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
Another Craig Johnson Mystery — What The Heck Are These Obscure Utensils?
Wyoming New York Times best-selling author Craig Johnson has another mystery — what the heck are these obscure and weird-looking utensils in his mother-in-law’s collection? He shares one a week on Facebook and asks followers to ID them.
Renée JeanMarch 09, 2025
Illegal Dumps Cropping Up All Over In Some Of Wyoming’s Most Remote Places
Four drums of jet fuel found tucked away inside a crack in a rock face near Jeffrey City will cost taxpayers more than $35,000 to clean up. It's not an isolated case. Discarded cars, boats, appliances, and other junk are getting littered in remote places across the state.
Renée JeanMarch 09, 2025
Chad Madsen Of Afton Owns Wyoming's Largest Horse Herd — And Knows Them All By Name
Chad Madsen runs a herd of 2,500 horses, the largest in Wyoming, on ranches in Pavilion and Afton. The horses end up at outfitters and dude ranches across the state as rentals for tourists and hunters. And Madsen says he knows them all by name.
Renée JeanMarch 08, 2025
No Exaggeration: Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Is Tropical Oasis In Middle Of Winter
Although it sounds like hyperbole, the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens really is a tropical oasis. There are lychee trees and mango, pineapple and banana, papaya, sugar cane, coffee, and cacao trees. They come from all over the world.
Renée JeanMarch 08, 2025
Uranium Energy Corp. Produces Its First Batch Of Wyoming Yellowcake Uranium
Uranium Energy Corp. has hit a milestone, producing its first batch of Wyoming yellowcake uranium. It’s a huge step for the company as it ramps up to 8.1 million pounds of production capacity in the Cowboy State.
Renée JeanMarch 08, 2025
Wyoming Author C.J. Box’s New Novel Is No. 1 On New York Times Bestsellers List
“Battle Mountain,” the latest novel in Wyoming author C.J. Box’s popular Joe Pickett series, debuts as No. 1 on The New York Times bestsellers list.
Renée JeanMarch 07, 2025
Night Show Lineup: Wyoming’s Ian Munsick To Headline At Cheyenne Frontier Days
Sheridan’s Ian Munsick will be the first Wyoming native to headline a night show at Cheyenne Frontier Days, it was announced Thursday. Chancey Williams also returns, along with country stars Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn and Travis Tritt.
Renée JeanMarch 07, 2025
Longmire Author Craig Johnson Wins Wister Award, Highest Western Writing Honor
Wyoming's Craig Johnson, author of the "Longmire" series, is the 2025 winner of the Owen Wister Award. It's the highest honor given by Western Writers of America in recognition of lifetime contributions to the genre.
Renée JeanMarch 06, 2025
Meier, Gray Believe Land Purchase In Washington Could Open Way For Coal Exports
In an effort to export Wyoming coal to the Pacific Rim, Treasurer Curt Meier and Secretary of State Chuck Gray believe purchasing land in Washington state could give Wyoming the legal standing to make it happen.
Renée JeanMarch 05, 2025
Wyoming Businesses Wait To See Impact Of Tariffs, Going Into Effect Tuesday
President Trump on Monday said there’s no more delaying 25% tariffs that will go into effect on Canada and Mexico on Tuesday. That’s expected to impact Wyoming, which does more business with Canada than any other foreign country.
Renée JeanMarch 04, 2025
Two Wyoming Trona Mines Bought For $1.4B To Create World’s Largest Producer
London-based WE Soda has bought Genesis Alkali’s two trona mines in southwest Wyoming for $1.4 billion. It makes WE Soda the No. 1 producer of natural trona in the world.
Renée JeanMarch 03, 2025
The Woman Behind The Gigantic Sand Sculptures At Glendo
A Casper woman’s addiction to building intricate sand sculptures takes her all over America. But she practices in her home state at Glendo, where she built a 6-foot-tall cowboy boot (which is still standing). She says Wyoming sand is the best.
Renée JeanMarch 02, 2025
Drinking Wyoming: Frosty’s, A True Casper Dive Bar Proudly Serving Horrible Liquor
Frosty’s in Casper, is a typical dive bar in many ways — and proud to serve one of the most terrible tasting liquors. It’s one of the few places outside Chicago with Jeppson’s Malort, a rite-of-passage drink people say tastes like old socks.
Renée JeanMarch 01, 2025
Cheyenne Man Builds His Dream House: Throwback Medieval English Mead Hall
Cyning Meadowcroft built his dream home in Happy Valley near Cheyenne using a near-extinct construction method called a "cruck" to build it. The former Brit built the medieval English mead hall home by himself and trucked two old-growth oak trees 2,000 miles round-trip to begin the project.
Renée JeanMarch 01, 2025
Why Wyoming’s Oil And Gas Industry Isn’t Yet “Drill Baby Drilling”
Optimism is high in Wyoming’s oil and gas sector with President Donald Trump's promise to "drill, baby, drill." But there’s also uncertainty about how more drilling will impact prices.
Renée JeanMarch 01, 2025
Trump Says US Doesn’t Need Canada’s Timber, And Wyoming’s Lumber Industry Agrees
Wyoming’s lumber industry isn’t huge, but was heartened to hear President Trump say America doesn’t need timber from Canada. The industry says it needs more than tariffs to save it — like changes to forest management.
Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2025
Trump Says US Needs To Double Or Triple ‘Electrical Capacity,’ Wyoming Says It’s Ready
President Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting Wednesday and suggested the country must double or triple its “electrical capacity.” Wyoming energy officials say they are ready to help make that happen.
Renée JeanFebruary 27, 2025
Wyoming Grows Lead In Race For Rare Earths Thanks To Bigger Haul From Huge Deposit
Wyoming Rare (USA) Inc. is reporting even better returns at its Halleck Creek rare earth mining site. That helps grow Wyoming’s lead in the race for domestic production — and processing — of critical rare earth minerals.
Renée JeanFebruary 26, 2025
Wyoming’s Oldest General Store In Aladdin Loses Its 127-Year-Old Post Office
The tiny outpost of Aladdin in northeast Wyoming is home to the state’s oldest general store, which has also served as a local post office since 1898. But no more. The Postal Service has discontinued its contract with the Aladdin General Store.
Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2025
Hageman Doesn’t Trust USPS, Wants More Protection For Rural Post Offices
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman doesn’t trust the U.S. Postal Service’s latest promise to not take away as much mail processing from the Cheyenne and Casper post offices. She’s filed a bill that would protect rural post offices.
Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2025
Bill That Attempts To Stop Mystery Drones From Flying Over Sensitive Areas Moves Forward
A bill that would attempt to stop mystery drones from flying over sensitive areas around Wyoming is nearing the finish line. Meanwhile, a state House committee heard Monday that giant SUV-sized drones are still being spotted.
Renée JeanFebruary 24, 2025