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

Eating Wyoming: The Bull Pub In Cowley, A Cowboy Joint With Michelin-Caliber Food

An English chef who once trained alongside Gordon Ramsay took a vacation 30 years ago at a guest ranch in the Pryor Mountains, and it changed the trajectory of her life. Now she’s the chef at the Bull Pub Restaurant in tiny Cowley, Wyoming.

Renée JeanJuly 23, 2023

The first JCPenny store, the company's "mother store," in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

JCPenney’s ‘Mother Store’ In Kemmerer, Wyoming, Is Still A Small-Town Boutique

The JCPenney chain was born in Kemmerer, Wyoming, as the Golden Rule Store in 1902. James Cash Penney lived in an attic above the store at the time with his first wife, Berta. Today tourists stop by to see where it all began.

Renée JeanJuly 22, 2023

A renovation and rebirth for the retro Lander Motel is nearly complete.

On The Road With Renee: Retro-Modern Makeover For Lander Motel — And New Brewery

The Lander Motel is back from the dead, and the service station next door is on track to become a brewery, continuing a trend to renovate classic motels around Wyoming.

Renée JeanJuly 22, 2023

Not only are Taco Bell and Taco John's competitors, in many locations, they're neighbors as well, like in Laramie, where they have outlets across the street from each other along Grand Avenue.

Taco Bell Says Liberation Of ‘Taco Tuesday’ Trademark A Win For ‘Taco Allies Everywhere’

Taco Bell said it’s pleased Taco John’s has “liberated” the Taco Tuesday phrase for everyone, and that it’s considering the smaller chain’s challenge to donate to a fund that benefits food service workers.

Renée JeanJuly 19, 2023

Digital Currency Ruling Could Bolster Case For Wyoming-Based American CryptoFed

Wyoming-based American CryptoFed DAO believes a recent court ruling that rejected the SEC’s contention that all cryptocurrency tokens are securities will help clear a path forward for it and other Wyoming DAOs.

Renée JeanJuly 19, 2023

No Mas: Taco John’s Gives Up ‘Taco Tuesday’ Trademark

In face of a challenge by fast-food giant Taco Bell, Wyoming-based Taco John’s said Tuesday it’s giving up its 34-year trademark on the phrase “Taco Tuesday.”

Renée JeanJuly 18, 2023

Social media star and Casper business owner Jeffree Star posted a viral Instagram video raving about the yak ramen bowl at Tacos Mexico in Casper, which uses yak meat from his Wyoming ranch.

Serving Jeffree Star’s Yak Meat Putting Casper Taco Shop On The Culinary Map

Creating new and exciting food with Jeffree Star’s Wyoming yak meat has put Tacos Mexico on the culinary map, another step in an American dream that’s been unfolding for 25 years in Casper.

Renée JeanJuly 17, 2023

On The Road With Renee: Mystery Tunnel At South Pass City Is A Cool Trip Back In Time

Uncovering the English Tunnel at South Pass City was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Glen Hester and the other researchers who found it. Now tourists get to experience it just as it was when it was discovered in the gold-mining town.

Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023

George Korhel dressed in buckskin clothing he made himself stands in front of his camp during the recent Green River Rendezvous.

Cowboy State People: For George Korhel of Buffalo, Wyoming, Mountain Man Life Is In His DNA

If you ask the U.S. Post Office, George Korhel’s officially lives in Buffalo, Wyoming. But most of the time, he’s living his dream as a mountain man, a legacy lifestyle that’s in his DNA.

Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023

Tim Tanner from the west side of the Tetons portrays Edward Robinson, one of three Kentuckians who came out West. The other two were Jacob Reznor and John Hoback at the annual Green River Rendezvous.

Before There Were Cowboys, Mountain Men Explored Wyoming And The West

The annual Green River Rendezvous is a celebration all things mountain man, a celebration of the hardy, independent souls who explored Wyoming before there were cowboys.

Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023

Laramie County Commissioners Surprised By F.E. Warren Annexation Discussion

Commissioner Gunnar Malm told Cowboy State Daily they didn’t get a heads-up from Cheyenne about a recent resolution that directs city staff to review whether Cheyenne can annex the military base to its west.

Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023

Children and adults gathered by the sides of Willow Creek during Gold Rush Days at South Pass City to try their hand at panning for gold.

Pan Your Own Gold In South Pass City, A Throwback Wyoming Boom Town

After the discovery of gold in the area, South Pass City sprang up overnight in an area of Wyoming that had been nothing more than dusty sagebrush and wind. Now, it's a great tourist destination.

Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023

Other Authors

The line to shop in the first Jeffree Star store in the nation zigzagged a couple of times in front of the new store in Casper, then extended out onto South David Street. It wrapped around Midwest Avenue before turning up half of Ash Street. At least 1,000 were in the line mid-morning, and more kept coming throughout the day.

Line Wraps Around The Block For Grand Opening Of Jeffree Star’s Yak Meat And Cosmetics Store

A line wrapped around an entire city block in Casper in front of the Jeffree Star Store on Friday. At least 1,000 people waited to shop for yak meat, cosmetics and meet the social media personality.

Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023

Cheyenne Considers Options To Annex F.E. Warren Air Force Base Into City

F.E. Warren Air Force Base has been like a great wall to the west blocking Cheyenne’s growth, city officials say. That could change soon if the city decides to annex the military base into the city.

Renée JeanJuly 12, 2023

Wyoming’s Josh Kirk To Opt Out Of History Channel’s ‘Mountain Men,’ Working On New Show

Modern-day mountain man Josh Kirk told Cowboy State Daily he’s opting out of another season of the popular “Mountain Men” History Channel show to focus on a new show. “I’ve got my own show that’s going to be coming out,” Kirk said.

Renée JeanJuly 11, 2023

Lovell is what visitors wanting a Wyoming experience are looking for.

What Lovell, Wyoming Is Doing To Increase Tourism

The town of Lovell is seeing big gains in tourism numbers, according to the local chamber. That's because they are better promoting the Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon, 55 miles of fishing and recreation in Big Horn Lake, wild horses, waterfall hikes and new restaurants and much-improved lodging.

Renée JeanJuly 10, 2023

Wyoming Places: Tourists Can Get Up Close With Fossils At Fossil Butte National Monument

At the Fossil Butte National Monument, the fossils are so abundant that almost every layer turns up something, and the bones are still largely intact. That makes Kemmerer’s fossil lake beds a resource that’s unparalleled in the world

Renée JeanJuly 09, 2023

Josh Kirk on his ranch in Fremont County, Wyoming. He's being featured on History Channel's "Mountain Men" series.

History Channel's Josh Kirk Is A Modern-Day Wyoming Mountain Man

The life Josh Kirk lives isn’t part of a social media trend, designed to look good for a camera — though cameras follow him around on the ranch for the History Channel’s Mountain Men series. None of it is a made-for-TV movie. It’s just his life. His regular, every-day life.

Renée JeanJuly 09, 2023

A statue of James Cash Penney, who founded JCPenney, stands in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Wyoming People: James Cash Penney (J.C. Penney) Is A Rags-To-Riches Story

Kemmerer children grow up learning all about the American dream thanks to James Cash Penney, whose rags-to-riches story offers life lessons still relevant today.

Renée JeanJuly 08, 2023

Kurt Matthew Wheeler gives Kyle Swander his usual haircut at Kurt's Cuts in Lovell.

Wyoming Places: Kurt’s Cuts In Lovell, Wyoming's Oldest Barbershop, Is A Throwback In Time

Machine Gun Kelly and Pretty Boy Floyd, gangsters from the 1930s Prohibition era, were customers of Kurt's Cuts in Lovell, the oldest continuously-operating barbershop in Wyoming. The current owner says he operates the shop like it would have been 100 years ago.

Renée JeanJuly 08, 2023

Landon's Greenhouse in Sheridan is the place to be for green thumbs in Wyoming and from around the region.

Landon’s Greenhouse In Sheridan Is A Magnet For Serious Wyoming Gardeners

Gardeners drive hours to get to Landon’s Greenhouse in Sheridan -- more than 30,000 square feet of space, all devoted to hundreds of thousands of plants. It is a sea of emerald green, splashed with colorful blooms nodding here and there.

Renée JeanJuly 08, 2023

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