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

Jackson Real Estate Continues To Set Records, Median Home Price Now $5.2 Million

Although Jackson Hole real estate watchers are getting excited that the market in Teton County, the nation’s wealthiest, may be cooling, it's not happening. Single-family home prices have hit a new record -- now at $5.2 million.

Renée JeanNovember 15, 2023

The Wyoming Public Service Commission hears testimony from Brad Mullins, an expert for Wyoming Industrial Energy Consumers, about Rocky Mountain Power's proposed rate increases that come to nearly 30%.

7 Days, 400 Exhibits And 8,000 Comments: What Now For 30% RMP Rate Hike?

The Wyoming Public Service Commission is weeding through 400 exhibits, seven days of testimony and 8,000-some comments from an irate public on Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed 30% rate hike.

Renée JeanNovember 15, 2023

Soaring Coal Prices A Big Part Of Rocky Mountain Power’s 30% Rate Hike

Rocky Mountain Power officials say dramatic price swings for fuel have driven its request for 30% rate hike. That includes coal, which has traditionally been a bedrock for cheaper energy prices.

Renée JeanNovember 14, 2023

Members of the Wyoming Public Service Commission listen to testimony about the proposed Rocky Mountain Power rate hikes in November 2023.

Companies Say RMP’s 30% Rate Increase Would Clobber Wyoming Oil And Gas

Several oil and gas companies say Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed 30% rate increase would clobber Wyoming’s oil and gas production, robbing the state and local communities of some serious tax revenues.

Renée JeanNovember 13, 2023

The motto at Steve Perkins' Conoco station in Rawlins is, just like this two-headed 1955 Cadillac, "always moving ahead." It takes two people to drive, one controlling each end.

On The Road With Renee: Rawlins Two-Headed Cadillac Turning Heads For 61 Years

A customized vintage Cadillac with two 1955 front ends has had people pulling into a Rawlins Conoco station doing double-takes for 61 years. The car requires two drivers to operate and is “always moving ahead.”

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2023

Scott "Smitty" Smith with his vintage 1948 single-engine Stinson 108.

Wyoming People: Less Is More For Smitty, One Of Jackson’s Underground Bush Pilots

Flying your own plane isn’t just for Fortune 500 CEOs. In fact, there’s an active community of Jackson underground pilots. They call themselves bush pilots and fly small aircraft that can cost as little as the average new car.

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2023

State Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, testifies to the Wyoming Public Service Commission about proposed rate increases of nearly 30% by Rocky Mountain Power.

Rocky Mountain Power Claims Astonishing 30% Rate Increase Not Due To Renewables

Rocky Mountain Power’s controversial request for a gigantic 30% rate hike isn’t driven by costs of renewables, company officials say. It’s mostly from peak demand for power. They also claim extreme weather events are to blame.

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2023

Kemmerer's Opera House is one of the town's oldest buildings. It's getting a new lease on another 100 years of life.

Local Couple Save Historic Kemmerer Opera House From Wrecking Ball

When Jacob and Jesica Lozier heard Kemmerer’s oldest building — the historic Opera House — could be sold and demolished, they bought it to realize their dream of operating a hometown mercantile with luxury loft apartments on the second floor.

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2023

Cheyenne Diner’s Wacky Signs Catch Attention And Boost Sales

The cute, funny signs at Espi’s Restaurant in Cheyenne are fun for the eatery and customers -- plus they work. The latest sign about the unfortunate events that led a chicken to strip has doubled sales of chicken strips.

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2023

Tracy Carotta explains where he got his ideas for the unique pizzas listed on his menu.

Kemmerer’s Scroungy Moose Pizza Put Out 47,000 Creative Pizzas In 21 Years

Creativity is the calling card for Scroungy Moose Pizza in Kemmerer, which has produced 47,000 unique pies over the past 21 years. The Scroungy Cousteau is a favorite which combines oysters and artichokes on a bed of pesto sauce.

Renée JeanNovember 11, 2023

Members of Worland High School's Class of 1960, aka War Babies of Worland, look at a display about the class with photos and QR codes that lead to stories of some of the class members.

Worland ‘War Babies’ Were Raised By Wyoming’s Greatest And Silent Generations

Cathy Healy, a former editor for National Geographic, was amazed at the stories her classmates were telling as the Worland Class of 1960 was planning its high school reunion. Healy convinced 20 of her classmates to participate in her “War Babies of Worland” project.

Renée JeanNovember 11, 2023

Wyoming Public Service Commission Chair Mary Throne listens to testimony on Rocky Mountain Power's proposed 30% rate hike.

Wyomingites Say They Can’t Afford Rocky Mountain Power’s 30% Rate Hike

Affordability was a recurring theme during the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s marathon hearing about Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed 30% electricity rate hike.

Renée JeanNovember 11, 2023

Other Authors

No Longer Schwan’s, Yelloh Eliminates Trademark Truck Delivery In Wyoming, West

Yelloh, which had been Schwan's up until last year, is eliminating its trademark delivery service in all but 18 states on the East Coast. That means no more yellow freezer trucks in Wyoming and the West.

Renée JeanNovember 08, 2023

Cindy Miller asks a question about the timeline for the nuclear plant in Kemmerer.

Nuclear Regulators Talk Plant Timelines, Safety At Packed Kemmerer Meeting

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission had a full house in Kemmerer on Tuesday to open public discussions about its safety review of the proposed TerraPower nuclear plant.

Renée JeanNovember 08, 2023

The view is amazing at Granite Creek Ranch. The caretakers' residence appears small beside the mountains.

Rare Jackson Wilderness Inholding Hits The Market For $9 Million

It’s not every day someone can buy a slice of their own wilderness. Especially a wilderness that comes with a cinematic icon nearby. The Granite Creek Ranch is just downstream from where an iconic scene in the 1992 movie “A River Runs Through It” was filmed.

Renée JeanNovember 06, 2023

A Natrium nuclear power plant by TerraPower will replace the Naughton power plant near Kemmerer when it's decommissioned.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission In Kemmerer on Tuesday To Discuss New Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is the federal agency charged with ensuring nuclear plants in the U.S. are safe, is coming to Kemmerer on Tuesday to explain how their particular process will unfold, as well as how the community can engage with the agency.

Renée JeanNovember 05, 2023

The National Championship Air Races are looking for a new home, and Casper is on the short list. It could mean a $100 million economic jolt for the area and Wyoming.

Landing National Championship Air Races Could Be $100M Coup For Wyoming

Casper is on the short list to land the famous National Championship Air Races after a 60-year run in Reno, Nevada. Landing the event would be a $100 million shot in the arm for the city and region.

Renée JeanNovember 05, 2023

The Atlas Theatre on Lincolnway in downtown Cheyenne.

Inside The Decades-Long Effort To Restore Cheyenne’s Iconic Atlas Theatre

The Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne is one of the capital city’s oldest buildings, but it’s been surviving by its bootstraps for decades as efforts to restore it continue on.

Renée JeanNovember 05, 2023

Costco Really Does Have Everything, Even Gold Bars — And They’re Selling Out

Costco’s recent offering of 1-ounce gold bars turned quite a few heads. The gold bars sold out within a few hours of appearing on the website — faster than toilet paper in a pandemic.

Renée JeanNovember 04, 2023

That Time Elvis Had A Drink At The Virginian Bar In Medicine Bow, Wyoming

Margaret Parr started working at The Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow when she was 11, including tending bar there before she was old enough to drink. One of her customers was a young Elvis Presley.

Renée JeanNovember 04, 2023

Rocky Mountain Power Gets Heat From Wyoming Legislature On Nearly 30% Rate Hike

In another day of marathon hearings on Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed rate hikes of nearly 30%, the company was questioned over heat its getting from the Wyoming Legislature.

Renée JeanOctober 31, 2023

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