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

Hirsig Thrilled That Indian Relay Coming To Cheyenne Frontier Days

America’s first extreme sport has roots going back 300 to 400 years. Called Indian Relay, the sport is moving its championship to Cheyenne Frontier Days’ Park. CEO Tom Hirsig said, "You will not be disappointed in the excitement of Indian Relay races.”

Renée JeanMarch 23, 2026

Wyoming singer Ned LeDoux duets with the late Dan Seals on “God Must Be a Cowboy,” performs at Red Rocks, and makes his film debut. It's been a milestone year for the rising star, celebrating his roots and father Chris LeDoux’s legacy.

A Big Year For Ned LeDoux: Film Debut, Red Rocks, And A Duet With Dan Seals

The past year has been big for Wyoming singer Ned LeDoux including a duet with the late Dan Seals. LeDoux doesn’t know why the Seals estate chose him for the new version of “God Must Be a Cowboy,” but it’s his favorite of all Seals’ many great hits.

Renée JeanMarch 22, 2026

Banana Ball was born out of the idea of making baseball more fast-paced, entertaining, and fun.

Casper Couple Bets Big On Bringing Banana Ball To Wyoming

Casper Spuds baseball team owners are leading a creative campaign to bring an entertaining Banana Ball game to Casper by 2027. Banana Ball was pioneered by the Savannah Bananas, often called the Harlem Globetrotters of Baseball.

Renée JeanMarch 22, 2026

A VisitAfton reel plays off viral Ohio memes to draw a few laughs — and 83,000-plus viewers — to show off Afton’s small-town charm.

Social Media Strategy Of Promoting Afton In Ohio May Be Odd But They Say It Works

If you live in Ohio, you may get served a video on social media that says, "If you’re ever in Ohio, we recommend seeing Afton, Wyoming, which is only 1,629 miles away.” Although it may seem quirky, tourism officials in Afton say it's working very well.

Renée JeanMarch 22, 2026

Cheyenne railroad enthusiast Michael Pannell is rescuing remnants of the abandoned Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line in Wyoming before time and landowners have erased them for good.

Cheyenne Railroad Historian Rushing To Save Abandoned Rail Line Before It Disappears

Cheyenne railroad historian Michael Pannell is walking the defunct Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail line in Wyoming to rescue remnants of it before time and landowners have erased them for good. "It was a rural, slow, quiet little railway," he says.

Renée JeanMarch 22, 2026

Kemmerer is at a pivotal moment of change. A new nuclear plant could bring more workers to the town, but lack of housing and amenities could dilute the positive economic potential, if those workers decide to either spend most of their money or outright live in Evanston or Rock Springs instead.

As Nuclear Plant Moves Fast, Kemmerer Races Time — And Tradition — To Keep Up

The town of Kemmerer is booming before its eyes. There have been 110 workers on site this winter and TerraPower will soon be moving in hundreds more to build the actual nuclear plant. At its peak there will be 1,600 construction workers.

Renée JeanMarch 22, 2026

Metallica Scholar David Whitehead, right, got to talk to Microsoft, who he hopes to work for one day, during a Trades Day event set up for students. Metallica Scholars who are about to graduate from high school also joined the event, to speak with area employers they might work for once they've graduated.

Trade Careers: Metallica Scholarship Program Names 26 New Scholars In SE Wyoming

The heavy metal band Metallica that still fills stadiums, is also filling trade classrooms across the country, including Wyoming. 26 students in Cheyenne were given scholarships to train for trade careers and Wyoming’s growing data center boom.

Renée JeanMarch 21, 2026

A herd of bison moves across a road in Yellowstone National Park. Visitors come from around the globe to see the unique American animals.

Buffalo Vs. Bison: What Should We Call America's National Mammal?

For Western historian and best-selling author Paul Hutton, it's buffalo, not bison. Makes no difference what scientists say. “It’s such a national icon that I think it's important to use the language of the time, especially as a writer,” he says.

Renée JeanMarch 21, 2026

Fifty off-roaders will trek 350 miles from Evanston to Cheyenne this July to map Wyoming’s first official long-distance off-road trail while celebrating America’s 250th. There’s a cap of 50 vehicles, and so far 20 people have already signed up.

Off-Roaders To Ride 350 Miles From Evanston To Cheyenne For Nation’s 250th

Fifty off-roaders will ride 350 miles from Evanston to Cheyenne this July to map Wyoming’s first official long-distance off-road trail while celebrating America’s 250th. There’s a cap of 50 on the number of vehicles, and so far 20 people have already signed up.

Renée JeanMarch 21, 2026

The high security of F.E. Warren Air Force Base begins before people get to the gates.

Inside The New Nerve Center Built To Oversee The Sentinel Missile Program

F.E. Warren’s new Site Activation Task Force headquarters will oversee deployment of the Sentinel missile system. It includes a cone of secrecy, where some of America’s most top-secret discussions will happen.

Renée JeanMarch 15, 2026

Built in 1898, The Stone House near Sheridan has survived droughts, booms and busts, the Great Depression, and Prohibition. Now a historic preservation district wants to protect its stone walls and prairie views.

Sheridan Stone House Has 127-Year Wild Wyoming Legacy And Will Now Be Protected

In the height of the homestead era, families by the thousands moved Westward, gambling everything they had on grass, water and weather. Few of those homesteads remain today. One remarkable home known as The Stone House, outside of Sheridan, has survived.

Renée JeanMarch 15, 2026

At Jackson Hole camp Wilderness Adventures, kids surrender their cellphones for weeks, trading TikTok for the Tetons and Yellowstone. It’s intimidating, but also life-changing for kids who have never known a life without smartphones.

Welcome To The Wyoming Adventure Camp Where Cellphones Disappear For Weeks

All the young people know that the minute they arrive at camp, they'll give up their smartphones and live without them for the duration, whether two weeks or six. No texting or Instagram. No TikTok, no news, no email, and no midnight YouTube.

Renée JeanMarch 15, 2026

Other Authors

The Pitchfork Ranch is piloting technology that lets ranchers draw fence on a smartphone with a fingertip. The virtual fence reacts with collars the cattle wear. It’s working so well, fencing might disappear, bringing back Wyoming’s Wild West open range.

Virtual Fences And Smart Collars Could Revive Wyoming’s Wild West Era Open Range

The Pitchfork Ranch is piloting technology that lets ranchers draw fence on a smartphone. The virtual fence reacts with collars the cattle wear. It’s working so well they say, fencing could disappear and bring back Wyoming’s Wild West era open range.

Renée JeanMarch 14, 2026

Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park is increasingly crowded with tourists wanting to capture its Old West Wyoming vibe.

Wyoming Puts Up $4 Million To Keep Up With Impacts From Booming Tourism

Wyoming has launched a $4 million Outdoor Rec and Tourism Trust Fund to expand trails and amenities. The goal is to manage the impacts of a booming tourism industry while improving quality of life for residents and boosting local economies.

Renée JeanMarch 11, 2026

An Iranian blockade sent crude oil above $100 a barrel on Monday, March 9, 2026, boosting producer profits and state revenues. But Wyoming’s oil patches aren’t likely to see that spur production, and economists say the blockade will boost inflation and tank demand.

Why Spike In Oil Prices To Over $100 Is Unlikely To Spur More Drilling In Wyoming

An Iranian blockade sent crude oil above $100 a barrel on Monday, boosting producer profits and state revenues. But Wyoming’s oil patches aren’t likely to see that spur production, and economists say the blockade will boost inflation and tank demand.

Renée JeanMarch 09, 2026

Two adjacent 40-acre lots in Jackson Hole’s elite Spring Gulch area are headed to auction for $21.4 million. They're marketed mainly for their rare views and wildlife neighbors rather than the homes already on them.

Two Rare Jackson Hole Properties With Moose For Neighbors Head To Auction

Two adjacent 40-acre lots in Jackson Hole’s elite Spring Gulch area are headed to auction for $21.4 million. The view is rare and land is much-sought after as there are only 10 vacant land listings in Teton County over 35 acres.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

Data Centers, Business Parks, And Hotels Fuel Cheyenne Building Boom

With huge data centers, business parks, and hotels moving forward at what seems lightning-like speed, Cheyenne is being reshaped by a building boom. “Cheyenne has never grown like this,” City Councilman Pete Laybourn said. “It’s incredible."

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

C.J. Box pauses book signing for a moment to watch Dianne Stoutenburg as she pulls more books out of a grocery bag.

C.J. Box Bombarded By Huge Cheyenne Crowd, Including Fan Who Brought 30 Books

Wyoming author C.J. Box drew a huge crowd in Cheyenne for his new Joe Pickett book, “The Crossroads," which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list — Box’s sixth in a row. One fan brought 30 books, the most he's signed for a fan in one sitting.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

Cowboys on the range. A group of men sitting in front of a cook's tent in the late 1800s.

Dangerous, Dirty And Deadly: Real Jobs Of The Wild West

Frontier cowboys, coal miners, buffalo hunters, prostitutes, saloon keepers and lawmen did dangerous, dirty work in the frontier West. Dynamite, disease, stampedes and shootouts made death an everyday occupational hazard.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

University of Wyoming Extension students on a bug safari. Inset is a photo of a Wyoming cricket swarm that descended on Edgerton in May 2023.

Entomologists Say Wyoming’s Reputation As One Of The Least 'Buggy' States Is A Myth

Wyoming has a reputation as being one of the “least buggy” states, but entomologists say that’s just a myth. Short, dry summers may limit Wyoming’s insect diversity, but the bugs that do survive hit hard and in huge numbers.

Renée JeanMarch 07, 2026

Sheridan native Ian Munsick is teaming up with The Landmark Hotel and Casino in Deadwood, S.D., to open a Munsick-themed restaurant that will feature live performances in a cowboy bar. (Munsick portrait by Ben Christensen; The Landmark Hotel and Casino courtesy photo in Cowboy State Daily illustration)

Wyoming Country Music Star Ian Munsick Is Opening A Cowboy Bar In Deadwood

Sheridan native Ian Munsick is teaming up with The Landmark Hotel and Casino in Deadwood to open a Munsick-themed restaurant that will feature live performances. "Every time we play Deadwood, there’s always just a huge turnout from Wyoming,” he said.

Renée JeanMarch 07, 2026