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

This porch pirate was caught on a doorbell camera taking a 5-year-old Cheyenne boy's Christmas gift.

Cheyenne Porch Pirate Caught On Camera Grinching A 5-Year-Old’s Christmas

Porch pirates just seem to keep getting more and more bold. But people are fighting back with door cameras, drop boxes and pranks like putting old junk in new boxes. That didn't stop one Grinch from stealing a Cheyenne 5-year-old's Christmas.

Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024

A house in a subdivision about 15 miles west of Cheyenne that had attracted squatters and drug activity, and had terrorized neighbors for years, has finally been raided and torn down.

How Neighbors Teamed Up With Wyoming Sheriff To Get Drug House Demolished

Residents in a Laramie County subdivision said they felt terrorized by squatters who had moved into an abandoned home and turned it into a drug house. It took months of collaboration with local officials but got it successfully torn down.

Renée JeanDecember 23, 2024

Brian Bartow’s fire truck Christmas light display on Dec. 19, 2024, at 550 Essex Road in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Antique Firetrucks Decked Out For Christmas Draw Crowds In Cheyenne

Christmas is all about Santa and firetrucks at the Bartow family home in Cheyenne. His holiday decorations are centered two antique firetrucks -- a 1942 American LaFrance and a 1938 Studebaker.

Renée JeanDecember 22, 2024

Chef Juan Coronado, co-owner of Railspur, demonstrates how to prepare the classic holiday dish beef Wellington.

Think Beef Wellington Is Too Hard To Make? Think Again, Says Wyoming Chef

There’s a reason Gordon Ramsay’s famous beef Wellington costs $119 dollars per person. it’s a complex dish that marries high-quality ingredients in a visually stunning way. But Wyoming chef Juan Coronado says with a few smart changes, it doesn’t really have to be such a chore.

Renée JeanDecember 22, 2024

The Halleck Creek site in Wyoming, now called the Cowboy State Mine site.

Wyoming Project Gets Boost In Race To Be First For U.S. Rare Earths Production

What could be one of the world’s richest rare earths deposits announced Friday a partnership for a Wyoming pilot plant. It’s a boost for Wyoming to be first in the U.S. to help stand up domestic rare earths production sooner.

Renée JeanDecember 21, 2024

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

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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

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

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