STOP THE PRESSES

Local Newspapers Stolen to Stop Story About Rape Charges at Police Chief's House

In response to the theft of the approximately 250 papers, the Ouray County Plaindealer removed their paywall and posted the story on social media.

Almost every copy of the Ouray County Plaindealer, a local Colorado newspaper, was stolen from racks on Thursday before customers could read a story about charges filed against three men for alleged rapes committed during a party where teenagers were reportedly using drugs and drinking alcohol at the police chief’s house while he was sleeping. In response to the theft of approximately 250 papers, the Plaindealer removed their paywall and posted the story on social media. “If you hoped to silence or intimidate us, you failed miserably. We’ll find out who did this. And another press run is imminent,” Mike Wiggins, a co-publisher of Ouray County Plaindealer, posted on X. The newspapers were returned in a trash bag on Thursday evening.