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.
Latest from Renée Jean
Wyoming’s Only Gold Mine Gets Green Light From State
Wyoming’s only gold mine near Curt Gowdy State Park has gotten a green light from state regulators. It’s a step closer to actually pulling gold out of the ground. US Gold believes the site could hold 1 million ounces of gold.
Renée JeanNovember 20, 2024
Olympic Gold Medalist Bryan Clay Shares Playbook For Being A Champion In Life
Bryan Clay won the gold medal in decathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in China. He was in Wyoming this past week sharing his playbook for not only being a champion in athletics, but in life.
Renée JeanNovember 18, 2024
TikTok-Famous Jackson Dogsled Business Started With A Dog And A Dream
Call of the Wyld dogsled tours has become a popular destination for Jackson visitors, driven by its popular TikTok channel. Customers say her TikTok stream made them decide to book. They've since doubled the size of its operation more than once, and they own 75 sled dogs.
Renée JeanNovember 17, 2024
Food Freedom Act Saved Star Valley’s Last Remaining ‘Little Switzerland’ Dairy
Jody Shumway had grit, stubbornness and creativity. But it ultimately took the Food Freedom Act to save Star Valley’s last "Little Switzerland" dairy. Shumway Farms now sells premium products direct to consumer, saving their 5th-generation farm.
Renée JeanNovember 17, 2024
Modular Homes Could Be An Answer To Busting Wyoming’s Housing Crunch
One estimate shows Wyoming needs more than 38,000 homes. Economic developers say it's hampering efforts to attract new businesses and workforce to the state. Modular homes could be the solution if the stigma can be overcome.
Renée JeanNovember 16, 2024
Wyoming Has Lost 10,000 Mining, Oil And Gas Jobs Over Past Decade
Wyoming has lost 10,000 jobs in the natural resources and mining sector over the past decade, UW economist Anne Alexander said. Other job categories have stayed close to the same, or increased, but the mining category -- which includes oil and gas jobs — has dropped precipitously.
Renée JeanNovember 16, 2024
Carbon Storage Planned Under Wyoming’s Historic C.B. Irwin Ranch, And Others
A group of Wyoming ranchers, including the historic C.B. Irwin Ranch where Steamboat once lived, have joined forces to attract companies to store carbon dioxide emissions under their ranches. Collectively, they have 102,000 acres available.
Renée JeanNovember 13, 2024
Trump Presidency Gives Hope To Crypto Community In Wyoming
Wyoming’s digital asset laws have been praised as innovative and ground-breaking, but have faced difficulties under the Biden Administration. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to be friendlier to digital assets.
Renée JeanNovember 12, 2024
Enhanced Oil Recovery Is Coming To Wyoming To Unlock Trapped Oil and Gas
Oil and gas wells typically leave behind 85% or so of available resources. Enhanced oil and gas recovery is key to more economical wells, and several companies are eyeing field tests in Wyoming for that.
Renée JeanNovember 12, 2024
Worland’s Grant Ujifusa, Who Changed Reagan’s Mind And Was Knighted By Japan, Dies
Grant Ujifusa helped persuade President Ronald Reagan to support reparations for Japanese Americans interned at camps like Heart Mountain during World War II. Ujifusa, who grew up in Wyoming, has died and will be buried in Worland. He was 82.
Renée JeanNovember 11, 2024
Wheels Motel In Greybull Gets Modern Update For A New Generation Of Visitors
Since taking over his parents’ motel in Greybull, Chris Harwood and his wife Roxana have turned the Wheels Motel into a homey, modern stop. The young couple didn't think they would ever live in Greybull but now can't think of a better place to raise their family.
Renée JeanNovember 10, 2024
Drinking Wyoming: Sheridan’s Frackelton’s Is Back— Again — With Elevated Cocktails
Frackelton’s has struggled to find a footing in an ever-tighter market, but the Sheridan favorite appears to be well and truly back now. And its bar scene is stronger than ever with elevated cocktails.
Renée JeanNovember 10, 2024
Drinking Wyoming: The Mint Bar Has Come To Life Every Night For 117 Years
If there's one bar in the Cowboy State that says "Wyoming," it might just be The Mint. The legendary neon bucking horse and cowboy has lit up Sheridan's Main Street since 1938 and has been a fixture in the state since 1907.
Renée JeanNovember 09, 2024
Following Wyoming Example, Feds Limit Foreign Crypto Mines Near Military Bases
The U.S. Department of Treasury has moved to limit businesses like foreign-owned crypto mines near sensitive locations. The change follows the forced closure of a Chinese-owned crypto mine near F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
Renée JeanNovember 08, 2024
$9M For Mesa Solutions Expansion Could Unlock $20M Annual Impact For Casper Area
A $9 million grant from the Wyoming Business Council will allow Mesa Solutions to expand its footprint in the energy sector. It also could unlock a $20 million annual impact for the Casper area.
Renée JeanNovember 07, 2024
More Details Emerge About Blockbuster Anschutz PRB Oil And Gas Deal
Occidental Petroleum has offered more details to Cowboy State Daily about the blockbuster oil and gas deal that has Anschutz acquiring Oxy/Anadarko assets in the PPB. Occidental says it’s keeping 150,000 acres it considers “core."
Renée JeanNovember 07, 2024
Trump Signals Huge Support For Oil & Gas During Victory Speech, Wyoming Industry Leaders Thrilled
It didn’t take long for former President Donald Trump to hype up America's oil and gas industry after he won the 2024 presidential election Tuesday. Wyoming industry leaders say Trump's victory is also a win for U.S. oil and gas.
Renée JeanNovember 06, 2024
House District 10: Eklund, R, Rolls To Easy Win To Retain Seat In Legislature
John Eklund, R-Cheyenne, won reelection to his House District 10 seat Tuesday with a huge margin of nearly 2,000 votes over his challenger, Timothy Forbis.
Renée JeanNovember 06, 2024
House District 7: Republican Incumbent Bob Nicholas Cruises To Win
Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne, easily won reelection to House District 7 in Tuesday’s general election.
Renée JeanNovember 06, 2024
Blockbuster Deal Has Anschutz Getting Oxy/Anadarko Oil And Gas Interests In PRB
The Powder River Basin’s largest private oil and gas operator is getting a lot bigger. In a blockbuster deal, Anschutz has sent notices to Powder River Basin operators that it’s acquired the working interests in Oxy/Anadarko in the PRB.
Renée JeanNovember 05, 2024
Wyoming’s Crystal Castle, Made Of Embalming Fluid Bottles, Is For Sale For $325K
Vicki Launer has decided to sell Wyoming’s Crystal Castle near Crystal Lake and Curt Gowdy State Park for $325,000. The one-bedroom, one-bath home was made using embalming fluid bottles as bricks.
Renée JeanNovember 04, 2024