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

A rumor that Ukranian President Zelensky is buying the 916,000-acre Pathfinder Ranch in Wyoming spread like wildfire Monday. But, it’s not true. However, an offer is pending on the $79.5 million ranch.

No, Zelenskyy Isn’t Buying 916,000-Acre Pathfinder Ranches — But Someone Is

A rumor that Ukrainian President Zelensky is buying the 916,000-acre Pathfinder Ranch in Wyoming spread like wildfire Monday. But, it’s not true. However, an offer is pending on the $79.5 million ranch.

Renée JeanOctober 28, 2025

Wyoming Halloween Superfans Turn Neighborhoods Into Over-The-Top Scare-Fests

Go big at home seems to be the motto of Wyoming’s Halloween superfans, who turn neighborhoods into over-the-top scare-fest. From giant skeletons to immersive animatronic displays, they’re making Halloween great again.

Renée JeanOctober 28, 2025

Big Boy 4014 makes the first stop on its 2024 summer tour in Laramie, Wyoming, on Sunday morning, June 30, 2024. Hundreds of curious people and serious train buffs waited for more than two hours to get a good viewing spot.,

Big Boy 4014 May Make Its First Coast-To-Coast Run For America’s 250th

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena says he wants the world’s heaviest operational steam locomotive — Big Boy 4014 — to make its first coast-to-coast tour for America’s 250th anniversary next year. Big Boy has never been to the East Coast since rolling off the assembly line in 1941.

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2025

Rick King, right, was a young Wyoming game warden when the first Joe Picket novel "Open Range" came out, and has had the copy ever since. Now 26, years later, it finally has author C.J. Box's autograph.

Real Joe Picketts: Wyoming Game Wardens See Themselves In C.J. Box Novels

Real-life game wardens say author C.J. Box has elevated their profession across America, while also educating people on all the real-world issues they face. "I appreciate what he's done for the profession," says retired Wyoming Chief Game Warden Rick King.

Renée JeanOctober 25, 2025

Incoming Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Domenic Bravo strikes a pose in a fun photo taken with outgoing director Diane Shober and the Wyoming Office of Tourism staff, just after the awards ceremony for the Fall Hospitality and Tourism Summit in Riverton.

Big Hair, Suede Shoes, A Bravo Beginning — Shober’s Last Show Is Unforgettable

Everyone had a story to tell for Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober’s last official show, including Shober herself. But she also took time to boost her successor, Visit Cheyenne’s President Domenic Bravo.

Renée JeanOctober 25, 2025

Wyoming Ranchers Join National Outcry Against Trump’s Argentina Beef Plan

Wyoming ranchers are protesting President Trump’s plan to import more beef from Argentina, arguing it threatens U.S. producers. They say fixing high prices should start with cutting domestic regulations, not boosting imports.

Renée JeanOctober 23, 2025

A Wyoming woman who once housed killer Dale Wayne Eaton believes her family’s property may hold clues to the 28-year-old case of missing runner Amy Wroe Bechtel. She hopes police will bring cadaver dogs to search an old cabin there.

Police Believe Tip In Amy Wroe Bechtel’s Disappearance Worth Looking Into

A Wyoming woman who once housed killer Dale Wayne Eaton believes her family’s Natrona County property may hold clues to the 28-year-old case of missing runner Amy Wroe Bechtel. She hopes police will bring cadaver dogs to search an old cabin there.

Renée JeanOctober 22, 2025

Rural Cheyenne Residents Fed Up With Drivers Taking Out Their Mailboxes

When drivers kept taking out her mailbox and leaving without so much as an “I’m sorry” note, a rural Cheyenne woman took her complaint public. Turns out others in her neighborhood are also fed up with drivers plowing into their mailboxes.

Renée JeanOctober 21, 2025

Historian Says She's Traced Wyatt Earp’s First Gunfight To Orin, Wyoming

A Wild West historian says she uncovered evidence in a family diary suggesting Wyatt Earp’s first gunfight happened near Orin, Wyoming, not Illinois. That could reshape Earp's early legend and add a new chapter to Wyoming’s Wild West legacy.

Renée JeanOctober 21, 2025

Nels Wroe with Dry Land Distillers has created a novel whiskey using emmer wheat grown in Wyoming.

Unique Whiskey Made From Ancient Grain Grown In Wyoming Called Emmer Debuts

A new whiskey debuted on Saturday made from emmer wheat grown in Powell, Wyoming. Nels Wroe, who grew up in Douglas and is the owner of Dry Land Distillers, said they're the only company making a true 100% emmer whiskey. "It's the only one like it in the world," he said.

Renée JeanOctober 19, 2025

A Cheyenne clinic has added a remote blood-pressure monitoring program for high-risk pregnancies. It’s the latest example of a wearable health technology industry that's growing fast across Wyoming.

Cheyenne Clinic Uses Wearable Tech To Protect Moms And Babies

A Cheyenne clinic has just added a remote blood-pressure monitoring program for high-risk pregnancies. It’s just the latest example of wearable health technology entering the medical field in Wyoming.

Renée JeanOctober 19, 2025

The historic Lander Bar was a saloon when it first openend in 1907, and has also been a brothel and hotel before operating as a dive bar for years. Then a ski patrolman and two buddies stopped in for a beer, and decided to buy and restore the place.

Drinking Wyoming: The Drinks At Lander Bar Come With A Taste Of Western History

The historic Lander Bar was a saloon when it first opened in 1907, and has also been a brothel and hotel before operating as a popular hangout for years. In the 1990s, a ski patrolman stopped in for a beer, and with two buddies decided to buy and restore the place.

Renée JeanOctober 19, 2025

Other Authors

$A doctor at Ivinson Memorial talks with a patient. Ivinson is among Wyoming medical facilities that have turned to fractional physicians provide more services to its community.$

Part-Time Doctors Have Full-Time Impact For Rural Wyoming Patients

Health care clinics in rural America have long struggled to recruit specialists to serve low-population, wide-open regions. A new model called fractional medicine lets them recruit part-time doctors and surgeons for hard-to-fill jobs.

Renée JeanOctober 18, 2025

Wright At 50: A Half-Century For The Wyoming Town That Coal Built

As one of Wyoming's youngest towns, Wright is celebrating its 50th year in existence this year. It may have started as a camp for workers at nearby coal mines, but Wright has grown into its own.

Renée JeanOctober 18, 2025

Luxurious Hideout Ranch In Shell, Wyoming, Lists For $14.95 Million

The Hideout Ranch in Shell, Wyoming, famed for its mustang horses and luxury guest experience, has hit the market for $14.95 million. Its owners are selling after two decades of global acclaim.

Renée JeanOctober 18, 2025

From left: Scotlyn, Morgan, Greg, Pam, Colten, and Jordan Flitner with dog Sage.

Flitner Family Buys Bighorn Mountain Ranch Back From Kanye West

Members of the Flitner family have bought their family’s ranch near Greybull, Wyoming, back from Kanye West. All the historic buildings, including Baldridge Cabin, are intact.

Renée JeanOctober 18, 2025

Public Service Commission To Appeal Ruling That RMP Customers Owe Utility $23.5M

The Wyoming Public Service Commission and Wyoming industrial electric consumers say they will appeal a recent ruling that Rocky Mountain Power customers owe the utility $23.5 million.

Renée JeanOctober 16, 2025

A group of 20 ranchers are getting ready to drill a test well in southeastern Wyoning for carbon storage. The project is pushing ahead despite federal funding delays.

Hot Carbon Markets Boost Wyoming Ranchers’ Capture Project

A group of Wyoming ranchers is building a massive carbon storage project on their land. The project aims to store carbon dioxide underground, creating new income and supporting the local economy.

Renée JeanOctober 14, 2025

Wyoming's rapidly growing data center sector has sparked concerns about rising power bills.

Wyoming’s Data Center Boom Sparks Fears Of Soaring Electric Rates

Wyoming’s growing sector of artificial intelligence and data centers have collectively announced 12.8 gigawatts worth of processing power so far. That has sparked concerns about rising power bills, but not everyone is worried.

Renée JeanOctober 14, 2025

South Pass City’s Chilling 1875 Murder Still Haunts Wyoming With Unsolved Secrets

South Pass City was rocked by the mysterious 1875 killing of George McOmie, a crime never solved. Decades later, ghost stories and unanswered questions still haunt the old Wyoming gold town. Modern day sleuths tried (and failed) to solve the mystery last weekend.

Renée JeanOctober 12, 2025

Discovery Channel's “Ghost Adventures” Looks For Casper’s Haunted Underbelly In Season Premier

The ghost hunters in Discovery Channel's “Ghost Adventures,” says Casper is a supernatural hotspot. A crew of 17 spent six days exploring ghosts, witches, and aliens in Casper for the season premiere of the show which debuts on October 15.

Renée JeanOctober 12, 2025

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