still to be hammered out
March 19, 2025
The Ridgway Fire Protection District board of directors and Ouray City Council took a first look Monday night at a document outlining how five entities could combine into one overarching fire and emer...
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News
Grand jury indicts two men on more serious felony counts
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
Prosecutors have elevated the charges for two men in an alleged sexual assault case, after presenting a case in front of a grand jury. The indictment filed in district court shows higher- level felony...
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News
City wants explanation from firm who left $3,600 item out of $300K bid
By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
A frustrated Ouray City Council tabled a decision Monday night whether to give a Minneapolis company another $3,600 to make a prototype base for the $300,833 worth of signs the city purchased last yea...
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News
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
Ouray County fire departments and emergency services providers are calling on county residents to ensure their telephone bills are linked to their county addresses, helping fund local emergency servic...
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News
Ridgway Reservoir expected to fill this year, but experts caution about growing water demands
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
March 19, 2025
Ridgway Reservoir is predicted to fill this year and current forecasts show the Uncompahgre River Basin is in better shape for water supply than some other watersheds in the Gunnison River Basin and e...
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Feature
At homey Cahoots, shop for a vintage item, sip a unique cocktail and settle into a board game
By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
When people walk inside Cahoots Tavern they sometimes double check with owner Crystal Tadlock to make sure they haven’t accidentally broken into someone’s home. There’s generations of art and tchotchk...
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Feature
Ridgway resort celebrates completing years of renovations, spa grand opening
By Erin McIntyre erin@ouraynews.com 
March 26, 2025
In Native American culture, seeing a white buffalo is a good omen – a sign of hope, renewal and good things to come. The sacred symbol is one that resonated with the owners of the Chipeta Lodge Resort...
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Obituaries
March 26, 2025
April 20, 1925-February 11, 2025 Jean passed on peacefully at her home with her eldest son Ned and partner Gale by her side. She was 99 years old. Jean was one of three children born to Gladys Matthew...
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Letters, Opinion...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
March 26, 2025
Dear Editor: Regarding the city of Ouray's decision to pay $120,000 to former Police Chief Jeff Wood to settle his lawsuit: What a careless waste of my tax dollars. Shame on that crooked cop and shame...
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Letters, Opinion...
March 26, 2025
Dear Editor: My husband and I attended Jeff Hurd’s telephone town hall Tuesday, March 11. We were relieved to hear that our new representative supports Ukraine and the rehiring of fired federal worker...
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