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

Hoop dancing demo at Wyoming Historical Society's Summer Trek in Thermopolis

Delinquent Tax Paperwork Preceded Implosion Of Wyoming History Groups

More details are emerging over the rift that has grown in a decades-long partnership between three of Wyoming’s most prominent history groups. Records show problems leading to their split began much earlier than February.

Renée JeanJune 05, 2025

Social media meme (left). Newly installed Wyoming Historical Society Executive Director Aley Philp (right)

Wyoming Loves Its History But Its History Groups No Longer Love Each Other

A slow-motion blow-up is happening between three long-time history organizations. The resulting implosion is threatening to split Wyoming’s historical community in two.

Renée JeanJune 04, 2025

Wyoming-based Airloom Energy has developed novel wind energy technology that uses a "clothesline" model turbine to generate power. It's an example of a high-growth startup.

Figuring Out Why So Many High-Growth Business Startups Fail In Wyoming

Wyoming has an enviable overall success rate of up to 77% for startup businesses that are still active after one year. But that stat hides a big problem — high-impact, growth-oriented companies have a success rate that’s much lower

Renée JeanJune 01, 2025

F.E. Warren Air Force Base has a secret underground world full of soldier-created artwork that most people have never seen.

The Secret Underground World Of F.E. Warren Air Force Base Murals

F.E. Warren Air Force Base has a secret underground world full of airmen-created artwork that most people have never seen. Set to disappear after the Minuteman III missiles are replaced, former missileer Jim Warner is determined to save them.

Renée JeanJune 01, 2025

A barn at the JO Ranch in Carbon County.

Carbon County's JO Ranch A Throwback To An Untamed Wyoming

Only the hardiest of souls ever lived at the now-abandoned JO Ranch in southern Carbon County. The ranch’s stone buildings, built in 1890, are as old as the state and still standing, a throwback to an untamed Wyoming.

Renée JeanMay 31, 2025

A Laramie couple sold their home and bought a cabin on board a luxury cruise ship. Now they’re spending four years cruising around the world for the same cost as their lifestyle in Wyoming. Here they're on deck of The Odyssey in Acapulco, Mexico.

Wyoming Couple Trade Home In Laramie For Four Years On Luxury Cruise Ship

A Laramie couple sold their home and bought a cabin on the luxury cruise ship Odyssey. Now they’re spending four years cruising around the world for the same cost as their lifestyle in Wyoming.

Renée JeanMay 31, 2025

The CK Gold Project about 20 miles west of Cheyenne in Laramie County is close to securing permitting, which comes at a good time with high gold prices.

At $3,300 An Ounce, Prices Prime For Southeast Wyoming’s CK Gold Project

With gold prices trading high at $3,300 an ounce, timing may be prime for the CK Gold Project in Southeast Wyoming. It’s completed most of its state permitting, with a Laramie County hearing for local permits next month.

Renée JeanMay 28, 2025

The newly unveiled Lincoln Locomotive 1616 and Big Boy 4014 will meet up twice this summer in Greeley, Colorado, for a whistle stop.

Union Pacific’s Big Boy Has A Date With Newly Unveiled Lincoln Locomotive

The newly unveiled Abraham Lincoln commemorative locomotive No. 1616 and Cheyenne's Big Boy No. 4014 will meet up twice this summer in Greeley for a whistle stop. Four cab rides will also be auctioned for rides on Big Boy between Cheyenne and Denver.

Renée JeanMay 28, 2025

Hot Springs County Rallies To Boost Tourism During Prolonged Star Plunge Closure

Hot Springs County is rallying to save its tourism season despite what’s become a prolonged closure of the popular Star Plunge hot springs pools. To do that, it’s putting the spotlight on attractions outside the park — fishing, new trails and more events.

Renée JeanMay 27, 2025

Former Sheridan broadcast pioneer and business owner Kim Love died Saturday. Friends and family recall him as outspoken, never afraid to say what was on his mind, and a stalwart economic and civic backer of Sheridan known as a “genius at” philanthropy.

Sheridan Mourns Kim Love, Broadcast Pioneer And Philanthropist

Sheridan broadcast pioneer and business owner Kim Love died Saturday. Friends and family recall him as outspoken, never afraid to say what was on his mind, and a stalwart economic and civic backer of Sheridan known as a “genius at” philanthropy.

Renée JeanMay 26, 2025

Chad Brown poses in front of a section of about 480 barrels in the backrooms of Pine Bluffs Distillery.

Pine Bluffs Distilling Wins International Award With Wyoming-Grown Whiskey

Pine Bluffs Distilling’s straight rye whiskey won a prestigious double-gold medal at an American Distilling Institute international competition. It’s a big win for a small-town craft distillery that makes whiskey with Wyoming-grown ingredients.

Renée JeanMay 26, 2025

Artifacts that date back to 16,000 years ago have been recently found in Sunrise, Wyoming, older than the site’s previous 14,000-year-old find. That’s the oldest yet evidence of people in the Western High Plains.

Wyoming Ghost Town Site Gives Up Evidence Of People From 16,000 Years Ago

Artifacts that date back to 16,000 years ago have been recently found at the ghost town site of Sunrise, Wyoming — older than the site’s previous 14,000-year-old find. That’s the oldest evidence yet of people in the Western High Plains.

Renée JeanMay 26, 2025

Other Authors

Kevin Deneen poses outside the Eishenhower Building in Washington, D.C., before a forum on artificial intelligence with Trump White House policymakers.

Wyoming Businessman Talks Artificial Intelligence Policy With Trump White House

Jackson businessman Kevin Deneen is cofounder of Moterra Campervans. He’s one of five small business owners from across America tapped to discuss artificial intelligence policy with Vice President JD Vance and the Trump White House.

Renée JeanMay 26, 2025

Rock Springs Teacher’s Crazy Costumes Make A Serious Point — Laughter Is Learning

Not all learning comes from a textbook — some of it comes from laughter. That’s inspired Rock Springs teacher Weston Lamb-Costantino to wear a lot of silly costumes to school, which his students love.

Renée JeanMay 25, 2025

An expanding greenhouse in Sublette County takes its name, Silver Stream Farm, from a Grateful Dead song written on a Wyoming ranch in Cora, just 15 miles away.

Huge Wyoming-Grown Greenhouse Embraces Grateful Dead Connection

The Grateful Dead and fresh produce might not sound like they go together, but they do at Silver Stream Farm northwest of Pinedale. The huge 25,000-square-foot greenhouse takes its name from a Grateful Dead song reportedly written in Wyoming.

Renée JeanMay 25, 2025

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens buys tulip bulbs by the thousands. They do well in Cheyenne, which has similar climate and geology as their ancestral region in Central Asia and the Mediterranean, where they typically grow on mountain slopes and steppes.

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Buys Tulips By The Thousands, And They Last For Years

Holland may be famous for its tulips, but they’re all over Cheyenne as well each summer. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens buys them by the thousands, and they thrive in southeast Wyoming, some lasting for a decade.

Renée JeanMay 25, 2025

Wyoming’s Popular Crazy Woman Canyon Unexpectedly Closed For The Summer

Crazy Woman Canyon is a draw for Wyomingites and visitors to Johnson County, but it’s been unexpectedly closed for the summer. It’s a blow for tourism and locals who count the canyon as a favorite outdoors getaway.

Renée JeanMay 25, 2025

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1.2-GW Wyoming Data Center To Help Pioneer New Battery Less Likely To Catch Fire

A new battery system could solve the runaway thermal problem that makes lithium batteries burst into flames. A 1.2-gigawatt data center near Evanston, Wyoming, is going to help a startup prove its new battery system.

Renée JeanMay 23, 2025

An email obtained by Cowboy State Daily confirms that Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober plans to retire at the end of 2025. Former Gov. Dave Freudenthal says she was perfect for the job — an “unbearably happy human being.”

Longtime Wyoming Tourism Director Diane Shober To Retire After 22 Years

Longtime Wyoming Tourism Director Diane Shober announced she’s retiring at the end of 2025. Author CJ Box says she’s the best in the business and former Gov. Dave Freudenthal says she was perfect for the job — an “unbearably happy human being.”

Renée JeanMay 22, 2025

Sam, working a busy bar scene at Cheyenne's Uncle Charlie's Package Liquor, Grill & Tavern, is in wait and see mode on the No Tax on Tips bill that cleared the Senate unanimously on Tuesday.

Wyoming Service Workers Optimistic Over Senate Passage Of No Tax On Tips Bill

In a surprise move, the U.S. Senate passed the No Tax on Tips bill unanimously. The reaction from Wyoming service employees ranged from cautious optimism to elation. “The blue-collar worker, what’s left of us, needs their tips to help ends meet,” one barber said.

Renée JeanMay 22, 2025

The National Weather Service Office in Cheyenne.

Short-Staffed Cheyenne National Weather Service Office Ends 24/7 Monitoring

The National Weather Service forecast office in Cheyenne is short staffed and has killed its overnight shift, ending the office's 24/7 monitoring. Meteorologist Don Day says that could mean less accurate forecasts and less timely warnings for southeast Wyoming.

Renée JeanMay 19, 2025

Yavilet Saenz holds up a baby chick in the animal science class at Little Snake River Valley School District's newly completed Livestock Center.

Little Snake River Students Get Hands-On In New $1.7M Livestock Center

A new $1.7 million livestock center has opened a hands-on classroom for students interested in ag education at Little Snake River School in Baggs. It’s the realization of a dream by their teacher.

Renée JeanMay 19, 2025

Children try their hand at raking during Pioneer Day at at Little Snake River Valley Museum.

Pioneer Town At Little Snake River Museum In Savery Takes Students Back To Days Of Old

Snow still tops Baker Mountain looking down on Little Snake River Museum in this hamlet near the Wyoming - Colorado border east of Baggs, Wyoming. More than 100 children gathered at the museum to celebrate the annual Pioneer Day.

Renée JeanMay 18, 2025

America’s only ski resort that operates exclusively in summers, Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area near Cody will be open for skiing this summer for the first time in three years. It’s also for sale.

Beartooth Basin Will Open For Summer Skiing For First Time In Three Years

Beartooth Basin near Cody is America’s only ski resort that operates exclusively in the summer. Unlike other ski resorts where summer skiing could happen, Beartooth Basin, which will open for the first time in three years, doesn’t open for the winter at all.

Renée JeanMay 18, 2025

Spectators gathered around Russell Ratti and an alpaca he calls Jay-Jay during a double header of alpaca shows in Cheyenne.

Why Alpacas Are So Popular In The Rocky Mountains

Alpacas are becoming more popular as a cash crop in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region. At the Great Western Alpaca Show in Cheyenne, producers said they prized for their soft, luxurious wool — and are great with kids.

Renée JeanMay 18, 2025

Brian Snyder looks over a set of rings to see how much they might be worth. That tiny pile of rings was worth about $500, according to a quick analysis of each items weight and gold purity, measured in karats.

Record Prices Have Triggered A New Kind Of Gold Rush — Jewelry Sales

Record gold prices have people around Wyoming cleaning out their jewelry drawers and hitting up gold buyers for cash in a new kind of gold rush. One gold buyer in Cheyenne estimates his traffic is up 50%.

Renée JeanMay 17, 2025

Duane Merz buys milk at the Lucky Buffalo Farm Stand, while Heidi Allman, front, and sister Katie Allman, back, look on.

Local Food Trend A Growing $24 Million Economic Force In Wyoming

The Lucky Buffalo Farm Stand near Burns is part of a growing local food trend in Wyoming. Already injecting $24 million a year into the state’s economy, local food venues have been a rising trend since Wyoming adopted the Food Freedom Act in 2015.

Renée JeanMay 17, 2025

In May 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas with 10,000 bitcoin. At today's rate for the digital currency, those pies would be worth about $815 million now.

Two Pizzas Bought With Bitcoin In 2010 Would Be Worth $815 Million Today

In 2010, a Florida man bought two pizzas worth about $41 with 10,000 bitcoins. Today, those bitcoins would be worth $815 million. Wyoming crypto leaders say that demonstrates how far digital currency has come and, like it or not, is the future.

Renée JeanMay 17, 2025

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.

Stanley Hotel Sold In $400 Million Deal That Will See Huge Film Center Built

The historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, has sold in a $400 million deal that will build on its cult horror fame as the setting for “The Shining.” The deal includes building a huge film center.

Renée JeanMay 16, 2025

Walt Longmire actor Robert Taylor is a fixture at Longmire Days.

Sheriff Longmire Actor Turns Down Paying Gigs To Be At Longmire Days

Fans of the hit television show “Longmire” will soon flood Buffalo for two days in author Craig Johnson’s fictional Absaroka County. Sheriff Longmire actor Robert Taylor loves the franchise so much he turns down paying gigs to be at Longmire Days.

Renée JeanMay 14, 2025

The ExxonMobil plant in La Barge, Wyoming, not only is a world leader in carbon capture, it also produces about 20% of the world's helium.

Second Major Helium Plant Planned For Southwest Wyoming

Wyoming already produces 20% of the world’s Grade A helium supply from one plant east of Kemmerer. Now it’s about to get another major helium plant in southwest Wyoming.

Renée JeanMay 12, 2025

A ramp was built for the annual Sundance Burnout in Crook County during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It places riders up higher so the crowd could better see them.

More Tourists Discovering Small, Rural Wyoming Counties

Wyoming has long had a goal of encouraging tourism in other parts of the state other Teton County. In 2024, more tourists discovered small, rural Wyoming areas, with Crook and Sublette counties showing the biggest boost.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2025

Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

Federal Cuts Have Wyoming Museums Scrambling At Start Of Busy Summer Season

Several Wyoming museums say they were caught by surprise when federal grants were cut. That’s left some on the hook for thousands of dollars as they scramble at the start of the busy summer season.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2025

Emily Steele survived a bout with what she belives was food-borne illness. She got sick dspite of not being the one who ate anything spoiled.

Can You Catch ‘Food Poisoning?’ It’s Not Common, But, Yes, And Here’s How

Food-borne illnesses are among the most common in America, sickening more than 48 million each year. But can it be passed on to others? The answer is yes -- as a Cheyenne couple recently found out.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

Cheyenne Gunslingers has its own stage setup on 15 Street and Pioneer Avenue. But it will likely need a new home as the 15th Street Rail Experience is taking its location.

Famous Cheyenne Gunslingers To Be Homeless, Have To Move From Downtown Spot

The famous Cheyenne Gunslingers will have to find a new spot for its Wild West shootouts. The city has approved another historical attraction to take over their location and now the Gunslingers, who delight crowds every summer by shooting each other, have to find a new home.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

The Carissa Gold Mine in South Pass City.

Canadian Company Says There’s Still Plenty Of Gold Near Former Boom Town

"Thar's gold in them thar hills!" That's what a Canadian company is saying about the area near the old Carissa Mine near South Pass City. Thousands of miners went there in 1867 but never found the mother lode. This company says they have the technology to find it.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

A pair of the major U.S. players in nuclear power — Uranium Energy Corp. and Radiant Energy — announce a partnership to develop the industry across America — and Wyoming could be ground zero.

Wyoming Could Capture Bigger Piece Of US Nuclear Power Than Just Mining Uranium

A pair of the major U.S. players in nuclear power announce a partnership to develop the industry across America — and Wyoming could be ground zero. There's potential for the state do more than just mine uranium.

Renée JeanMay 07, 2025

Wyoming’s outdoor tourism is booming, and is now a $2.2 billion industry drawing adventure-seekers to all corners. It’s also stressing some smaller communities to provide amenities to support those visitors.

Wyoming’s Booming $2.2 Billion Outdoor Rec Tourism Stressing Some Communities

Pinedale is poised to double in size by 2040, growth that Town Councilman Scott Kosiba believes is due in no small part to the strength of a rapidly growing outdoor recreation economy. Call it a new economic model for boom towns, one driven in part by wealthy remote workers who can locate where they like to play, instead of just where they work.

Renée JeanMay 04, 2025

Lummis Behind Bill To Force U.S. Mint To Stop Making Pennies

With a $36 trillion national debt, wasteful government spending has to stop, says U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis. She said that’s why she’s behind a bill to make the U.S. Mint stop making pennies, which cost more than 3 cents per penny to make.

Renée JeanMay 04, 2025