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

Biden’s BLM Puts Up 159 Acres For Oil And Gas Lease Sale, Record Low For Wyoming

The 159 acres available in Wednesday’s BLM oil and gas lease sale is a record low for Wyoming. Under the Biden administration, hundreds of thousands of acres have become unavailable.

Renée JeanSeptember 23, 2024

The Divide Restaurant & Lounge in Encampment, Wyoming.

Eating Wyoming: The Divide Brings Fine Dining To Rural Encampment

Fine dining in Encampment? Yes! A high-end steakhouse called The Divide Restaurant & Lounge features the former general manager of the world-renowned Brush Creek Ranch and an executive chef who previously worked with a celebrity chef off of “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Renée JeanSeptember 22, 2024

French tourists tour the Jim Gatchell Museum in Buffalo.

French Tourists Are Discovering Wyoming And The Wild West

They’ll be learning French this winter at the TA Ranch near Buffalo. It’s preparation for an expected onslaught of French tourists. There's been a 40-50% increase in the number of French tourists this year and next year, it's expected to be much larger.

Renée JeanSeptember 21, 2024

The Lamp Lounge in Cheyenne, at 101 W. 6th St.

Drinking Wyoming: Lamp Lounge Cleans Up Its Act, But Still A Cheyenne Dive Bar

The Lamp Lounge on Cheyenne’s south side has new owners and is shedding its notorious and violent reputation. But new co-owner Michael Jordan says don't worry, it's still a dive bar.

Renée JeanSeptember 21, 2024

David Belus looks out over scorched land. Fire burnt up nearly 50,000 acres of his ranch, leaving nothing but dirt and dust devils as far as the eye can see.

“This Was A Monster Fire”: 50,000-Acre Wyoming Ranch Now A Giant Black Dustbowl

Johnson County resident David Belus is one of dozens of Wyoming ranchers devastated by wildfires that have burned more than 500,000 acres. Now he’s left to rebuild 50,000 acres that have become a giant black dustbowl.

Renée JeanSeptember 21, 2024

Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long, left, and Wyoming Banking Association President and CEO Scott Meier.

Legislators Upset Wyoming Bankers Are Against Custodia’s Fight With Fed

Wyoming legislators are upset with the Wyoming Banking Association for supporting the Federal Reserve in its fight with Wyoming-based Custodia Bank. “I mean, talk about failing to ride for the brand,” said state Sen. Chris Rothfuss.

Renée JeanSeptember 20, 2024

Wyoming Homebuyers Shocked, Pleased By Whopping Half-Percent Interest Rate Cut

Homebuyers and sellers in Wyoming were shocked and pleased with Wednesday’s whopping half-percent Federal Reserve interest rate cut. That means some great deals for prepared homebuyers, while many are still on the fence.

Renée JeanSeptember 18, 2024

The MineOne Chinese bitcoin operation ordered by President Joe Biden in early May to shut down and sell off is staging to clear out with large turcks and storage pods at the site, which is about a mile from F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

Former Chinese Crypto Mine Near Cheyenne Air Force Base Has New American Owner

A Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mining operation a mile from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne was forced to sell. Now it has a new American owner, who told legislators Monday that the company has big plans for Wyoming.

Renée JeanSeptember 18, 2024

Judge Gives Wyoming, Other States A Win Against Biden-Harris Methane Rules

A North Dakota judge has ruled for Wyoming and other states suing the BLM over its new methane rules. The Biden-Harris administration have been pushing the new rules as part of their anti-fossil fuels agenda, says Sen. John Barrasso.

Renée JeanSeptember 17, 2024

Comedian and famous gearhead Jay Leno was on the Big Boy 4014 locomotive Monday, which will be featured on his Sept. 23 episode of "Jay Leno's Garage."

Jay Leno Climbs Aboard Cheyenne’s Big Boy Locomotive For His TV Show

Big Boy No. 4014 will be featured on “Jay Leno’s Garage” show on September 23. The former “The Tonight Show” host climbed aboard Big Boy on Monday somewhere in the Missouri Valley to help drive the locomotive to Iowa.

Renée JeanSeptember 17, 2024

Judge Puts Massive 5,000-Well Wyoming Oil And Gas Project In Limbo

A massive oil and gas project that calls for up to 5,000 wells in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin is in limbo after a Friday ruling by a federal judge. The decision doesn’t affect existing drilling permits, but blocks future ones.

Renée JeanSeptember 16, 2024

Yellowstone already is a viral tourism spot in Wyoming, and inspires many other viral moments through social media scrutiny of tourists' behavoir while at the national park.

Wyoming Ripe For the Dark Side Of Tourism Success — Suddenly Viral Over-Tourism

All it takes is one 'wow-factor' moment shared by an influencer with millions of followers to flood and overwhelm an area. It already happened in Ten Sleep and it could happen to many other places in Wyoming too.

Renée JeanSeptember 16, 2024

Other Authors

Karen Hostetler, owner of Mountain Meadow Wool, looks out over the floor of a business that started as a small hobby business and grew to become the West's largest wool mill.

How Two Wyoming Women Turned A Hobby Into Largest Wool Mill In The West

Two women from Buffalo turned their hobby making wool yarn and crafts into the largest wool mill in the West. Mountain Meadow Wool processes 60,000 pounds of wool annually -- that's more than 54,000 miles of wool.

Renée JeanSeptember 15, 2024

George Clark talks about the ideas he's putting into an accessible sheep wagon that can be used by someone in a wheelchair.

Wheelchair Doesn’t Limit Buffalo Man In Making His Wyoming Sheep Wagons

George Clark is Scotch-Irish stubborn. When his dad told him he couldn’t build a sheepwagon because he was in a wheelchair, his response was watch me. Now he’s got a popular business crafting custom sheep wagons in the Bighorn Mountains.

Renée JeanSeptember 15, 2024

Eating Wyoming: How A Vietnamese Restaurant Helped Save The Dubois VFW

Everything about The V Cafe in Dubois is interesting. From how the owner's family were kidnapped on the high seas by pirates while fleeing communism to their journey to Wyoming to how their restaurant saved the local VFW from folding. Plus, they've got great food.

Renée JeanSeptember 15, 2024

Adina Sera is from Romania, where she's studying to be a food scientist. She helped in the Busy Bee Cafe at the Occidental, as well as at the Occidental Saloon and the hotel.

Buffalo’s Historic Occidental Hotel Draws Workers From All Over The World

For the past 20 years, the Occidental has hired students from around the world to work the summer tourist season at the historic hotel that’s also a certified museum. This year, they’ve come from Belarus, Albania, Thailand and Taiwan.

Renée JeanSeptember 14, 2024

The Granite Creek Ranch, which was listed for nearly $9 million in Jackson, Wyoming, has been bought by billionare Joe Ricketts.

Billionaire Ricketts Buys Granite Creek Ranch, Rare Jackson Wilderness Inholding

Billionaire Joe Ricketts has bought Granite Creek Ranch, a rare wilderness inholding in Teton County near Jackson. Local officials say there’s likely too many hurdles for him to realize his dream of “Little Jackson Hole” there.

Renée JeanSeptember 12, 2024

Big Lots Files For Chapter 11, Wyoming Will Lose At Least One Of Two Stores

The Big Lots in Cheyenne was already liquidating even before Big Lots officially announced Monday that it’s filed for bankruptcy. The Casper store is so far not listed for closure, but it’s too soon to say it’s safe.

Renée JeanSeptember 09, 2024

Cheryl Gowdy sits between two stuffed elephants, one named Curtis after her father and the other named Ophelia, representing her mother, Jerre.

Cheryl Gowdy Says 'Little House' Project Just The Beginning For Curt Gowdy State Park

Little House has had a successful two years of operation at Curt Gowdy State Park, spreading thousands of kindness wishes around. But that’s not the end of ideas Cheryl Gowdy has for her father’s namesake park.

Renée JeanSeptember 08, 2024

Andy James leans on his Pulaski in more ways than one. It's great for chopping wood or digging in the dirt. It's also a great reminder of the Big Burn in Idaho in 1910 — a cautionary tale for any firefighter who fights wildfire.

Inside The Fight To Save Brooks Lake Lodge From Fish Creek Fire

Andy James is one of nearly 450 firefighters battling the volatile Fish Creek Fire. He told Cowboy State Daily what it takes to be a firefighter on the nationally elite squad that’s helping defend Brooks Lake Lodge.

Renée JeanSeptember 08, 2024

Despite his reputation and prolific outlaw career, Butch Cassidy was only incarcerated once, from 1894-1896 in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. He had been pinched for grand larceny for horse-stealing.

Butch Cassidy in Wyoming: How The Outlaw Got His Name Remains A Mystery

There are a few tales surrounding how Butch Cassidy ultimately got his outlaw name. One claims that he worked in Rock Springs as a butcher. Another that it was the result of a prank with a needle gun named Butch.

Renée JeanSeptember 08, 2024

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