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

Homeowner insurance in Wyoming has skyrocketed over the past year, doubling and even tripling in some places, like this Cheyenne neighborhood, while others have had their insurance canceled outright.

Insurance Rates Skyrocket For Wyoming Homeowners, Some Get Dropped Completely

Wyoming homeowners are reporting skyrocketing insurance premiums that have doubled or tripled in the last year. Other homeowners are getting dropped by companies altogether.

Renée JeanApril 23, 2024

Christian Josso, right, from Italy talks to Amber and Chad Pollock about starting his whiskey tour at Backwards Distilling in Casper.

International Markets Worth Big Money For Wyoming Tourism

Italy's Christian Josso has been working to set up whiskey tours for all the “pure whiskey lovers” of Europe. Josso thought these tours should start in Kentucky or Tennessee, states with long histories in whiskey. But now he's thinking of starting in Wyoming.

Renée JeanApril 22, 2024

Many areas of the Red Desert in southwest Wyoming make up an outdoor recreation playground.

Bringing In Billions, Outdoor Recreation Now A Wyoming Revenue Juggernaut

With stunning vistas and outdoor recreation opportunities within driving distance of every community in Wyoming, the Cowboy State is the fourth-fastest growing outdoor economy in the nation, with over $2 billion generated in 2023.

Renée JeanApril 21, 2024

The small town of Chugwater, Wyoming, could get smaller if the town approves a petition by three landowners to de-annex 172 acres from it.

Chugwater, Wyoming, Could Get Smaller With Landowners Trying To De-Annex Themselves

The tiny town of Chugwater might soon get a lot smaller with three landowners filing a petition to de-annex from the city and take 172 acres with them. They say they don't use any city services, so they want out.

Renée JeanApril 21, 2024

The historic Stringer Hotel has been added to over the decades and now takes up an entire block. The original building is at the right and is a restoration work in progress, while retail and cafe space is open in the other parts of the complex.

New Life For 110-Year-Old Stringer Hotel, Dubois’ Oldest - And Tallest - Building

When Jason Kintzler learned someone was going to buy the 110-year-old Stringer Hotel in Dubois and tear it down, he bought the building himself to save it. Now it's one of Dubois’ oldest and tallest, and has a new lease on life.

Renée JeanApril 21, 2024

Eating Wyoming: Although A "Blip On The Map," There's Great Food In Hawk Springs

Hawk Springs may just be a blip on the map in eastern Wyoming with a population of 45 but The Emporium is a top-notch steakhouse with prime rib, steaks, burgers and more, as well as Papa’s special buttermilk pie.

Renée JeanApril 21, 2024

Wyoming Office Of Tourism Stops Wildlife Ads In Wake Of Wolf Abuse Scandal

Wyoming’s wildlife is a big tourism draw, but the state Office of Tourism has paused all of its wildlife tourism advertising in the wake of the wolf torture case that has sparked worldwide outrage.

Renée JeanApril 19, 2024

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

Bill Would Block Postal Service Plan to Downsize Wyoming Mail Centers

Wyoming’s congressional delegaton has united around a bipartisan bill that would block the U.S. Postal Service’s plans to eliminate major mail centers in Wyoming and other states.

Renée JeanApril 18, 2024

The U.S. Postal Service is studying whether some mail services should be moved from the Casper Post Office to Montana.

Casper Post Office Downsized, Leaving Wyoming Without A Major Mail Center

The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday it will downsize the Casper Post Office, which comes about a month after doing the same to Cheyenne’s, leaving Wyoming without a major mail processing center.

Renée JeanApril 17, 2024

The Cheyenne Old Chicago location shut its doors without notice Sunday.

Old Chicago In Cheyenne Closes Without Warning — Even To Employees

The doors to Old Chicago in Cheyenne suddenly closed Sunday without warning or explanation, employees say. They say they showed up to work, were told not to clock-in, and to go home. Other locations in the state remained open.

Renée JeanApril 15, 2024

Small Wyoming Pharmacies Pushed Out Of Business, Say Industry Is Like Mafia

Casper pharmacist Eric Saul says small independent pharmacies are getting squeezed out by super-large companies that squeeze the little guy with mafia-like tactics.

Renée JeanApril 14, 2024

Bohemian Metals on 17th Street in downtown Cheyenne.

City Work Busts Sewer Line, Nearly Puts Cheyenne Shop Out Of Business

Bohemian Metals, with its eclectic mix of ancient and unique artifacts in downtown Cheyenne, is the dream for owner Brian Snyder that turned into a nightmare when city work on 17th Street nearly put him out of business.

Renée JeanApril 14, 2024

Other Authors

WYDOT Trying To Stop Google Maps Stranding Motorists In Frozen Nowhere, Wyoming

Google Maps has a bad habit of sending travelers down closed roads in Wyoming. It's led to 28 search and rescues in Sweetwater County alone, leaving motorists stranded in below-freezing weather with 22-foot high snowdrifts. WYDOT is trying to fix that.

Renée JeanApril 14, 2024

Morels in a baseball up in the Wyoming mountains.

At $75 A Pound, Wyoming Morel Hunters Could Cash In On Shroom Boom

Foragers who will soon be hunting for those tasty morel mushrooms hiding under cottonwood trees or alongside lady slipper orchids in Wyoming could be in for a pleasant surprise this year. At $75 a pound in some places, the shroom boom is on.

Renée JeanApril 14, 2024

The Chambers House Bed and Breakfast is the oldest building in Pinedale, Wyoming.

Pinedale’s Oldest Building Built Up Through Great Depression Generosity

Small towns are not just made of hardy stuff. They’re built on generosity, too. There is perhaps no better example than the Chambers Bed and Breakfast, a top-quality historic stay and the oldest building in Pinedale.

Renée JeanApril 13, 2024

Wyoming’s Own Ian Munsick Returns Home With ‘Real West’ Country Music

Sheridan’s Ian Munsick says he will be back performing in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain Region, where he got his start in the country-western scene. “This will definitely be a homecoming for me,” Munsick told Cowboy State Daily.

Renée JeanApril 13, 2024

The Rock Shop Inn in Fremont County, Wyoming.

The Rock Shop Inn: A Spectacular Spot In the Heart Of Nowhere, Wyoming

The Rock Shop Inn in the heart of nowhere, Wyoming, is a pristine 5-acre gateway to a bouldering hotspot and hundreds of miles of Shoshone National Forest trails. The cabins re-opened in 2019 and the refurbished saloon will be open this summer.

Renée JeanApril 13, 2024

$When Justin Loeffler saw how expensive machines to process hemp were, he worked with an engineer to design his own at a fraction of the cost. It's also a lot faster processing hemp, at 30 tons an hour.$

Hawk Springs Farmer Works To Scale Up State’s Hemp Industry

A farmer in Hawk Springs thinks Wyoming can be a hemp industry leader in research and production. When he saw how expensive machines to process hemp were, he worked with an engineer to design his own at a fraction of the cost

Renée JeanApril 07, 2024

Dave Stephens has many photographs, but the one he likes best is the life-sized Marlboro Man portrait of his friend, Darrell Winfield.

Sublette County Auctioneer’s 41-Year Collection Fills Up House And Two Garages

After 41 years of auctioneering, Dave Stephens of Sublette County has amassed an eclectic collection of curiosities and historic Wyoming artifacts that cuts a wide swath of Cowboy State history.

Renée JeanApril 07, 2024

How Saving Pinedale’s Historic Stockman’s Saloon Nearly Killed Its New Owner

Pinedale’s historic Stockman’s Saloon and Steakhouse was close to falling over when Buck Buchenroth bought it as his retirement project. But restoring the iconic local spot literally nearly killed him.

Renée JeanApril 07, 2024

Archaeologists from South America work in the deep test unit at the Powers II site in Wyoming where two artifacts dating 14,000 years old were found.

Ghost Town Of Sunrise, Wyoming, Poised To Become International Tourist Draw

The discovery of 14,000-year-old artifacts near the historic former mining town of Sunrise, Wyoming, has the area poised to become an archaeology tourism destination with a new field school to study them.

Renée JeanApril 06, 2024

In a secret Cheyenne warehouse dubbed "Area 51," thousands of Wyoming's new license plates are being made.

Wyoming’s New License Plates Made In A Secret Warehouse Called ‘Area 51’

In a plain-Jane secret warehouse in Cheyenne dubbed “Area 51,” Wyoming’s new dark, solid-colored license plates are coming off the press by the thousands. WYDOT insists the color of the plates is dark blue, not black.

Renée JeanApril 06, 2024

The Historic Grand View River Ranch, formerly the Gros Ventre Ranch, has sold. The pristine 118-acre ranch was listed for $58 million for the property situated along the Gros Ventre River adjacent to Grand Teton National Park.

Historic Wyoming Ranch In Teton County Listed For $58 Million Sold

One of Wyoming’s most expensive properties is off the market. The Grand View River Ranch, listed for $58 million, is one of those very rare inholdings that’s surrounded by Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger Teton National Forest.

Renée JeanApril 03, 2024

Caitlin Long is the founder and CEO for Wyoming-based Custodia Bank.

Wyoming-based Custodia Bank Loses Lawsuit Against Fed, May Appeal

Wyoming-based Custodia Bank has lost the first round of a court battle for access to the Federal Reserve’s services, which limits what it can offer customers. The company says it may appeal the ruling.

Renée JeanApril 02, 2024

The Virginian is as iconic Western Wyoming as any place in the Cowboy State. Author Owen Wister got the idea for his famous novel of the same name while sleeping across the street, which inspired naming the hotel.

Wyoming’s Iconic The Virginian Hotel Has New Out-Of-State Owners

A pair of out-of-state owners have bought Wyoming’s iconic The Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow for an undisclosed price, and they plan to invest in the historic property to restore and preserve it for another 113 years.

Renée JeanApril 01, 2024

A pair of technicians lower a body into a cryonics vessel.

Science Behind Frozen Dead Guys Advancing Beyond Sci-Fi

The Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale has 227 cryopreserved patients including the brain of Boston Red Sox icon Ted Williams. You can be frozen for $220,000 for whole-body preservation or $90,000 for just your brain.

Renée JeanMarch 31, 2024

A group of paranormal investigators sit in the dark around an Ovilus doll in the basement of the Knights of Pythias building in Cheyenne. Some believe that when the doll is asked questions, it channels answers form the beyond.

Paranormal Group Investigates Building Where Skeleton Of 15-Year-Old Was Hidden

A paranormal group investigated the 140-year-old Knights of Pythias building in Cheyenne last weekend. Back in the 1990s, a caretaker found a skeleton in a coffin hidden under a stage. Authorities determined it was a 15-year-old girl and was there for more than 50 years.

Renée JeanMarch 31, 2024

Snake River Roasting Company in Jackson, Wyoming.

Jackson Vacation Rental Mogul Now Roasts Specialty Coffee By The Ton

Mekki Jaidi owns the largest vacation rental company in Jackson and now wants to conquer the specialty coffee industry. Under his watch, Snake River Roasting Co. is going global, roasting 150,000 pounds of specialty coffee a year.

Renée JeanMarch 31, 2024

Austin Webster, aka the Evanston Mushroom Guy, stands in a grow room while making an instructional video on how to raise mushrooms.

Evanston Man Grows Gourmet Mushroom Business From The Ground Up

Austin Webster of Evanston always knew he wanted to grow a business, but it took awhile to realize that business would be growing things — premium gourmet mushrooms from his custom-built facility.

Renée JeanMarch 30, 2024

Visitors look at the solar eclipse at South Mike Sedar Park on Aug. 21, 2017, in Casper, Wyoming.

No Total Eclipse For Wyoming, But Still Plenty To See At 65%

Wyoming is not in the path of totality this time around for the April 8 eclipse, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see. Our partial eclipse will be up to 65%, which is still pretty cool to view.

Renée JeanMarch 30, 2024