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

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

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

Locals In Bondurant, Wyoming, Angered By Push To Make It ‘Little Jackson Hole’
TD Ameritrade founder and Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts’s push to rename Bondurant, Wyoming to Little Jackson Hole and build a swanky 230,000-square-foot resort is stirring fears in both Hoback Valley and Sublette County.
Renée JeanMarch 30, 2024

US Postal Service To Downsize Cheyenne Mail Center Against Objections
The Postal Service on Thursday announced that Cheyenne’s mail processing will move to Denver -- even for letters sent from one Cheyenne address to another. That’s going to mean letters take longer — but they say it will still be “on time.”
Renée JeanMarch 29, 2024

Clear-Cutting Cheyenne's Parks: 160+ Cottonwoods Chopped Down & More To Come
There aren’t many trees in Cheyenne. It’s hard to grow them. That’s what makes longtime Cheyenne resident Buck McVeigh so angry at the city for cutting down more than 160 cottonwoods and there’s more to come.
Renée JeanMarch 24, 2024

Stanley Hotel In Estes Park Opens World's First Cryonics Museum
A new spirit is haunting the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. It’s Bredo, the Frozen Dead Guy, in the world's first International Cryonics Museum. Cryonics is the technique of deep-freezing a person just after death in the hope that scientific advances will one day allow that person to be revived.
Renée JeanMarch 24, 2024

Frozen Dead Guy Days -- Still A Great Party And Now In Estes Park
Frozen Dead Guy Days all started because the townspeope of Nederland, Colorado, wanted to celebrate the frozen body of Bredo, who was put on ice in a backyard shed. This year, Bredo was moved to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, and the party came with him.
Renée JeanMarch 23, 2024

Huge $14M Donation Will Help Bring Much-Need Ultrasound Equipment To Rural Wyoming
Stating that geography should not be a barrier to quality health care, the CEO of One Health on Thursday announced that the Helmsley Charitable Trust has donated $14 million to purchase 143 cutting-edge ultrasound imaging devices across rural Wyoming.
Renée JeanMarch 21, 2024

Wyoming-Based Visionary Broadband Keeps Growing; Buys Colorado Internet Company
Visionary Broadband, an internet company that started in a Gillette basement with three-tech savvy friends, announced 15 new projects on Wednesday that are going to connect thousands of people in small communities like Centennial and Glendo to high-speed internet. It also just bought a Colorado internet provider to expand its regional reach.
Renée JeanMarch 21, 2024

Real Estate Ruling May Mean Lower Fees, But Buyers Could Have To Pay Up-Front
Wyoming realtors say a landmark real estate settlement could mean lower fees for homebuyers, but also could mean they have to pay up-front and could face unintended consequences.
Renée JeanMarch 19, 2024

World’s Largest Buc-ee’s Opens 45 Miles South Of Wyoming Off I-25
Monday’s much-anticipated opening of the world’s largest Buc-ee’s 45 miles south of the Wyoming border off Interstate 25, drew thousands to experience the 75,000 sq. ft. travel center on steroids — and all the Beaver Nuggets they could eat.
Renée JeanMarch 19, 2024

Here Come The Tourists! Wyoming Expecting Big Tourism Season With Taiwanese
International tourism to Wyoming has been slow to bounce back after the COVID-19 lockdown, but 2024 should be a good year. Two major airline routes are opening between the U.S. & Taiwan this summer and Wyoming will be a top destination.
Renée JeanMarch 17, 2024

Wyoming’s Historic 117-Year-Old Mountain View Hotel Cafe Is Open Again
Centennial’s Mountain View Historic Hotel & Cafe has been welcoming visitors to the Snowy Range town of Centennial for 117 years. Back then it was for gold miners and railroaders. Now the cafe is open again thanks to a woman and her three daughters.
Renée JeanMarch 17, 2024

Hedge Against Inflation? Alternative Currency "Goldbacks" Catching On In Wyoming
Wyoming wasn't the first state to get its own series of "goldbacks," but it's the tops in the nation for embracing them. The elaborate-looking currency, which has real gold in them, is traded in all 50 states and on every continent except Antarctica.
Renée JeanMarch 17, 2024

Wyoming Entrepreneurs Inspired By Reality TV Small Business Guru Amanda Brinkman
Wyoming small business owners say they’ve been inspired by Hulu reality TV guru Amanda Brinkman, who was in Wyoming touting the benefits of her mantra — do good to do well.
Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

For Sale: Laramie’s Cowboy Saloon, Where Chancey Williams Was Launched
Famous for its live country music and helping launch the career of Chancey Williams, Laramie’s Cowboy Saloon & Dance Hall is up for sale. In fact, Chancey's annual White Trash Bash is set for April 6 at the Cowboy. The bar is listed for $3.4 million.
Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

Operation Lone Star: Wyoming Ranchers Convoy Hay To Wildfire-Ravaged Texas
A convoy of six trucks loaded with hay and other items donated by ranchers in Hawk Springs, Torrington, and Chugwater are running to and from Texas to help ranchers there burned out by a 1.1 million-acre wildfire.
Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

Eating Wyoming: R&B Breakfast Club, Where Elvis And Supersized Meals Are King
The R&B Breakfast Club in Cheyenne has a collection of Elvis memorabilia that took 20 years to collect. The popular diner also serves Elvis-sized portions for breakfast and lunch, including fried peanut butter banana sandwiches (upon request).
Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

Trash To Treasure: Box Elders Could Drive A New Wyoming Maple Syrup Industry
Those blue buckets on box elder trees in Rawlins are part of a feasibility study to see if syrup from the trees can be commercialized. Food critics say the syrup from maples - which are difficult to grow in Wyoming - and box elders is indistinguishable.
Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

Outdoors Is Driving Teton County’s Latest Nation-Leading Economic Boom
Not only is Teton County the wealthiest county in the nation with a whopping per capita income of $406,054 but leads the nation in a new type of economic model, the great outdoors. Out of the 10 wealthiest economic booms going on right now in the nation, Teton County is leading the pack.
Renée JeanMarch 10, 2024

Bob’s Diner & Bakery In Greybull On ‘America’s Best Restaurants’ Tour
“America’s Best Restaurants,” a popular streaming series, will feature Bob’s Diner & Bakery in Greybull on its tour of America’s unique independent restaurants. Road trippers rave about the Reuben at Bob’s, but locals love the “angry sauce” omelets and burgers.
Renée JeanMarch 10, 2024
