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.
Latest from Renée Jean

WyoTech Growth Spurt Continues With $48.2 Million, 137,000-Square-Foot Expansion
WyoTech’s waiting list is out to April 2026 for some programs. The demand is fueling yet another growth spurt for the Laramie trade school — a $48.2 million, 137,000-square-foot expansion set to open in 2027.
Renée JeanApril 29, 2025

Wyoming Is Perfect For Data Centers, So Why Do They Cluster Only In Cheyenne?
Wyoming has the right climate for data centers, and the Interstate 80 corridor could be a magnet for attracting more of them. So why do data centers cluster in Cheyenne, but hardly anywhere else in Wyoming?
Renée JeanApril 28, 2025

Lander Man Turns Heads Driving Pickup He’s Modified To Go Backwards
Lander resident Albert Bertagnolli modified his pickup to drive backwards. He swapped the headlights and taillights, moved the engine and looks out over the bed driving the thing. When he’s driving down the street, it looks like he’s going backwards.
Renée JeanApril 27, 2025

Wyoming Home To Musket That Fired First Shot At Bunker Hill 250 Years Ago
It’s less than two months until the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the most important battles of the American Revolution. The musket that fired the battle’s first shot is at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.
Renée JeanApril 27, 2025

Drinking Wyoming: Bear Mountain Junction In La Grange Has Beer, Killer Cinnamon Rolls
Bear Mountain Junction is a tiny all-in-one stop in La Grange on U.S. Highway 85 between Cheyenne and Hawk Springs. It’s a store, gift shop and bar, where you can get a beer and killer homemade cinnamon rolls.
Renée JeanApril 26, 2025

Eating Wyoming: Lander’s Mulino Italian Bistro Is Hard To Find, But Worth It
In the heart of downtown Lander, hidden from all casual view, there’s a serious little slice of Italy, waiting to be discovered by the keenly observant. Mulino Italian Bistro is a little hard to find, but worth it.
Renée JeanApril 26, 2025

Pinedale’s World Famous Corral Bar For Sale For $1.5 Million
The World Famous Corral Bar in Pinedale may not actually be “world famous,” but it is a favorite spot for locals. The family that’s owned the bar for the last 25 years has decided it’s time to sell, listing it for about $1.5 million.
Renée JeanApril 25, 2025

Runaway Costs Have Wyoming’s Small Airports Facing Financial Turbulence
Small regional airports around Wyoming are being squeezed hard by inflation and runaway costs. Airports in Riverton, Rock Springs, Sheridan and Gillette in particular face a fight to keep airline service next year.
Renée JeanApril 23, 2025

Downtown Cheyenne Parking Garage A Nightmare, Nearby Business Owners Say
Cheyenne has taken steps to improve a problem downtown parking garage and make it safer. But business owners say there continue to be nightly noise violations, as well as vandalism.
Renée JeanApril 22, 2025

Wyoming National Guard Base To Be Home For Fleet Of C-130J Tankers
The Wyoming Air National Guard Base in Cheyenne is the latest base awarded top-flight C-130J air tankers. Starting in 2028, it will be home for a fleet of eight C-130Js, which will be a huge boost for fighting wildfires.
Renée JeanApril 22, 2025
Cheyenne Celebrity Chef Is Part Of Martha Stewart’s New Cooking Competition
Cheyenne celebrity chef Petrina Peart came within one vote of beating Food Network star Bobby Flay on his hit cooking competition show. Now she’ll try to do the same against 12 other chefs on Martha Stewart’s new show on NBC, “Yes, Chef!”
Renée JeanApril 21, 2025

Wyoming Girl Gets Her Ranch Chores Done Before Winning Gymnastics Titles
Raelee Warner was up early doing her usual daily chores feeding chicks and driving cattle April 12. Then the seventh grader went to the state gymnastics meet and won two events. All in a day’s work for a true Wyoming cowgirl.
Renée JeanApril 21, 2025

Mega Millions Makes Odds Better, But They’re Still Not As Good As Winning WyoLotto
The multistate Mega Millions lottery is charging more to play, but promises bigger jackpots with better odds of winning. But state lotteries like WyoLotto still offer better chances.
Renée JeanApril 20, 2025

Man Promises To Pay Fines On Wyoming Library Book He Checked Out 31 Years Ago
Josiah Harlow checked out a Robin Hood novel from the Cheyenne Central High School library 31 years ago, and never returned it. It’s still a treasured part of his collection, and he promises to “swing by to pay my overdue fees” the next time he’s in town.
Renée JeanApril 20, 2025

Wyoming Man Starts Treasure Hunt Similar To One Now Featured On Netflix
A Douglas man is still searching for a missing emerald from Forest Fenn’s treasure chest that was found in Wyoming and is featured in a Netflix documentary. If found, he plans to add it to his own treasure chest.
Renée JeanApril 20, 2025

Wyoming Company Builds Tough-As-Tank Security Gates For A-List Stars
Picasso Gate in Cheyenne may not be a household name, but its tough-as-a-tank security gates are coveted by A-list stars like Tom Cruise and Kevin Costner. It’s owned by a father-son duo who love Wyoming.
Renée JeanApril 20, 2025

Wyoming Students Turn Shipping Container Into High-Tech Greenhouse
Central Wyoming College has engineered a shipping container into a high-tech greenhouse that’s like something out of “The Jetsons." It creates its own sunshine and rain to grow all kinds of produce.
Renée JeanApril 19, 2025

Drinking Wyoming: At Lander’s Pushroot Brewing, It’s All About The Foam
Pushroot Brewing Company in Lander brings unique Czech pours to Wyoming that put a luxurious twist on beer. It’s all about big heads, and even a beer pour that’s all foam.
Renée JeanApril 19, 2025

A Whole Town Near Yellowstone Is For Sale For Less Than $3 Million
Located 45 minutes from Yellowstone’s north entrance, the entire town of Pray, Montana, is for sale for $2.6 million. That includes its 100-year-old general store, post office, home and cabins.
Renée JeanApril 19, 2025

‘Obnoxious’ Fireworks Outlets Near Cheyenne Can Reopen, But Dad Has To Stay Away
The Laramie County Commission has finally approved fireworks permits for a pair of businesses near the Colorado border it had said were too “obnoxious.” But the owner’s father has to stay away from her businesses as part of the agreement.
Renée JeanApril 17, 2025

Jackson’s Snow King Hotel Sale A Boost For Ski Hill’s Revival
The Snow King Mountain Resort’s ongoing revival is getting a boost with Trailborn’s recent purchase of the Snow King Resort Hotel at the base of the ski hill.
Renée JeanApril 17, 2025
