Business and Tourism Reporter

Renée Jean

Renée Jean is the business and tourism reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. Previously, Renée spent seven years covering energy and agriculture in North Dakota and Montana. She has won many writing awards over a 30-year career, and has written magazine articles for Guideposts.

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Latest from Renée Jean

Outrage Over Daniel Wolf Abuse Didn’t Impact Wyoming Tourism In 2024

Global outrage and calls to boycott Wyoming over the abuse and killing of a wolf in Daniel in February didn’t impact Cowboy State tourism in 2024. Lodging tax collections are up almost across the board.

Renée JeanDecember 20, 2024

Innovative Short Wind Turbines Are In For A Tough Test — Wyoming Winter

Airloom Energy will test its innovative wind turbines in winter — the perfect shakedown for an 80- to 100-foot-tall invention born in Wyoming. The novel Bill Gates-backed concept could make today’s 500-foot-tall wind towers obsolete.

Renée JeanDecember 18, 2024

BNSF Railway To Eliminate Dozens Of Jobs Dec. 27

BNSF has pushed through an agreement in arbitration with its unions that will eliminate dozens of jobs on Dec. 27. As more people are cut, union reps say they worry for the safety of the workers who remain.

Renée JeanDecember 17, 2024

Workers at the Casper Amazon Flex location sort packages for delivery.

Amazon Opens Wyoming’s First Delivery Centers In Gillette And Casper

Amazon has opened its first Wyoming distribution centers in Gillette and Casper. That’s great for people within 60 miles of them, but delivery problems continue for many other rural areas.

Renée JeanDecember 16, 2024

Mike Aumiller picks up a DoorDash order at the Lincolway Arby's outlet in Cheyenne on Sunday. Aumiller said his wife delivers DoorDash during the week, and he does it on weekends to make some extra money.

Get Cussed Out, Belittled And Stiffed On Tips — Welcome To DoorDashing

Being a DoorDasher isn’t the cushy, easy job for lazy basement dwellers some imagine it to be. DoorDashers beat up their cars in the worst Wyoming weather and sometimes get cussed out, belittled and stiffed on tips.

Renée JeanDecember 15, 2024

Colorado-based Fading West makes modular homes and delivers them on site for quick setup. The company thinks it can help with an expected housing crunch in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Modular Home Company That Helped Maui After Wildfires Could Ease Kemmerer Housing Crunch

A modular home company that stepped up to help Hawaii residents after devastating wildfires is looking to bring in homes to help with Kemmerer's housing crunch. Up to 6,000 new workers on their way to the southwest Wyoming community.

Renée JeanDecember 15, 2024

Economists say it's not necessary to hoard goods, especially toilet paper, ahead of possible tariffs.

What Are Economists Stocking Up On Ahead Of Possible Tariffs? Not Toilet Paper

Wyoming economists are not panicking about the potential for Trump’s promised tariffs. They also don’t think people need to hoard stuff ahead of time — especially toilet paper.

Renée JeanDecember 15, 2024

Chef Petrina Peart reacts after finding a beautiful Brussel sprout tree for an upcoming holiday gathering she's working on.

Cheyenne Celebrity Chef Puts Sprouts, Wyoming’s Newest Grocer, To The Test

Sprouts Farmers Market, the supermarket chain which focuses on natural and organic foods, has an ambitious growth plan and just opened its first store in Wyoming. Cheyenne celebrity chef Petrina Peart was among the first to put the market to the test.

Renée JeanDecember 14, 2024

The commute over Teton Pass this winter will be a lot steeper and curvier for drivers this winter.

Teton Pass Commuters Have To Navigate A Steeper, Curvier Drive This Winter

A steeper grade and sharper turns have some rethinking driving over Teton Pass between Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming, this winter. But most regulars say they feel the fix is good enough and they’re ready when the road turns icy.

Renée JeanDecember 13, 2024

Customers line up in the U.S. Post Office on Converse Avenue in Cheyenne.

Postmaster General Gives Himself An “A” For Gutting Wyoming Mail Delivery

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is giving himself an “A” for his controversial plan that will gut Wyoming’s large mail processing centers and lengthen delivery times. While he’s proud of the plan, Harriet Hageman gives it and DeJoy an “F.”

Renée JeanDecember 12, 2024

Albertsons grocery store at 3355 E. Pershing Blvd. in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Albertson’s Breaks Off $25B Grocery Merger, Now Wants Billions From Kroger

After two judges blocked a $25 billion merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, Albertsons has called it off. It's also pointing fingers at Kroger for the merger’s failure and wants billions of dollars in compensation.

Renée JeanDecember 11, 2024

Judges in Two States Block $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Merger

Judges in Washington and Oregon blocked the huge $25 billion Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger Tuesday. That bodes well for a lawsuit the Federal Trade Commission and Wyoming have against the merger.

Renée JeanDecember 11, 2024

Other Authors

Doug Theis, owner of Big Paws Christmas Trees in Cheyenne, says he's been selling trees for 14 years, and has held prices without an increase for the last two years.

Buying A Live Christmas Tree In Wyoming Won’t Cost Much More Despite Demand

Lower shipping costs have helped take the edge off a supply crunch for live Christmas trees in Wyoming, keeping prices lower than they might have been. That’s despite increased demand and Hurricane Helene devastating a huge supply of trees.

Renée JeanDecember 10, 2024

Uranium Energy Corp. has bought Rio Tino's Wyoming assets, which includes its uranium production facility in Sweetwater County. Above is a view of the control room.

Uranium Energy Corp. Finalizes $175M Buyout Of Wyoming Processing Plant

Uranium Energy Corp. has finalized a $175 million buyout of Rio Tinto’s Wyoming assets, which includes its Sweetwater County processing plant. The sale gives Uranium Energy the nation’s largest production capacity of uranium.

Renée JeanDecember 09, 2024

The Mint Bar's iconic neon cowboy lights up the night on Sheridan's Main Street, as does the WYO Theater, down the street from here.

Sheridan’s Famous Main Street A Bucket-List Item For Lovers Of All Things Western

Sheridan has a reputation as a Western tourism gem. And its famous Main Street has become a bucket-list destination for those who love all things Western.

Renée JeanDecember 08, 2024

Brian Deurloo with Frog Creek Partners cleans out a gutter bin that was part of a pilot program in the Denver metro area that captured 1,300 pounds of trash in six months. This one also had a $100 bill.

At First, Wyoming Businessman Thought Invitation To Speak At United Nations Was Scam

Brian Deurloo of Sheridan will be in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to address the United Nations about artificial intelligence and water security. At first, the Wyoming businessman deleted the UN’s invitation, thinking it was a scam.

Renée JeanDecember 08, 2024

Expresso Lube in Gillette, Wyoming, is much more than a place to get your oil changed. It's also a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch, and is a comfortable place to wait for your vehicle.

Get An Oil Change And Lunch At Gillette’s Expresso Lube, But Not A Beer

Expresso Lube in Gillette already has a unique business model operating an oil change shop on one side and a diner on the other. But you can’t get a beer there after its liquor license was denied this week.

Renée JeanDecember 07, 2024

Tiny bone needles, about 1-3 mm wide, have been found at the La Prele Mammoth site near Douglas, Wyoming.

Tiny Bone Needles From Wyoming’s La Prele Site A Prehistoric Breakthrough

Archaeologists say Wyoming’s La Prele Mammoth site near Douglas has given up another big prehistoric find. They say the discovery of early 13,000-year-old tiny bone needles could help rewrite the history of early man.

Renée JeanDecember 07, 2024

Nobody can drive around on Wyoming roads with their cars and trucks decked out in Christmas lights, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says — not even Santa.

Why It's Against The Law To Decorate Your Vehicle With Christmas Lights

Although you may be tempted to string thousands of Christmas lights on your car to show off your holiday glee, it's against the law. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says it would even ticket Santa.

Renée JeanDecember 07, 2024

This office building used by Registered Agents Inc. in Sheridan is the official address for about 120,000 LLCs registered in Wyoming, Fremont County Assessor Tara Berg estimates.

Wyoming Overtakes Delaware For Most Per Capita Incorporations In The Nation

Wyoming had 45,000 new business incorporations last year, a 45% jump that allowed it to overtake Delaware in the number of new registrations per capita. It continues a 10-year spike for the state as a popular place to register a business.

Renée JeanDecember 06, 2024

The Powell Farm Store is one of five Big Horn Co-op stores set to close at the end of the year.

Big Horn Co-op Is Closing Five Stores Across Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin

Big Horn Co-op has a 101-year history in Wyoming, starting in 1923. But changes to the retail landscape have finally caught up with the cooperative, which will close five of its farm stores in small towns across the Bighorn Basin.

Renée JeanDecember 06, 2024