🚧 Business & Tourism | Cowboy State Daily

A Natrona County Board of Commission hearing on a solar farm and battery storage project drew a crowd of residents in opposition Tuesday night.

Casper-Area Solar Farm Killed After Dozens Of Residents Speak Out Against It

Natrona County commissioners on Tuesday voted 3-2 against a 2,000-acre solar farm proposal on private ranch land 30 miles west of Casper. Dozens of area residents spoke out against it during a 7 1/2 hour meeting that ended around midnight.

Dale KillingbeckFebruary 05, 2025

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman talks with students at Wind River Job Corps in Riverton, Wyoming.

Learning Trades Isn’t Just Landing Wyoming Youth Good Jobs, It’s Saving Lives

The teens and young adults in the Wind River Job Corps in Riverton usually get there out of desperation. But the trades there can lead to great-paying jobs. Plus, it's the only job corps in America that offers training for petroleum technicians.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 02, 2025

A driver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, uses the large internet-connected system on his Tesla Cybertruck in this file photo.

Like With Smartphones And Tablets, There Are Many Ways Your Car Spies On You

Your smartphone, tablet and other devices are spying on us. Your car does the same thing. You may want to read the user agreement. Nissan, for example, includes things like: “sexual activity, health diagnosis data and genetic information."

Aaron TurpenFebruary 02, 2025

Casper Doctor Now Official Orthopedic Partner, Provider For Pro Motocross Racing

Dr. Joe McGinley has climbed the tallest mountains on six of seven continents and invents medical devices. But before that, he had a passion for motocross, giving it up for medical school. Now the Casper doctor is back as the official orthopedic partner and provider for Pro Motocross racing.

Renée JeanFebruary 02, 2025

Students in the Manufacturing Industrial and Technology Department at Western Wyoming Community College.

Nuclear Power Tech Poised To Explode As Wyoming’s Next Six-Figure “It” Job

The wages for nuclear power techs are expected to range into the six figures, and it’s a good thing because Wyoming will soon need hundreds of these techs. Western Wyoming Community College is training people for this emerging career.

Renée JeanFebruary 01, 2025

The Lou Taubert sign really stands out at night when its neon in in its full glory.

Race On To Save Lou Taubert Neon Sign, Last Remnant Of Casper’s “Little Las Vegas”

The Lou Taubert neon sign that towers over Center Street in Casper, Wyoming, is in desperate need of repair. It’s the last remnant of Casper's historic street of neon that earned it the nickname “Little Las Vegas.”

Jackie DorothyFebruary 01, 2025

Governors, Famous Author Fans Of 2025 BIG WYO Winner Diane Shober

Diane Shober is 2025’s BIG WYO winner after 21 years as the Wyoming Office of Tourism director. That had a long line of people, including governors and New York Times best-selling author C.J. Box saluting her drive to promote Wyoming.

Renée JeanJanuary 29, 2025

Along the Interstate 90 corridor to and fron Sturgis, South Dakota, Devils Tower is a busy place during the annual motorcycle rally.

Even At Nearly $5B A Year, Wyoming Tourism Not Close To Potential, Industry Says

At nearly $5 billion a year, tourism is Wyoming’s second-leading economic driver. Even so, the state’s tourism industry says it’s just scratching the surface of Cowboy State tourism’s true potential.

Renée JeanJanuary 29, 2025

The Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition is introduced in the state Senate on Monday, where all four balconies were stacked with people representing Wyoming's tourism industry.

Tourism Industry Is Gearing Up To Take On A New Legislature

With 28 lawmakers who are either new or in new roles, tourism is gearing up for a charm offensive. It started with a show of force at the Capitol on Monday, but the lobbying effort is going to continue throughout the year.

Renée JeanJanuary 28, 2025

Bowling is making a comeback in a big way thanks to a high-tech video game-style makeover.

Can Bowling Become Cool Again? Cheyenne's Derby Lane Says "Absolutely."

Bowling has been in a decline since the ‘80s, but a high-tech video-game approach is changing that. The new style is what the recently opened Derby Lanes in Cheyenne is all about.

Renée JeanJanuary 26, 2025

The newly re-opened Isdell Mercantile Co. in Pony, Montana.

Arrival Of 2 New Businesses Means There’s More Than A Bar In Tiny Pony, Montana

The remote former mining town of Pony, Montana, went bust more than 100 years ago. But the recent arrival of two new businesses downtown, this picturesque outpost at the foot of the Tobacco Root Mountains is experiencing a new kind of boom.

David MadisonJanuary 25, 2025

It takes some next-level marketing and effort to sell exclusive multimillion-dollar Jackson Hole properties to billionaires.

How To Sell Jackson Hole Real Estate To Billionaires

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to sell exclusive multimillion-dollar Jackson Hole properties to billionaires, Latham Jenkins can tell you. It’s next-level effort that goes far beyond just walking potential buyers through a building.

Renée JeanJanuary 25, 2025

David Lynch was a Hollywood legend with scores of credits to his name. So how did a small Montana stationary story land Lynch to voice over a TV ad — for free — that aired during the Super Bowl?

How A Small Montana Business Landed A Free Super Bowl Ad With A Hollywood Legend

Filmmaker David Lynch, who died last week, was a Hollywood legend. One of his last projects landed close to his hometown. For no charge, he was the voice behind a commercial for a small Montana stationary store that aired during last year's Super Bowl.

Anna-Louise JacksonJanuary 25, 2025

Chef Zoilan Ruiz is a huge reason why Le Reve Restaurant and Raw Bar in Sheridan, Wyoming, has been named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award for best new restaurant.

Sheridan’s Le Reve Makes Exclusive James Beard List Of Best New Restaurants

What happens when you hire filmmaker George Lucas' chef for your brand new restaurant? You get noticed. After just four months in operation, Le Reve Restaurant and Raw Bar in Sheridan has made the exclusive list of James Beard Award semifinalists for best new restaurant in the nation.

Renée JeanJanuary 25, 2025

Guns for Christmas owner of Frontier Arms IMG 1905 12 23 copy

Wyoming Shooters Say They Don’t Support Eliminating Sales Tax On Guns, Ammo

A proposal to eliminate sales tax on guns and ammo in Wyoming is a nice gesture, some sportsmen say, but cutting taxes across the board would be better.

Mark HeinzJanuary 25, 2025

Danny and Sean Higgins said they will continue to network with filmmakers and lobby lawmakers in Helena, Montana, in 2025, hoping to pass the kind of tax incentive legislation that failed in Wyoming in 2023.

Wyoming Filmmakers Join Campaign To Increase Montana Production Tax Incentives

After failing to convince Wyoming lawmakers to enact tax incentives for filmmakers, two brothers from Sheridan are taking their plans to build a production studio to Montana.

David MadisonJanuary 22, 2025

A line of people wait at the Cheyenne Post Office while other customers access their P.O. boxes in the background.

End Of USPS-UPS Deal Could Mean Faster Rural Delivery, But More Expensive

Rural packages are likely to get to where they’re going faster now that contract negotiations between the U.S. Postal Service and UPS have fallen apart for last-mile service. But it’s also likely to be more expensive.

Renée JeanJanuary 21, 2025

Historic One-Of-A-Kind Property For Sale Near Sunrise Once Home To Early Pioneer

A five-bedroom house near the abandoned company mining town of Sunrise, Wyoming, in the Hartville area is chock-full of history — and for sale, listing for $809,000. It was home to an early pioneer, and the sale includes the Guernsey Cabin.

Renée JeanJanuary 20, 2025

The historic Johnson’s Corner restaurant about an hour south of Cheyenne is closed for a refresh and rebranding. It won’t be Johnson’s Corner anymore, but the cinnamon rolls that made it famous will still be on the menu.

Iconic Johnson’s Corner Along I-25 Closed, To Become Chain Restaurant

The iconic Johnson’s Corner restaurant about an hour south of Cheyenne is closed for a refresh and rebranding. It won’t be Johnson’s Corner anymore, but the cinnamon rolls that made it famous will still be on the menu.

Anna-Louise JacksonJanuary 19, 2025

A starter castle designed to mimic the luxurious Amangani resort next door is turning heads, even in swanky Jackson Hole. The “Petite Aman” can be yours for a cool $18 million.

Even In Jackson Hole, Listing For $18M “Petite Aman” Estate Is Turning Heads

A starter mansion designed to mimic the luxurious Amangani resort next door is turning heads, even in swanky Jackson Hole. The “Petite Aman” can be yours for a cool $18 million.

Jake NicholsJanuary 19, 2025

First United Methodist Church in Casper, Wyoming.

Service Project On MLK Day Seeks Hygiene Items, Winter Clothing For Homeless

A Casper service project sponsored by ServeWyoming for Martin Luther King Jr. Day needs hygiene items and winter clothing for the homeless. A project to bag the items for distribution is planned for noon Monday at First United Methodist Church.

January 19, 2025

The bartender at Le Reve Restaurant and Raw Bar adjusts the flow of water from an ornate fountain, part of the ritual involved in serving a glass of absinthe.

Drinking Wyoming: Absinthe, Spirit Of Murder And Madness, Is Back In Wyoming

Absinthe was illegal for nearly a century, branded by the wine industry as a spirit of murder and madness. But it’s making a comeback, and a handful of Wyoming venues serve this once-forbidden liquor.

Renée JeanJanuary 18, 2025

More Funerals Include Casket Branding, The Most Cowboy Way To Say Goodbye

A growing trend in Western funerals is for family and loved ones to put hot cattle brands to wooden caskets. It’s the most cowboy way for ranching families and others in the West to say goodbye.

Andrew RossiJanuary 18, 2025

Fire air operations drop fire retardant on flames from the Palisades Fire along Mandeville Canyon in the Brentwood community of Los Angeles, Calif.

Why California Wildfires Could Spike Already-High Wyoming Insurance Rates

The wildfires devastating residential areas of Southern California aren’t only going to impact those homeowners. Wyoming residents also can expect to see a spike in their already-high insurance rates.