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

Two-time Rodeo Photographer of the year Christopher "Click" Thompson breaks out his camera to take a few photos, front, while Carrie Mazelin does the same, back, at the Cody Stampede Rodeo's slack event.

Cody Stampede Launched Click Thompson's Career As Top Rodeo Photographer

The Cody Stampede launched two-time Rodeo Photographer of the Year Christopher "Click" Thompson’s career. He was back last week to shoot the Stampede and host a master class for aspiring rodeo shutterbugs.

Renée JeanJuly 14, 2024

Bootmaker Scott Wayne Emmerich talks about what makes his boots special in the Irma Hotel's gift shop.

Meet Cody’s Scott Emmerich, Master Bootmaker To The Stars

From Arnold Schwarzenegger to Reba McEntire to Kevin Costner, the biggest A-list celebrities seek out Cody master bootmaker Scott Wayne Emmerich for their cowboy boots. Some of his creations are pretty pricey too -- like one pair he sold for $79,000.

Renée JeanJuly 13, 2024

It Takes 72 Million Bees To Keep The Honey House In Dubois Stocked Up

Chocolate-covered honeycombs. Honey Cotton Candy. Infused honey like raspberry or jalapeño. Cold-brewed honey coffee, honey soda, and even honey barbecue sauce. 72 million bees make it all possible at the Honey House in Dubois.

Renée JeanJuly 13, 2024

This tiny 0.17-acre lot in the middle of Jackson, Wyoming, is selling for nearly $1.7 million — and is expected to be snapped up quick.

A 0.17-Acre Side Lot In Jackson With Nothing On It Lists For Nearly $1.7 Million

A 0.17-acre side lot in Jackson is now on the market for $1.675 million. The same size lot in Wyoming's capital city would list for about $70,000. Teton County real estate agents, however, say it's worth it because it’s a rare sliver of developable land in the heart of the town.

Renée JeanJuly 13, 2024

FE Warren missiles out front Unknown 7 11 24

FE Warren Missile Upgrades Move Ahead Despite Being 81% Over Budget

The upgrade to the missile defense program at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne — which is expected to bring billions of dollars in construction money and thousands of jobs to the community — has come in 81% over budget. Delays have the project now beginning in 2027.

Renée JeanJuly 11, 2024

The Albertsons store on Pershing Boulevard in Cheyenne is one of five slated to sell if the $25 billion mega merger with Kroger goes through.

Five Wyoming Albertsons Stores On List For Sale A Part Of $25B Mega Merger

Five Albertsons stores in Wyoming are on the list to sell if a proposed $25 billion merger goes through. They’re among 579 stores that would be cut if a planned merger of grocery giants Albertsons and Kroger goes through.

Renée JeanJuly 10, 2024

The white tower in this photo is part of a batch plant that was to make concrete on site for a posh, 250,000-square-foot resort planned by Joe Ricketts.

Billionaire Ricketts Pulls Plug On Controversial Wyoming Mega-Resort

Billionaire Joe Ricketts is canceling the posh and controversial 230,000-square-foot mega-resort he’d planned for Bondurant, Wyoming. Locals fear that may not be the end of efforts to make the area into “Little Jackson Hole.”

Renée JeanJuly 10, 2024

AJ's Discount Liquor at 295 Washington St. in Afton, Wyoming.

Afton Liquor Store Sells $1.5 Million Lottery Ticket

Check your WyoLotto tickets, because someone who bought one at AJ’s Discount Liquor in Afton on Monday is nearly $1.5 million richer. It’s the second winning Cowboy Draw ticket the business has sold since May 2023.

Renée JeanJuly 09, 2024

The "castle" at Guernsey State Park in Wyoming.

Guernsey State Park’s Castle Could Be Most Over-The-Top Picnic Shelter In U.S.

It’s not every day one goes to a state park just for its architecture, but Guernsey State Park is a little bit different. It’s a very large and complex picnic shelter that looks so much like a castle, that’s what everyone calls it.

Renée JeanJuly 07, 2024

Sitti's Table in Cody, Wyoming, was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and is expanding in Cody.

Eating Wyoming: Sitti’s Table, A Guy Fieri Favorite In Cody, Is Getting Bigger

Sitti’s Table, featured last year on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is expanding. Not only that, the owners are working on a full-service restaurant on Cody’s main street.

Renée JeanJuly 07, 2024

George Zeimans talks about the layers of time archaeologists are exploring at the Sunrise Paleoindian site, where Wyoming's oldest artifacts have been found.

Archaeological Dig Uncovering 14,000-Year-Old Secrets At Wyoming’s Sunrise Site

Archaeologists are nearing the bottom of their current dig site at Sunrise, Wyoming, a former company mining town turned spectacular Paleoindian archaeological site. Some of the oldest Paleoindian artifacts on the continent -- dating back 14,000 years -- have been found here.

Renée JeanJuly 07, 2024

Wyoming History: Gebo Was Built By A Mining Boom, Now It’s A Ghost Town

As a booming coal mining community, Gebo exploded into the biggest town in the Bighorn Basin. It saw people from 16 nations settle there, but Gebo couldn’t survive the bust that came after its boom. Now it’s a ghost town.

Renée JeanJuly 07, 2024

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Vintages paired food and wine dinners are typically small, intimate affairs that sell out quickly.

Drinking Wyoming: At Vintages, Italian Master Vintner Customizes Wine To Taste

Vintages, in Cheyenne, doesn’t sell wine by the bottle or glass. Instead, an Italian master vintner creates bespoke wines by the case for customers. The bottles don’t cost an arm and a leg either. They’re around $15 a bottle.

Renée JeanJuly 06, 2024

In the early days of Cheyenne, Rollins House was a destination as a proper hotel in what was mostly a tent city.

Before The Hitching Post, The Rollins House Was Wyoming's Unofficial 2nd Capitol

Before the Hitching Post became Cheyenne’s unofficial second state capitol — where most legislators would hobnob over drinks and dinner, sometimes working out their differences at all hours — there was the Rollins House on present-day 16th Street.

Renée JeanJuly 06, 2024

The Irma Hotel in downtown Cody, Wyoming, has been a bucket-list spot for more than 120 years.

Traveling Wyoming: Western Spirit Is Still Alive At Cody’s Legendary Irma Hotel

When Buffalo Bill Cody built the Irma Hotel in 1902, it was considered the grandest of accommodations in the Rockies, and it filled up immediately with those seeking adventure in the wild American West. Today, it is still full of people seeking out Western adventure...

Renée JeanJuly 06, 2024

Anchor Dam is having a good flow this year. But the water will soon disappear. The dam is just barely visible in the far left corner.

Anchor Dam: After A Decade And Millions Spent, It Literally Never Held Water

When it was conceived in the 1950s, Anchor Dam in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin was going to be an oasis. But a decade of building and millions of dollars later, the project was plagued with so many flaws it was abandoned. Also, it literally never held water.

Renée JeanJuly 06, 2024

Custodia and Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 6 21 23

In Brief: Heavy Hitters File Briefs In Custodia Bank’s Precedent-Setting Fight With Feds

The former solicitors general for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have filed briefs that could help Wyoming-based Custodia Bank in its potentially precedent-setting appeal of the Federal Reserve’s denial of a master account.

Renée JeanJuly 05, 2024

Military vehicles of all kinds — 30 different ones in all — are the star of the Dubois Fourth of July parade, drawing people from all over.

With 30 Tanks And Military Vehicles, Dubois 4th Of July Is An American Classic

Dubois is one of the only towns in America that can field 30 military tanks and vehicles in its Fourth of July Parade. That's because Dubois is home to the world's largest private collection of fully restored military vehicles.

Renée JeanJuly 05, 2024

The Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo in Casper.

Weekend In Wyoming: Central Wyoming Fair, Gold Rush Days, And More

The Central Wyoming Fair is back with its outrageous poultry costume contest, carnival and monster truck rides. Or pan for gold at Gold Rush Days in South Pass City. Or celebrate all things western at Laramie Jubilee Days....

Renée JeanJuly 04, 2024

In Brief: Cheyenne Frontier Days Bags Bucking Horse Roundup

A Cheyenne Frontier Days tradition has bitten the dust. The bucking horse roundup, which had replaced the cattle drive as the unofficial start to CFD, has been abruptly cancelled -- despite being on the official schedule for 2024.

Renée JeanJuly 03, 2024

Origin Of Famous Baby-Switching Prank In ‘The Virginian’ May Be Unraveled — Again

Many Wyoming communities have claimed they inspired the baby-switching prank pulled by The Virginian in Owen Wister’s famous novel of the same name. A historian, however, says the location really is Thermopolis.

Renée JeanJune 30, 2024

The iconic Horseshoe Bend Motel sign in Lovell, Wyoming, is going to get a facelift.

Lovell’s Horseshoe Bend Motel Neon Sign To Get Restored From American Express

The iconic sign at the Horseshoe Bend Model in Lovell was immortalized at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York back in 1973. Now, thanks to a grant from American Express, the sign will get professionally restored.

Renée JeanJune 30, 2024

Ten Sleep Brewery is right up against the colorful Signal Cliff in an unpretentious barn.

Drinking Wyoming: Speed Goat Put Ten Sleep Brewing Co. On The Map

The stunning backdrop at Ten Sleep Brewing Co. will have you feeling like you’re sitting in a painting while drinking a cold one. It’s also the home of one of Wyoming’s most popular beers, Speed Goat.

Renée JeanJune 30, 2024

We Tried The Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) And It Was Fantastic

Many readers were repulsed when we introduced them to Huitlacoche, aka “corn smut,” two weeks ago. So we asked Wyoming celebrity chef Petrina Peart to prepare it and she proved looks can be deceiving. It was fantastic.

Renée JeanJune 29, 2024

"How 'Bout Them Cowgirls" by Buffalo artist D. Michael Thomas.

Stroke Of Luck Saves Cheyenne Frontier Days Cowgirl Sculpture From Devastating Fire

A new sculpture honoring cowgirls called “How ’Bout Them Cowgirls,” at Cheyenne Frontier Days was dedicated Friday at Frontier Park, but it almost didn’t happen. A stroke of luck saved it from a devastating fire.

Renée JeanJune 29, 2024

Big Boy 4014 will roll into Laramie at 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

This Weekend In Wyoming: Big Boy On The Rails Again And Cody Stampede

Summer really gets rolling this weekend with some premiere Wyoming events: The Cody Stampede, a huge rodeo that leads up to July 4, and Big Boy No. 4014 hitting the rails for its big summer tour.

Renée JeanJune 28, 2024

Artillery World is one of two Colorado-owned fireworks stands just north of the Wyoming-Colorado border that are open again after a judge temporarily blocked a Laramie County decision to pull their business permits.

‘Obnoxious’ Cheyenne Fireworks Business Open Again After Court Order

A court has ordered Jurassic Fireworks and Artillery World can open again after Laramie County commissioners pulled their business permits because they said they were too “obnoxious.”

Renée JeanJune 28, 2024

The legacy Wapiti View Ranch is a pristine 40 acres surrounded by the National Elk Refuge near the Grand Tetons. It recently listed for $17.9 million and was snatched up right away.

$18 Million Wyoming Legacy Ranch Surrounded By Elk Refuge Sells Immediately

The 40-acre Wapiti View Ranch in northwest Wyoming is surrounded by stunning views of the Tetons and the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge. It had barely hit the market at nearly $18 million before it was snatched up.

Renée JeanJune 26, 2024

Guy Fier, right, and his son Hunter, center, talk with chuck wagon cook Rich Herman.

Finally, The Wyoming Segments Of Guy Fieri's "All-American Road Trip” Are Airing

Guy Fieri dropped in on several spots in Cody and Buffalo as part of his "All-American Road Trip" last summer, including a "chaotic" stop at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West -- complete with lots of tequila. Those episodes have begun airing.

Renée JeanJune 24, 2024

Carole Trusheim Waters brought a special gift for the Hot Springs County Museum. It's a play station her dad built for Waters and her sister Billy Jean when they were kids growing up in Gebo. He used old shipping crates to make it, and painted it a cheery yellow. It was a way to make do, Waters said, and making do was a way of life for the people who once lived in the coal mining town.

Growing Up In Gebo: Resident Recalls Ghost Town From Nearly 90 Years Ago

Carol Trusheim Waters came back for the 70th annual History Trek at the ghost town of Gebo, Wyoming, over the weekend. She recalled going to first grade there nearly 90 years ago and being told she had to learn English in three months (which she did).

Renée JeanJune 24, 2024

Clay Gibbons talks to a tour group he's taking to the Hole in the Wall.

The Wyoming Historian Who Unraveled The Mysteries Of 115-Year-Old Spring Creek Raid

Finding the exact locations of the Spring Creek Raid near Ten Sleep and filling out the rest of the story took a lifetime of detective work by Wyoming historian Clay Gibbons, as well as a little bit of what he believes was divine intervention.

Renée JeanJune 23, 2024

Wyoming's own Ian Munsick sold out Red Rocks for a June 6 performance, checking off a bucket-list item for the Sheridan Country-Western star.

After Playing Red Rocks, Ian Munsick Says Ultimate Dream Is Cheyenne Frontier Days

After selling out Red Rocks earlier this month, rising Wyoming country music star Ian Munsick says his ultimate dream is to headline Cheyenne Frontier Days. "That's where my heart will always be," he said.

Renée JeanJune 23, 2024

Bin22 in Jackson Wyoming is an affordable, European wine and tapas bar experience. The unique thing about them is they sell bottles of wine at retail prices that can be enjoyed with your dinner.

Drinking Wyoming: Bin22 An Affordable Wine And Tapas Bar In Jackson

Bin22, a wine and tapas bar in Jackson, has more than 2,000 bottles of wine from all over the globe which they pair with the kitchen's small, sharable plates. And they're sold at retail prices with no restaurant markup or corkage fees.

Renée JeanJune 22, 2024

William Stocks, front, holds mountain man Jim Baker's sword up, demonstrating where it might be placed at the Little Snake River Museum, while LSR Museum board member Jim Roberts and LSR Museum Director Lela Emmons look on. Stocks has donated the sword to the museum, where it will join other Baker items on display.

Famous Wyoming Mountain Man Jim Baker’s Sword Found, Donated To Museum

William Stocks of Dixon inherited mountain man Jim Baker’s sword from his father, whose grandmother was given it by Baker himself. Last Monday, Stocks donated it to the Little Snake River Museum and now everyone can see it.

Renée JeanJune 22, 2024

Wyoming Photographer Snaps Nearly Perfect Image Of State Logo

Wyoming photographer Michael Magill spent years chasing a perfect photo that shows off the spirit of Wyoming. He captured a nearly identical image of the state logo last weekend at a rodeo in Chugwater.

Renée JeanJune 22, 2024

Clay Gibbons watches a music video by Kiesza at his ranch between Worland and Thermopolis. The video includes a poem he wrote in college for a classroom assignment. He was 23 when he wrote the poem.

Pop Star Kiesza Came To Wyoming To Dig Fossils And Discovered A Cowboy Poet

“The Mysterious Disappearance of Etta Place,” a new single from Canadian pop star Kiesza, is not only about Wyoming, its music video was filmed here and features a poem by Worland's cowboy historian Clay Gibbons.

Renée JeanJune 22, 2024

A horse and buggy brings guests in to the Esterbrook Church. Cars are parked a distance away, to leave room for those arriving the old fashioned way.

Once A Year, It’s Bring-Your-Horse-To Church Sunday In Esterbrook, Wyoming

This past Sunday, the townspeople of Esterbrook, Wyoming, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the "bring-your horse-to-church" event to celebrate Father's Day. They call it "Buckboard Sunday" and it has become quite the community affair.

Renée JeanJune 17, 2024

Sit down among the goats and you quickly become part of their idea of goat yoga, as Kristi Walk finds out.

Cheyenne Kids Go Wild Getting Their Own Urban Goats To Play With

Javier Garcia was riding his bike near Sun Valley Park in Cheyenne when he happened to see something unusual going on. Someone was unloading a bunch of goats and they were being handed off to random people.

Renée JeanJune 16, 2024

After 32 years as one of the anchor architects behind the growth of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, CFO Matt McCreedy is retiring June 30.

Anchor Architect Of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Retires After 32 Years

For nearly four decades, Jackson Hole’s highest elevation chairlift has been a superstar. Its fans have their own names for it like Space Mountain, Sublette or The Quad. Few of those fans, however, know the name of the man behind the scenes who made it happen.

Renée JeanJune 16, 2024

The Crystal Castle 23 miles west of Cheyenne near Crystal Lake was built in the 1960s by a man named Harry Widholm, who used 30,000 glass embalming fluid bottles to create a lake cabin — his castle away from home.

Wyoming’s ‘Crystal Castle’ Is Made From 30,000 Glass Embalming Fluid Bottles

Wyoming’s “Crystal Castle” is 23 miles west of Cheyenne and about 2 miles from Crystal Lake Reservoir in Curt Gowdy State Park. The vacation cabin was made from 30,000 embalming fluid bottles in the 1960s.

Renée JeanJune 16, 2024

Food Sunday: Huitlacoche Isn’t Popular In Wyoming, But Worth Trying (If You Can Find It)

Granted, huitlacoche may look horrible. After all, it's a fungus that grows on corn. It's also known as Mexican truffles, corn mushrooms or “corn smut.” Wyoming chef Petrina Peart says the $50 per pound delicacy is hard to get but fun to try.

Renée JeanJune 16, 2024

Drinking Wyoming: Pine Bluffs Distillery’s Coming-Of-Age Whiskey And Spirits

Pine Bluffs Distillery is Chad Brown’s American dream, creating his own unique whiskey and spirits in a town with more elevation than people. It’s an all-around Wyoming coming-of-age story.

Renée JeanJune 15, 2024

Traffic is heavy in Alpine, Wyoming, on Wednesday morning with people commuting from Idaho to Jackson for work. This photo was taken at about 8:30 a.m. heading north on Highway 89.

Wyoming-Idaho Commuters Say Teton Pass Detour Is Brutal

Commuters who live in Idaho and work in Jackson report the four-hour — or longer — round-trip detour after Saturday’s collapse of Highway 22 on Teton Pass is brutal.

Renée JeanJune 12, 2024

A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday saw a huge section wash down the mountain. A long closure of the “lifeline” between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected.

"We're Still Open!" Businesses Concerned Over Impression Jackson Closed

The Wyoming Office of Tourism and the Town of Jackson are fighting the mistaken impression that the collapse of Highway 22 over Teton Pass means the whole area is closed to tourists. Millions of dollars in tourism revenue are at stake.

Renée JeanJune 11, 2024

Work is going quickly at the S curve that failed on Teton Pass over the weekend.

Teton Pass Collapse Also ‘Catastrophic’ For Jackson’s Out-Of-Town Workforce

The collapse of Highway 22 over Teton Pass has not only cut off a lifeline between Idaho and Wyoming, it’s also severed the main way to and from work for a huge segment of Jackson’s out-of-town workforce.

Renée JeanJune 10, 2024

Rusty Parrot, Jackson Boutique Luxury Retreat Destroyed In Fire, To Reopen July 1

A giant, 4-foot-tall rusty parrot folk art piece inspired the name of one of Jackson’s first boutique luxury hotels. It burned down in 2019, but has been rebuilt and will reopen July 1.

Renée JeanJune 10, 2024

Eastern Wyoming College welding student Dayton Tillman can expect to earn six figures when he graduates because he has a highly coveted skill in a profession that has a huge shortage of people.

Huge Shortage Of Workers Makes Welding A Lucrative Profession In Wyoming

Thanks to a huge shortage of welders, those skilled in the profession in Wyoming can make six figures right out of school. Underwater welders, meanwhile, can make more than $300,000 a year.

Renée JeanJune 09, 2024

Steam flies at a busy Kemo Sabe store in Jackson, where workers are putting the right shape on hats for waiting customers.

Cowboy Fashion Is Hip Again And People Will Spend Big Money To Look The Part

TV shows like Yellowstone and Longmire and stars like Beyonce have helped to make cowboy fashion popular again. That's good for Wyoming stores as tourists are spending big money on hats, art and all things western.

Renée JeanJune 09, 2024