The peach, sequined dress arrived weeks ago, delivered in a box to the house. She carefully opened the package, lifted out the gown and admired its sequins, the applique flowers. Seventeen-year-old L...

As the stay-at-home order continues and non-essential businesses remain closed, workers and business owners in Ouray County are wondering how long their savings can keep them going. When Gov. Jared Po...

A pandemic, weeks of uncertainty, a frantic move-out and a nonstop cross-country road trip were not what Rosalind Greisz had in mind for her junior year of college. Colleges and universities across t...

Here's one bright spot to the coronavirus crisis. Ouray County residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic who need to find temporary housing outside of their own home now have a free place to stay...

The Ridgway School Board approved a contract for its new secondary school principal in a meeting last week, during which limited public comment was allowed. The board's new policy of restricting publi...

Traffic was nonexistent on Ouray's Main Street during a recent spring day, as shown from this aerial photo looking south toward Mt. Abram. Gov. Jared Polis's stay-at-home order is in effect until at l...

A special meeting Wednesday intended for the Ouray City Council to consider what kind of message the city wants to put out to tourists in the midst of the COVlD-19 pandemic devolved into two councilor...

Sheriff pleads not guilty in DUI case Lance FitzGerald has pleaded not guilty in his alleged DUI case, stemming from an incident in November. Seventh Judicial District County Court Judge Kurt Beckenha...

The utility companies that power and heat Ouray County homes and business have put a freeze on disconnecting customers who may be struggling to pay their bills and are working with them on payment pla...

Students in Ouray County won't be returning to school in-person for the remainder of the school year. Ouray and Ridgway school district leaders announced they would continue to suspend face-to-face le...

Ouray County has delayed a decision on whether to proceed with plowing high-country roads, after considering a request to postpone clearing snow from routes popular with off-road enthusiasts. Commissi...

Last month’s sudden cancellation of recycling services by Bruin Waste Management has left Ridgway residents with a choice: Let plastic bottles, cans, paper and cardboard languish in a landfill - or in...

Ridgway Secondary School Athletic Director Tony Erickson submitted his letter of resignation to the Ridgway School Board last month. Erickson told the Plaindealer the decision was difficult because he...

SILVERTON San Juan County officials on April 3 tightened the public health order prohibiting visi tors and restricting residents' activities as concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic mounted. The new ord...

The city of Ouray is closing in on hiring a search firm to look for its next city administrator. City councilors unanimously agreed during an April 8 special meeting to enter into contract negotiation...

Students in Ouray County won’t be returning to school in-person for the remainder of the school year. Leaders of both Ouray and Ridgway school districts made the announcement they would continue to su...

When Gay Leachman put her first batch of nine cotton face masks in a box by her house, she was surprised to find they were gone the same day. The massage therapist and Ridgway resident began making m...

Justin Perry is very clear: The way things have been done recently at the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office is unacceptable. And he believes his track record at the Ouray Police Department makes him the b...

Undersheriff Ted Wolfe has announced he is running for sheriff in the recall election to replace Sheriff Lance FitzGerald. With 36 years of law enforcement under his belt — 20 of those in the place th...

In these bleak times of canceled classes, a scuttled prom and uncertainty around high school graduation, social distancing has led to inevitable feelings of isolation. But Weehawken dance and theater ...