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
Meet Wade Wohl, The Wyoming Rancher Who Helps Run Jeffree Star’s Yak Ranch
Yaks are a little bit different than cattle, Wade Wohl will tell you. He would know. He’s the rancher helping Jeffree Star with day-to-day operations at his Star Yak Ranch.
Renée JeanJuly 23, 2023
Cowboy State Places: Historic Atlantic City, Wyoming Strikes Gold Again With Tourism
The Continental Divide Trail and the Backcountry Discovery Route are bringing crowds of tourists through what is almost a ghost town, keeping two historic restaurants and a bed and breakfast alive.
Renée JeanJuly 23, 2023
Eating Wyoming: The Bull Pub In Cowley, A Cowboy Joint With Michelin-Caliber Food
An English chef who once trained alongside Gordon Ramsay took a vacation 30 years ago at a guest ranch in the Pryor Mountains, and it changed the trajectory of her life. Now she’s the chef at the Bull Pub Restaurant in tiny Cowley, Wyoming.
Renée JeanJuly 23, 2023
JCPenney’s ‘Mother Store’ In Kemmerer, Wyoming, Is Still A Small-Town Boutique
The JCPenney chain was born in Kemmerer, Wyoming, as the Golden Rule Store in 1902. James Cash Penney lived in an attic above the store at the time with his first wife, Berta. Today tourists stop by to see where it all began.
Renée JeanJuly 22, 2023
On The Road With Renee: Retro-Modern Makeover For Lander Motel — And New Brewery
The Lander Motel is back from the dead, and the service station next door is on track to become a brewery, continuing a trend to renovate classic motels around Wyoming.
Renée JeanJuly 22, 2023
Taco Bell Says Liberation Of ‘Taco Tuesday’ Trademark A Win For ‘Taco Allies Everywhere’
Taco Bell said it’s pleased Taco John’s has “liberated” the Taco Tuesday phrase for everyone, and that it’s considering the smaller chain’s challenge to donate to a fund that benefits food service workers.
Renée JeanJuly 19, 2023
Digital Currency Ruling Could Bolster Case For Wyoming-Based American CryptoFed
Wyoming-based American CryptoFed DAO believes a recent court ruling that rejected the SEC’s contention that all cryptocurrency tokens are securities will help clear a path forward for it and other Wyoming DAOs.
Renée JeanJuly 19, 2023
No Mas: Taco John’s Gives Up ‘Taco Tuesday’ Trademark
In face of a challenge by fast-food giant Taco Bell, Wyoming-based Taco John’s said Tuesday it’s giving up its 34-year trademark on the phrase “Taco Tuesday.”
Renée JeanJuly 18, 2023
Serving Jeffree Star’s Yak Meat Putting Casper Taco Shop On The Culinary Map
Creating new and exciting food with Jeffree Star’s Wyoming yak meat has put Tacos Mexico on the culinary map, another step in an American dream that’s been unfolding for 25 years in Casper.
Renée JeanJuly 17, 2023
On The Road With Renee: Mystery Tunnel At South Pass City Is A Cool Trip Back In Time
Uncovering the English Tunnel at South Pass City was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Glen Hester and the other researchers who found it. Now tourists get to experience it just as it was when it was discovered in the gold-mining town.
Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023
Cowboy State People: For George Korhel of Buffalo, Wyoming, Mountain Man Life Is In His DNA
If you ask the U.S. Post Office, George Korhel’s officially lives in Buffalo, Wyoming. But most of the time, he’s living his dream as a mountain man, a legacy lifestyle that’s in his DNA.
Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023
Before There Were Cowboys, Mountain Men Explored Wyoming And The West
The annual Green River Rendezvous is a celebration all things mountain man, a celebration of the hardy, independent souls who explored Wyoming before there were cowboys.
Renée JeanJuly 16, 2023
Laramie County Commissioners Surprised By F.E. Warren Annexation Discussion
Commissioner Gunnar Malm told Cowboy State Daily they didn’t get a heads-up from Cheyenne about a recent resolution that directs city staff to review whether Cheyenne can annex the military base to its west.
Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023
Pan Your Own Gold In South Pass City, A Throwback Wyoming Boom Town
After the discovery of gold in the area, South Pass City sprang up overnight in an area of Wyoming that had been nothing more than dusty sagebrush and wind. Now, it's a great tourist destination.
Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023
Line Wraps Around The Block For Grand Opening Of Jeffree Star’s Yak Meat And Cosmetics Store
A line wrapped around an entire city block in Casper in front of the Jeffree Star Store on Friday. At least 1,000 people waited to shop for yak meat, cosmetics and meet the social media personality.
Renée JeanJuly 15, 2023
Cheyenne Considers Options To Annex F.E. Warren Air Force Base Into City
F.E. Warren Air Force Base has been like a great wall to the west blocking Cheyenne’s growth, city officials say. That could change soon if the city decides to annex the military base into the city.
Renée JeanJuly 12, 2023
Wyoming’s Josh Kirk To Opt Out Of History Channel’s ‘Mountain Men,’ Working On New Show
Modern-day mountain man Josh Kirk told Cowboy State Daily he’s opting out of another season of the popular “Mountain Men” History Channel show to focus on a new show. “I’ve got my own show that’s going to be coming out,” Kirk said.
Renée JeanJuly 11, 2023
What Lovell, Wyoming Is Doing To Increase Tourism
The town of Lovell is seeing big gains in tourism numbers, according to the local chamber. That's because they are better promoting the Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon, 55 miles of fishing and recreation in Big Horn Lake, wild horses, waterfall hikes and new restaurants and much-improved lodging.
Renée JeanJuly 10, 2023
Wyoming Places: Tourists Can Get Up Close With Fossils At Fossil Butte National Monument
At the Fossil Butte National Monument, the fossils are so abundant that almost every layer turns up something, and the bones are still largely intact. That makes Kemmerer’s fossil lake beds a resource that’s unparalleled in the world
Renée JeanJuly 09, 2023
History Channel's Josh Kirk Is A Modern-Day Wyoming Mountain Man
The life Josh Kirk lives isn’t part of a social media trend, designed to look good for a camera — though cameras follow him around on the ranch for the History Channel’s Mountain Men series. None of it is a made-for-TV movie. It’s just his life. His regular, every-day life.
Renée JeanJuly 09, 2023
Wyoming People: James Cash Penney (J.C. Penney) Is A Rags-To-Riches Story
Kemmerer children grow up learning all about the American dream thanks to James Cash Penney, whose rags-to-riches story offers life lessons still relevant today.
Renée JeanJuly 08, 2023