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

Rare Element Resources has already started operations at its rare earths demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming.

China’s Ban On Rare Earth Exports Good News For Huge Wyoming Projects

China issued a ban Tuesday on exporting to the U.S. critical rare earth minerals for semiconductors, infrared, fiber optics and military explosives. But representatives of Wyoming’s huge rare earths projects say the ban is good news for them.

Renée JeanDecember 04, 2024

Teton County, Wyoming, is again the nation's wealthiest, with a per capita income of more than $471,000 and median household income of $1.3 million.

Teton County Still Richest In The Nation; Wealth Hits New High

Teton County continues to be the nation’s wealthiest county with the mean household income at $1.13 miliion. The surge in wealth has contributed to a host of problems, including a lack of affordable housing.

Renée JeanDecember 03, 2024

The site about 20 miles southwest of Green River could produce 6 million tons of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate a year.

Turkish Company Offers $285 Million To Buy Interest In Huge Wyoming Trona Mine

Sisecam, a Turkish company, is offering $285 million to buy out a minority stake in one of Wyoming’s huge new trona mines.

Renée JeanDecember 02, 2024

Alea West tends bar at the Lamp Lounge in Cheyenne. She says that while she relies on tips, she thinks the "tipping culture" trend has gone too far.

Tipping In Wyoming: Even Some Bartenders Are Saying It's Out Of Control

According to one poll, 72% of U.S. adults feel that tipping is expected in a lot more places today than five years ago. And while most are fine with tipping in a sit-down restaurant or a bar, only a fraction believe tipping in a coffee shop or a fast food joint is OK.

Renée JeanNovember 30, 2024

Turkeys and livestock guard dogs follow Corinna around at Schadey's Acres as she prepares to lay down a line of grains for the birds to eat.

Life On The Farm: Raising Turkeys and Yaks In Albany County, Wyoming

When Michigan HOA rules wouldn't allow Corinna and Patrick Schade to grow at least some of their food, they moved to Wyoming. Now they've raised more than 350 heritage turkeys alongside a growing herd of yaks in Albany County.

Renée JeanNovember 30, 2024

Drinking Wyoming: Melvin Brewing, State’s Largest Brewery, Is About To Get Bigger

A merger between Melvin and Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson in 2022 has positioned Wyoming’s largest brewery to grow even more. The brewery is already beating national sales trends, and it’s looking to add more new products and keep growing.

Renée JeanNovember 29, 2024

Janelle Jones stands in front of the new HAWK crossing at McCormick Junior High in Cheyenne installed in memory of her son, Mak. Janelle and her charity forMak helped get the new crossing built where her son Makaili “Mak” Evans, was hit by a car and killed in 2021.

Cheyenne Mom Has Turned Tragedy Into A Crusade For Safer Streets

Janelle Jones lost her son Mak when a distracted driver hit him in a Cheyenne crosswalk. Janelle has since been on a crusade for safer streets and stricter penalties for distracted drivers.

Renée JeanNovember 28, 2024

Not long ago, Ayden Skillman of Greybull, Wyoming, was in the hospital recovering from a heart transplant. Now he's finally home.

Wyoming Boy Born Without Complete Heart Finally Home After Successful Transplant

Ayden Skillman of Greybull was born without a complete heart and has spent much of his young life in hospitals. Now the 18-year-old is back home after a successful heart transplant and doctors say he's doing extremely well.

Renée JeanNovember 28, 2024

Basketball coaches for Cheyenne’s East, South and Central schools had their players work together on a Thanksgiving food drive, bringing a dozen truckloads of food to ther Comea House and Resource Center.

Rival Cheyenne Basketball Teams Donate 12 Truckloads Of Food To Local Shelter

The basketball coaches and players for Cheyenne East, South and Central high schools are rivals on the court. Off it, they teamed up to collect enough Thanksgiving food for a local shelter to fill 12 trucks.

Renée JeanNovember 27, 2024

Coal trains leaving the Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming full and returning empty.

BLM Outlaws Coal In Powder River Basin; Gordon Says Prepare For A Fight

The BLM has made it official Tuesday — it’s ending new coal leases in the Powder River Basin, with an eye to producing no more coal after 2041. Gov. Mark Gordon says those are fighting words.

Renée JeanNovember 27, 2024

Charles Hoskinson talks about Wyoming's process for bidding vendors for its new stable token.

Wyoming-Based Crypto Founder Slams State Over Stable Token Bid Process

Wyoming rancher Charles Hoskinson has one of the top 10 cryptocurrency platforms in the nation, but he’s not eligible to bid to be a vendor for Wyoming’s stable token. He’s blasting the state over its bidding process, calling it unfair.

Renée JeanNovember 26, 2024

Bill Gates-Backed TerraPower Strikes Deal To Get Laser-Enriched Uranium

Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and the nuclear plant it's building in southwest Wyoming have secured another potential source of uranium. It’s struck a deal to get laser-enriched uranium.

Renée JeanNovember 24, 2024

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F.E. Warren Air Force Base Exploring Geothermal Power To Boost Resiliency Against Catastrophe

Cheyenne’s F.E. Warren Air Force Base, which houses the nation’s nuclear missiles, is exploring geothermal energy to build up the military base’s resiliency. Geothermal power could ensure the base is functional, even if the overall power grid goes down.

Renée JeanNovember 23, 2024

Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner.

Meet The Baby Boomer Wyoming Grandma Who Breaks The Mold Of A Cybertruck Owner

The typical Tesla owner is an upper-middle-class man in his 50s. 75-year-old Karen Meister-Emerich, a grandma from Cheyenne, doesn't fit that demographic but loves her Cybertruck, which she bought because she missed out on buying a DeLorean.

Renée JeanNovember 23, 2024

A crew works on the site of the CK Gold Project near Curt Gowdy State Park in southern Wyoming.

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

Bryan Clay, 2008 Olympic gold madalist in the decathlon, talks about his playbook for becoming a champion. It's a playbook that works for anyone who wants to achieve greatness and their goals in life.

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

Call of the Wyld has become a popular destination for visitors to Jackson, Wyoming.

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

A dairy cow at Shumway Farms with the retail store in the background.

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

A still shot from a Fading West video showing a modular housing unit being placed on a pad.

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

On the floor of a natural gas drilling rig, roughnecks move 25-ton blocks over a section of drilling pipe 8 miles north of Evanston, Wyoming, in this file photo.

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

A group of southeast Wyoming ranchers are exploring a plan to store carbon dioxide emissions underneath their land.

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

Custodia Bank CEO Caitln Long, left, and President-elect Donald Trump.

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

The new-look Wheels Motel in Greybull, Wyoming.

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

The night sky is the perfect backdrop for The Mint Bar's iconic sign, setting it off like a gemstone in a jewelry box.

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

A formerly Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mining operation that was built about a mile from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. In May 2024, President Joe Biden by executive order forced the Chinese-owned company to sell it.

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

Wyoming pumpjacks Getty Images 829782338 11 7 24

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

Former President, and now President-Elect Donald Trump said he plans to make good on his campaign promise to "drill, baby, drill."

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

The Crystal Castle 23 miles west of Cheyenne near Crystal Lake was built in the 1960s by a man named Harry Widholm, who used 30,000 glass embalming fluid bottles to create a lake cabin — his castle away from home.

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

The Black Hills region of northeast Wyoming is starting to take off as a place where homebuyers can get more luxury for less. This 5,765-square-foot home features five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a lot of tech, like a robot lawnmower and self-cleaning pool.

$2.5 Million Black Hills Mansion In Northeast Wyoming Filled With Tech

Real Estate in the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming has started taking off, with people realizing that they can get more luxury for less. A $2.5 million five-bedroom, five-bath mansion is the latest example, filled with tech like a robot lawnmower and self-cleaning pool.

Renée JeanNovember 04, 2024

Members of the Elk Fire Burned Area Emergency Response Team assess the damage left by the wildfire and what will need to be done to repair or mitigate damages or other threats, like potential for invasive weeds, mudslides and debris flows.

Scientists Map Out How Badly Elk Fire Damaged The 98,000 Acres It Ravaged

With the Elk Fire 88% contained and growing cooler, the problems are just beginning for the 98,000 acres of land ravaged by the wildfire. Scientists are now mapping out how badly the fire damaged the land and how to repair it.

Renée JeanNovember 03, 2024

Sheridan has a hot new French-Western fusion upscale dining spot called Le Reve, French for “The Dream.”

Eating Wyoming: Sheridan’s Le Reve Brings French Fusion To Historic Western Spot

Sheridan has a hot new upscale dining spot called Le Reve, French for “The Dream.” It’s a one-of-a-kind journey of the senses, bringing French-Western fusion to one of Sheridan’s most historic buildings.

Renée JeanNovember 02, 2024

Deal To Move Dodgers From Brooklyn To LA Was Signed During Wyoming Antelope Hunt

The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding high off its World Series win over the Yankees this week. But the storied franchise has a secret Wyoming connection. The deal to move the Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A. was signed during a Wyoming antelope hunt.

Renée JeanNovember 02, 2024

Upton’s China-Busting Rare Earths Demonstration Plant Is Officially Underway

Rare Element Resources has already started operations at its rare earths demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming, with what’s known as a “shakedown.” The real shakedown will be perfecting a process that could help break China’s stranglehold on rare earths.

Renée JeanNovember 02, 2024

Wyoming Customers Getting Rate Fatigue Over Repeated RMP Increase Requests

Wyoming customers are getting rate fatigue over repeated Rocky Mountain Power increase requests. Secretary of State Chuck Gray says the company wants Wyoming to "foot the bill" for the "radical left-wing environmental policies of other states."

Renée JeanNovember 01, 2024

Retaining Wyoming talent to work in state after attending the University of Wyoming, and beyond, is the idea behind a new jobs board that identifies opportunities to work in or remotely from Wyoming.

Wyoming Has A New Jobs Board With Higher Than Average Salaries And Unusual Opportunities

The Wyoming Venture Capital jobs board lists some unusual positions, like Generative AI Product Manager and Machine Learning Engineer. The jobs are part of a new stream of startups setting up shop in the Cowboy State.

Renée JeanNovember 01, 2024

Bill Gates was in Kemmerer in June for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the TerraPower Natrium nuclear plant.

TerraPower Strikes Deal With South African Company For Steady Uranium Source

A stable source of uranium has been a big question mark for the TerraPower nuclear plant in Kemmerer. The company appears to have answered that question with a new agreement with a South African company.

Renée JeanOctober 31, 2024

Marty Perez had an unsettling experience the first year he did a paranormal investigation of this hallway at the CFD Museum of the West. The hallway was quiet this time.

Haunted Wyoming: Even Skeptics Admit Strange Things Happen At CFD Museum

Flying hats, explosive glass and dolls that just won’t leave the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne. These are just a few of the strange things even skeptics admit they can’t quite explain.

Renée JeanOctober 30, 2024

Lukis Hill points out on Google Maps the location where he and his dad tried to pick up a Chinese woman who looked like she needed help. She screamed at them instead, and disappeared before their eyes.

Haunted Wyoming: Ghost Of China Mary Haunts Evanston Road Named For Her

The ghost of China Mary still haunts the road named after her in Evanston, Wyoming. But talking about her has been a taboo subject, and not many people know the real history behind Ah Yuen, who became known as China Mary.

Renée JeanOctober 30, 2024

A drilling rig near Pinedale, Wyoming, in this file photo.

$80 Million Bet Says Wyoming Can Unlock Secret To Getting More Oil From "Tight Rocks"

ThermoFisher Scientific is laying a $40 million bet, matched by $40 million from the Legislature, that Wyoming can get more oil from so-called "tight rocks." Squeezing even 1% more from those rocks is worth billions of dollars.

Renée JeanOctober 29, 2024

Wyoming Home Sales Strong Despite National Trend Approaching 30-Year Low

Wyoming overall is bucking a national trend that’s approaching a 30-year low for home sales. Casper and Jackson continue to see strong sales data, while cities like Cheyenne and Sheridan have seen some cooling in the marketplace.

Renée JeanOctober 28, 2024

Mike Hennessy during a trip to Cheyenne, left, and the old storefront that used to be home to his great-great-granfather's grocery store.

History Come Alive: San Diego Man Discovers Documents About 140-Year-Old Cheyenne Building

A San Diego Man found a treasure trove of documents about a 140-year-old Cheyenne building. His great-great-grandfather ran a grocery store there that's now Bohemian Metals.

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

Weatherman Daryl Orr experiencing high winds in a live shot on Denver's Channel 7

Cheyenne Man’s Midlife Career Change: From TV Reporter To Truck Driver

When longtime Denver TV reporter Daryl Orr lost his job unexpectedly in midlife, he wasn’t worried — until everyone kept telling him he was overqualified. So the Cheyenne man decided to do something completely different: become a truck driver (and he loves it).

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

With a huge wildfire season in Wyoming this year, one question people ask is why isn't cloud seeding used to induce rain and snow to fall on the fires. The simple answer is you have to have clouds to do that.

Why Couldn't Wyoming Wildfires Be Put Out By Cloud Seeding?

With almost a million acres of land burned up in Wyoming this year by wildfire, why not use cloud seeding to help? For cloud seeding to even have a chance, a cloud is needed -- something Wyoming hasn't had much of lately.

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

Logan Wilson is a starting linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.

NFL Star Logan Wilson Is Still A Casper Boy, Promoting His Hometown And Wyoming

Logan Wilson may be an NFL star, but he remains a Casper boy at heart, and isn’t shy about telling the world about it. He is partnering with Visit Casper to actively promote his hometown and the state of Wyoming.

Renée JeanOctober 26, 2024

The VTEM Plus AEM system from Geotech Ltd. is an example of a helicopter doing a aeromagnetic survey. Helicopters are used over mountainous terrain and fixed-wing aircraft for flat land.

Aerial Scans Happening For First Time In Wyoming To Find Valuable Minerals

They can do that? Scanning the earth’s crust 3,300 feet below ground from the air looking for minerals might sound far-fetched, but the science is real, and being used for the first time in Wyoming.

Renée JeanOctober 25, 2024

Wyoming Whiskey Hits No. 2 On USA Today List Of The Nation’s Best Whiskey

Wyoming Whiskey has hit No. 2 on USA Today’s annual list of the nation’s best whiskey. It’s a huge leap from its “horrible” first batch, in the words of its co-founder, to now selling $500 bottles of limited-edition whiskey to connoisseurs.

Renée JeanOctober 23, 2024

Billionaire Bill Gates took his turn at shoveling up some dirt in a groundbreaking ceremony for TerraPower’s nuclear reactor project in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Construction Underway On Testing Facility At TerraPower’s Wyoming Nuclear Plant Site

Construction is happening in Kemmerer at the site of the future TerraPower nuclear plant site. But it’s not the actual plant that’s being built, it’s a test and fill facility, the first step of many before the plant finally opens in 2030.

Renée JeanOctober 22, 2024

In Teton County, Wyoming, people expect their homes to feature stunning views. And they pay stunning prices for those views.

Want A View Of The Tetons? Vacant Lot In Jackson Hole Will Cost You $5.5 Million

In 1992, a 1.5 acre vacant lot with a view of the Tetons in Jackson Hole cost $70,000. Today, the average price tag for single-family lots valley-wide is a whopping $5.57 million.

Renée JeanOctober 21, 2024

Improvements being made at the Rare Element Resources site in Upton, Wyoming. The company is waiting on one more federal OK to open its nearly completed $53 million rare earths processing plant.

Wyoming Rare Earths Producer Close To Completing $53 Million Processing Plant

Rare Element Resources needs one more thumbs-up from a federal agency to complete its $53 million rare earth demonstration plant in Upton. The rare earth refinery is billed as a game-changer not just for Wyoming, but America.

Renée JeanOctober 21, 2024

Extra tables had to be pulled from storage to expand the eating area at the Let it Rain Concert in Parkman, even as smoke from the nearby Elk Fire continues to linger in the air.

Parkman Bar Holds ‘Let It Rain’ Concert To Say 'Thank You' To Firefighters

Around 500 people showed up for the Parkman Bar and Grill’s “Let it Rain” concert Saturday to say thank you from the community to the firefighters battling the Elk Fire. Cars lined the highway for a couple of miles before and after the bar but attendees said it was worth the walk.

Renée JeanOctober 21, 2024