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

The White Wolf Saloon in Douglas looks much the same as it always has, though it does have a new owner who is moving the bar's focus to more of a Western theme.

White Wolf In Douglas Has A New Owner, But You Can Still Get A Shot For A Bullet

The roots of the White Wolf Saloon in Douglas, one of the most interesting bars in Wyoming, go back to 1887. Its new owner is a Douglas native who wants to retain its Old West heritage. That includes the practice of trading a bullet for a drink — a shot for a shot.

Renée JeanOctober 05, 2025

Jeff Wandler stands outside the vintage automobile-themed Airbnb recently completed, right across from the Frontier Auto Museum that Wandler owns. The Airbnb features not one by two vintage cars, along with lots of vintage car memorabilia and signs.

Sleep Next To Classic Cars And Retro Kitsch At Gillette Auto Museum Airbnb

For those who love vintage cars and classic Americana, the Frontier Auto Museum in Gillette has it all. If a visit isn’t enough, you can sleep next to the classic autos and retro kitsch at the museum’s new Airbnb.

Renée JeanOctober 05, 2025

Heidi Moore, right, and Lydia Tripp, front center, learn more about trucks during the annual Trucks Are For Girls Event, held every fall, at Eastern Wyoming College's Douglas campus..

Wyoming College Says Shortage Of Truck Drivers Opens Door For More Women

The trucking industry is short nearly 80,000 drivers to fill jobs that pay near six-figure salaries. Eastern Wyoming College sees that as an opportunity, showing girls how a CDL can lead to great jobs in an industry where only 12.1% are women.

Renée JeanOctober 05, 2025

Wyoming Cattle Baron Otto Franc’s Historic Old West Ranch Lists For $7.95M

Another legacy Wyoming ranch is hitting the real estate market. This time it’s Otto Franc’s historic Old West headquarters on the 288-acre Old Pitchfork Ranch. It’s listing for $7.95 million.

Renée JeanOctober 04, 2025

Hoskinson Health & Wellness Clinic in Gillette is aiming to become the Mayo Clinic of the West.

Could A Rural Health Facility In Gillette Really Be The Next Mayo Clinic?

Hoskinson Health & Wellness Clinic in Gillette believes it can be the Mayo Clinic of the West. They say they’ve had no problem attracting specialists because they're not putting profits first and they don't push them to see patients every 15 minutes.

Renée JeanOctober 04, 2025

A rider with a large American flag does a lap around the Cheyenne Frontier Days arena. As states gear up for America’s 250th birthday, Wyoming is planning a huge statewide Westen blowout. Old West icons, outlaws, historic trails, and a slate of uniquely Wyoming events will call to tourists seeking Western adventures.

Wyoming To Host A Huge Western Blowout For Nation’s 250th Anniversary

As states gear up for America’s 250th birthday, Wyoming is planning a huge statewide Western blowout. Old West icons, outlaws, historic trails, and a slate of uniquely Wyoming events will call to tourists seeking Western adventures.

Renée JeanOctober 02, 2025

Bradley Hudson II, 19, was sentenced Monday to up to 24 years in prison for molesting three young girls. He confessed to the sexual abuse during a polygraph test when applying for a job at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.

Gillette Man Who Admitted To Child Sex Crimes While Applying For Job As Jailer Gets 24 Years

A Gillette 19-year-old was sentenced Monday to up to 24 years in prison for molesting three young girls. He confessed to the sexual abuse during a polygraph test when applying for a job at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.

Renée JeanSeptember 30, 2025

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and Interrior Secretary Doug Bergum during Monday's announcement of the Trump administration's $625 million investment in coal-fired power plants and production.

Wyoming Cheers As Trump Injects $625M Into U.S. Coal, Opens 13M Acres For Leasing

Wyoming’s coal industry is cheering Monday’s announcement that President Trump’s Department of Energy is injecting $625 million into coal-fired plants and mining. Department of Interior is also opening 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leases.

Renée JeanSeptember 29, 2025

Many of the insects Aaron Clark finds on his ranch with the help of Allie Hazen are very small. The vial Clark is holding up contains a dozen or so specimens.

Wyoming’s Insect Cowboy Has Discovered New Bugs That Are In The Smithsonian

Aaron Clark has a small cow-calf operation on a ranch near Wheatland. But what he likes to lasso most are insects, and he's discovered several new ones in Wyoming — and some are now in the Smithsonian.

Renée JeanSeptember 28, 2025

Drinking Wyoming: The Spotted Horse’s Famous Spotted Horse Rescued From A Brothel

The 101-year-old Spotted Horse Bar and Grill is an off-the-beaten dive bar on Highway 14-16 between Gillette and Sheridan. It's famous for its ranch burgers and spotted horse statue out front, which was rescued from a Montana brothel.

Renée JeanSeptember 28, 2025

Members of the Centennial Antique Tractor & Engine Club enjoy making their tractors look good. Then they take them for little adventures, like the recent tour of the Burnette Enterpises mega dairy near Carpenter.

They Think Their Tractors Are Sexy — And So Do Parade Crowds

The Centennial Antique Engine & Tractor Club is a group of people in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado who have one thing in common — they love vintage farm equipment. Especially tractors, which they think are pretty sexy.

Renée JeanSeptember 27, 2025

Crayton smiles at all the photographs and memories, hangin got the walls at the Sheridan Foster Care Exchange.

She Was A Foster Kid, Now Sheridan Woman Is On A Mission To Make The System Better

After her own difficulties as a foster kid, Carla Crayton has vowed to make sure other children don't have the same experiences. The Sheridan woman has built a nonprofit dedicated to her mission of making the system better for kids and foster parents.

Renée JeanSeptember 27, 2025

Other Authors

Laramie County Community College is considering a name change. A name change would be costly, in the six figure range, but would better represent what the college offers, including bachelor's degrees, a residence hall, and cultural activities like community orchestra and theater.

Laramie County Community College In Cheyenne Is Getting Renamed

Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne says it’s time for a rebrand, which will include a new name that won’t have “community” in it. With a new name, perhaps the unofficial nickname "Last Chance Cowboy College" will be no more.

Renée JeanSeptember 25, 2025

Green River Railroad Layoffs And More Automation Raise Train Safety Questions

Former legislator and retired railroad worker Stan Blake says continuing rail layoffs, like the ones last week in Green River, coupled with more automation will mean more train accidents in Wyoming.

Renée JeanSeptember 24, 2025

Nearly 100-Year-Old Triangle C Ranch Near Dubois Lists For $4.95 million

The Triangle C Ranch near Dubois has been a working dude ranch for nearly a century. Now the Wyoming property surrounded by the Shoshone National Forest is on the market, listing for $4.95 million.

Renée JeanSeptember 23, 2025

Prometheus hyperscale trenton pointing7217

Water-Efficient Data Center Model That Started In Wyoming Is Expanding To Texas

A low-water-use data center being developed in Evanston, Wyoming, by Prometheus Hyperscale is expanding to Texas. The data center in Evanston is still moving ahead as planned and will remain the company’s flagship.

Renée JeanSeptember 22, 2025

Clay Gibbons talks about the gangs that inhabited the Hole in the Wall during a 2024 tour. Wyoming’s infamous Wild West outlaw culture has inspired a documentary filmmaker to feature the Hole in the Wall hideout. He uses Wyoming voices to tell the story of the infamous outlaw outpost.

Hole In The Wall Film Uses Wyoming Voices To Tell Story Of Infamous Outlaw Hideout

Wyoming’s infamous Wild West outlaw culture has inspired a documentary filmmaker to feature the Hole in the Wall hideout. He uses Wyoming voices to tell the story of the infamous outlaw outpost.

Renée JeanSeptember 21, 2025

Shelby Means performs at the annual RockyGrass Festival in Colordo. She returned to her hometown of Laramie, Wyoming, this weekend to headline a local music festival.

Grammy Winner Shelby Means Headlines Laramie Music Fest In Homecoming

Laramie native Shelby Means is a Grammy winning bluegrass star who is playing stages around the world. This weekend, she returned to her hometown to headline the inaugural Snow Train Festival.

Renée JeanSeptember 21, 2025

The 116 miles of historic Lincoln Highway between Laramie and Sinclair, Wyoming, is as important as it way when it was built in 1913. Then, it was part of the first cross-country highway, and now packed with Wyoming and transportation history.

Driving From Laramie To Sinclair On Wyoming's Forgotten Lincoln Highway

The 116 miles of the historic Lincoln Highway between Laramie and Sinclair may be somewhat forgotten now but it's still important. Built in 1913, it was part of the first cross-country highway, and now it's packed with Wyoming and transportation history.

Renée JeanSeptember 20, 2025

The theater’s latest high-tech accessory is a move towared the future of theater in which most of the audience can easily cancel out their popcorn crunching, joke-telling and chatty neighbors.

Historic WYO Theater Is First In Wyoming With High-Tech Audio Filtering System

Tired of annoying people who talk through movies and performances? Then check out the historic WYO Theater in Sheridan. It's the first theater in Wyoming to install the custom Auri Bluetooth audio system.

Renée JeanSeptember 20, 2025

Tom Laycock with AARP Wyoming is calling for more regulations around Bitcoin ATMs and other cryptocurrency kiosks, saying that they are portals to fraud. In Cheyenne alone, people have dumped more than $645,000 into the machines, wrecking retirements.

Crypto Kiosks Have Become Portals To Fraud Across Wyoming

In Cheyenne alone, the police department said it has identified 50 instances of fraud involving Bitcoin ATMS, totaling more than $645,000 in cash that wasn’t rescued. AARP Wyoming says the fraud is destroying retirement accounts of vulnerable senior citizens.

Renée JeanSeptember 20, 2025