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 1,000-square-foot home in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, lists for $4 million. Its real value, however, is its land and location.

1,000-Square-Foot Jackson, Wyoming, Fixer-Upper Home Lists For $4 Million

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the 1,000-square-foot home at 165 N. Gros Ventre St. in downtown Jackson -- except for the location. That's enough to give it a listing price of a whopping $4 million.

Renée JeanMarch 02, 2024

Shellabarger Robert T 6 Class Race 4389 2000x1200

Casper One Of Three Finalists To Land National Air Championship Races

Casper has made the short list of three cities still in the running to become the new host for the National Championship Air Races, which could be a $100 million shot in the arm for the Cowboy State.

Renée JeanFebruary 29, 2024

Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober talks about tourism trends during the 2024 Wyoming Governor's Tourism and Hospitality Conference.

Wyoming Tourism Is Back: Visitors Spend $4.7 Billion In 2023

Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober said the tourism industry back on top as the state's number one employer providing 33,000 jobs. In 2023, visitors spent a record $4.7 billion -- a significant increase from 2022.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2024

Jim Waldrop is almost speechless for a few moments at the podium after winning the 2024 BIG WYO Award.

Jackson’s Jim Waldrop — AKA ‘Mr. Hospitality’ — Wins Wyoming's Highest Tourism Award

Tourism is big business in Wyoming and every year one Wyoming citizen wins the BIG WYO award for making significant lifetime contributions to Wyoming’s tourism and hospitality industries. This year, Jim Waldrop, who oversees the Wort Hotel and the Silver Dollar Bar in Jackson, was the winner.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2024

Participants make last-minute connections during the 2024 Wyoming Governor's Hospitality and Tourism Conference.

Wyoming’s Fun, Quirky Small Towns Could Be A Big Draw For 2024 Tourism

Small Wyoming communities have an oversized opportunity to attract new visitors to their communities, thanks to the mood of travelers in 2024, according to experts and analysts at the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Tourism and Hospitality Convention.

Renée JeanFebruary 27, 2024

Wyoming Joins FTC Lawsuit To Block $25 Billion Albertsons - Kroger Merger

Wyoming is one of nine states joining the FTC in a lawsuit filed Monday to block the $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons. “Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods," said the FTC.

Renée JeanFebruary 26, 2024

This Princess Blue Water sculpture will find a permanent home at Cheyenne Frontier Days. As part of her amazing life, she had a long and legendary relationship with CFD.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Legend Princess Blue Water Bowed To Nobody, Not Even The Queen

Cheyenne Frontier Days legend Princess Blue Water performed with Buffalo Bill Cody, was invited to Kennedy’s inauguration and refused to bow for England’s Queen Victoria, saying the Oglala Sioux bow to no one.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

Casper artist Travis Glasgow is building a following for his hybrid art combining wildlife and the landscapes the inhabit.

Casper Artist's Unique Wildlife - Landscape Fusions Gain International Audience

Casper native and artist Travis Glasgow creates stunning, portraits of Wyoming wildlife by fusing them with the landscapes they live in. His unique approach is gaining an international audience.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

The 2024 lineup of rescue dogs at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, from left, Cache, Sparrow, Levi, Dolly and Toby.

Meet Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Elite Life-Saving Avalanche Dogs

When the avalanche risk is high in Jackson Hole, there’s a pack of superheroes ready for action on a moment’s notice to find and rescue buried skiers and snowmobilers. These superheroes don’t wear capes, they wear collars.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

It's not uncommon to see other snowmobilers out on the groomed trails, but there are 700 miles of trails so its also easy to spread out and get away from everyone.

Wyoming’s Brooks Lake Lodge Surrounded By 700 Miles Of World-Class Snowmobiling

With 700 miles of groomed trails, Brooks Lake Lodge near Dubois, Wyoming, is one of the world’s top-rated snowmobiling resorts. At 9,200 feet of elevation, the snow in the area -- more than 600 inches every year -- is low in moisture, which creates light, fluffy powder.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

Jan Curtis talks about how he uses a $45 GoPro to capture stunning night sky photography.

Digital Technology Has Democratized The Night Sky, Making It Accessible To All

Cheyenne photographer and retired meteorologist Jan Curtis uses digital technology to take photos of the nightsky while the world is asleep. His photos have been featured in National Geographic and NASA publications, and some of his digital cameras are quite inexpensive.

Renée JeanFebruary 24, 2024

Dick and Barbara Carlsberg in front of Brooks Lake Lodge in 1988. The bought the property the year before and spent years restoring and expanding the historic Wyoming destination.

How A Wyoming Couple Resurrected The Legendary Brooks Lake Lodge

Barbara and Richard Carlsberg were looking for a ranch in Jackson Hole nearly 40 years ago when they instead bought the abandoned and neglected Brooks Lake Lodge in 1987. Restoring and resurrecting it, they say, was a labor of love.

Renée JeanFebruary 24, 2024

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The Albertsons grocery store at 5800 Yellowstone Road in Cheyenne.

$25 Billion Albertsons - Kroger Merger Bombarded With Lawsuits, FTC May Join In

Colorado and Washington have both filed lawsuits against the $25 billion Albertsons - Kroger merger, while the FTC reportedly could file its own as early as next week.

Renée JeanFebruary 22, 2024

Aerial view of the downtown Cheyenne rail yard.

New Federal Railroad Proposal Would Run Three Passenger Rail Routes Thru Wyoming

The Federal Railroad Administration has announced a new expansion proposal that would run three passenger rail routes through Wyoming including the I-80 corridor, a north-south route from Billings to Cheyenne, and one running from Cheyenne to Rapid City.

Renée JeanFebruary 20, 2024

Laramie native Shelby Means plays bass in Molly Tuttle's Golden Highway Band, which just won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

Wyoming’s Shelby Means Wins Grammy Award For Best Bluegrass Album

Growing up, Shelby Means' dad would wake her up by playing the banjo. But now, the Laramie woman is waking up the world with her bass fiddle. Means is part of Molly Tuttle’s Golden Highway Band which just won a Grammy for best bluegrass album.

Renée JeanFebruary 18, 2024

A pair of buildings more than 100 years old have been demolished in downtown Cody. They're adjacent lots at 1236 and 1244 Sheridan Ave.

Town Of Cody Demolishing Two More 100-Year-Old Buildings

Cody is a town that loves its Western and Wyoming legacy, but it is about to lose two more of its 100-plus-year-old buildings within its historic district. The mayor says concerns about retaining the historic character are legitimate, but it's got to be balanced with the rights of property owners.

Renée JeanFebruary 18, 2024

How A Tenderfoot Wyoming Dentist Once Outdrank Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch To Survive

Sheridan dentist William Frackleton had no intention of ever meeting Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch gang in person. No sirree. But when he did and it started going downhill, he devised a plan to survive — outdrink them.

Renée JeanFebruary 18, 2024

Jim Mathis was a student at Wyoming Technical College, then bought it when it was on the brink of closing, rebranded it WyoTech and built it into one of the nation's premiere technical schools.

How WyoTech Went From Near Oblivion To National Tech Education Powerhouse

Jim Mathis says he owes his adult life to what he learned at WyoTech. That's why when it was about to close for good, he started making calls to raise money to buy the school -- which he did. In two years, he returned it to profitability and made the Laramie school a national tech education powerhouse.

Renée JeanFebruary 17, 2024

During Wyoming's legendary winters, Brooks Lake Lodge is a natural playground. But the only way to get there is in a snowcat or on a snowmobile.

Wyoming’s Legendary 100-Year-Old Brooks Lake Lodge Is ‘Where The West Begins’

It’s been re-invented and even resurrected a few times over the past 100 years, but at its core, Wyoming’s legendary Brooks Lake Lodge remains that one place historically proclaimed as “where the West begins.”

Renée JeanFebruary 17, 2024

Wyoming Outdoor Rec Fund Gets $6M Every Two Years, But No Way To Manage It

The Legislature is considering ways to pay out $6 million in grants for outdoor recreation and tourism. A Senate bill to do that failed by 3 votes Monday. Now it’s up to the House.

Renée JeanFebruary 14, 2024

This is a tow truck pulling a tow truck pulling a truck pulling a trailer.

Cheyenne Tow Truck Company "Big Al's" Featured On Weather Channel TV Series

The Weather Channel is putting together a new adventure docuseries that will feature the worst wrecks and most difficult extrications in America. Cheyenne, Wyoming's tow truck company Big Al’s is featured on the show.

Renée JeanFebruary 11, 2024

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