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

Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park is increasingly crowded with tourists wanting to capture its Old West Wyoming vibe.

Wyoming Puts Up $4 Million To Keep Up With Impacts From Booming Tourism

Wyoming has launched a $4 million Outdoor Rec and Tourism Trust Fund to expand trails and amenities. The goal is to manage the impacts of a booming tourism industry while improving quality of life for residents and boosting local economies.

Renée JeanMarch 11, 2026

An Iranian blockade sent crude oil above $100 a barrel on Monday, March 9, 2026, boosting producer profits and state revenues. But Wyoming’s oil patches aren’t likely to see that spur production, and economists say the blockade will boost inflation and tank demand.

Why Spike In Oil Prices To Over $100 Is Unlikely To Spur More Drilling In Wyoming

An Iranian blockade sent crude oil above $100 a barrel on Monday, boosting producer profits and state revenues. But Wyoming’s oil patches aren’t likely to see that spur production, and economists say the blockade will boost inflation and tank demand.

Renée JeanMarch 09, 2026

Two adjacent 40-acre lots in Jackson Hole’s elite Spring Gulch area are headed to auction for $21.4 million. They're marketed mainly for their rare views and wildlife neighbors rather than the homes already on them.

Two Rare Jackson Hole Properties With Moose For Neighbors Head To Auction

Two adjacent 40-acre lots in Jackson Hole’s elite Spring Gulch area are headed to auction for $21.4 million. The view is rare and land is much-sought after as there are only 10 vacant land listings in Teton County over 35 acres.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

Data Centers, Business Parks, And Hotels Fuel Cheyenne Building Boom

With huge data centers, business parks, and hotels moving forward at what seems lightning-like speed, Cheyenne is being reshaped by a building boom. “Cheyenne has never grown like this,” City Councilman Pete Laybourn said. “It’s incredible."

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

C.J. Box pauses book signing for a moment to watch Dianne Stoutenburg as she pulls more books out of a grocery bag.

C.J. Box Bombarded By Huge Cheyenne Crowd, Including Fan Who Brought 30 Books

Wyoming author C.J. Box drew a huge crowd in Cheyenne for his new Joe Pickett book, “The Crossroads," which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list — Box’s sixth in a row. One fan brought 30 books, the most he's signed for a fan in one sitting.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

Cowboys on the range. A group of men sitting in front of a cook's tent in the late 1800s.

Dangerous, Dirty And Deadly: Real Jobs Of The Wild West

Frontier cowboys, coal miners, buffalo hunters, prostitutes, saloon keepers and lawmen did dangerous, dirty work in the frontier West. Dynamite, disease, stampedes and shootouts made death an everyday occupational hazard.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

University of Wyoming Extension students on a bug safari. Inset is a photo of a Wyoming cricket swarm that descended on Edgerton in May 2023.

Entomologists Say Wyoming’s Reputation As One Of The Least 'Buggy' States Is A Myth

Wyoming has a reputation as being one of the “least buggy” states, but entomologists say that’s just a myth. Short, dry summers may limit Wyoming’s insect diversity, but the bugs that do survive hit hard and in huge numbers.

Renée JeanMarch 07, 2026

Sheridan native Ian Munsick is teaming up with The Landmark Hotel and Casino in Deadwood, S.D., to open a Munsick-themed restaurant that will feature live performances in a cowboy bar. (Munsick portrait by Ben Christensen; The Landmark Hotel and Casino courtesy photo in Cowboy State Daily illustration)

Wyoming Country Music Star Ian Munsick Is Opening A Cowboy Bar In Deadwood

Sheridan native Ian Munsick is teaming up with The Landmark Hotel and Casino in Deadwood to open a Munsick-themed restaurant that will feature live performances. "Every time we play Deadwood, there’s always just a huge turnout from Wyoming,” he said.

Renée JeanMarch 07, 2026

Wells Fargo Bank Chooses The Wyoming Reserve In Casper To Store Precious Metals

Wells Fargo has chosen The Wyoming Reserve in Casper to store its precious metals. A University of Wyoming finance professor says that's a big deal for the state. "It signals that Wyoming is no longer just an energy or agriculture story."

Renée JeanMarch 03, 2026

$15 Million For PRCA Move To Cheyenne Survives Budget Votes, Heads To Governor

With $15 million approved in the $9.9 billion biennial budget approved Monday, Cheyenne is closer than ever to landing the PRCA headquarters and museum. Sen. Ogden Driskill said the funding "probably had deeper support statewide than anything I’ve seen."

Renée JeanMarch 03, 2026

Sheridan Community Land Trust leads a walking tour of history along Soldier Ridge Trail.

Instead of ‘Keep Out,’ Wyoming Rancher Invites People To ‘Come Hike’ On His Property

Many private ranches in Wyoming are more likely to post “Keep Out” signs than invite people to hike on their land. One rancher took a chance a decade ago, and the result is a legacy trail that will forever protect the view for Sheridan’s western edge.

Renée JeanMarch 01, 2026

A looming wave of huge Wyoming data centers, a nuclear plant and military upgrades is colliding with an already severe plumber shortage, driving wages sky-high. The crunch comes with new “earn while you learn” jobs.

Wyoming’s Plumber Shortage Collides With Massive Data Center Boom

Wyoming's plumber shortage is about to get worse. Already short on plumbers and pipefitters, creating delays for homeowners and businesses, a huge wave of data centers and mega-projects are sweeping into the state, which will require thousands more.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2026

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Teton County has again been named the richest in the nation with the No.1 per capita income. That’s a huge turnaround for a county that once was listed as one of the nation’s neediest.

Teton County Continues As The Nation's Richest (And It's Not Even Close)

Teton County has again been named the richest county in the nation with a per capita income of $532,903. Not only is it six times greater than the national average of $73,204 but beats the second-highest county by more than $250,000.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2026

The Thunder Plains mile-long horse racing track will be located 10 miles east of Cheyenne.

Bally’s Corp. Eyes Regional Circuit With Thunder Plains, Wyoming’s First 1-Mile Track

International Bally’s Corporation is taking a majority ownership of Wyoming’s new 1-mile track, Thunder Plains, and aims to open this fall near Cheyenne with a $1.6 million racing purse. Long-term, their vision includes a regional horse-racing circuit.

Renée JeanFebruary 27, 2026

Dozens of whistle stops have been revealed for the western leg of Big Boy’s historic coast-to-coast tour. In Wyoming, that includes: Laramie, Medicine Bow, Wamsutter, Rock Springs, and Green River.

Dozens Of Wyoming Stops Announced For New Big Boy Train Western Tour

Dozens of whistle stops have been announced for the western leg of Big Boy’s historic coast-to-coast tour in 2026. In Wyoming, that includes: Laramie, Medicine Bow, Wamsutter, Rock Springs, and Green River.

Renée JeanFebruary 26, 2026

State Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, has been a vocal supporter of the PRCA moving its headquarters to Wyoming.

PRCA Bill Stumbles, But $15M From State For Move To Cheyenne Not Dead

A House committee gave a surprise “no” vote Wednesday for $15 million to move the PRCA headquarters to Cheyenne. But the money for the move isn’t dead, supporters say.

Renée JeanFebruary 26, 2026

Debbie Pommel speaks with Gov. Mark Gordon after winning the BigWYO award.

From Hawaii Ranch To Wyoming Range: Casper’s Debbie Pummel Is Tourism Award Winner

Hawaii native Debbie Pummel, a Casper resident for 33 years, won Wyoming’s 2026 BigWYO tourism award for her three decades of leadership in the state’s hospitality industry and her dedication to mentoring future tourism professionals.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2026

Wyoming's new tourism chief Dominic Bravo lays out his vision for the Cowboy State's No. 2 industry during his first major public address in a forum moderated by Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition Executive Director Chris Brown.

Wyoming Governor's Tourism Convention 2026: New Tourism Chief Outlines Vision

Wyoming's new tourism chief Dominic Bravo on Monday said the very idea that tourism is a "soft industry" doesn't work for him. Those are fighting words, he says. Tourism is the state’s No. 2 industry, generating nearly $5 billion in economic impact.

Renée JeanFebruary 24, 2026

Uinta County rancherJack Sims is seeing signs of new life in Evanston. New restaurants have opened, new businesses have opened, and he believes that is thanks, in no small part, to the growing role of the horse racing industry.

Horseracing Is Sparking An Equine Economic Boom In Evanston

Uinta County rancher Jack Sims says there are new signs of life in Evanston thanks to the horse racing industry. “There’s over 300 brood mares in the Wyoming breeding program around Evanston,” Sims said. “And it’s bringing a lot of money to this county.”

Renée JeanFebruary 23, 2026

Laramie’s 1937 Hitchcock House was once home to University of Wyoming presidents. Not quite a mansion, the nearly 5,000-square-foot house has hit the market, listing at $1.03 million.

Laramie Mini-Mansion, Former Home For UW Presidents, Hits The Market For $1 Million

Laramie’s 1937 Hitchcock House was once home to presidents at the University of Wyoming. Not quite a mansion, the nearly 5,000-square-foot house has hit the market, listing at $1.03 million.

Renée JeanFebruary 22, 2026

A pair of Wyoming college students were among the 300 extras cast in the sci-fi classic “Starship Troopers” 30 years ago. They recall hot days in Hell’s Half Acre doused with alien blood as dead bodies. “I want more blood!” the director would yell. Here, extra Melissa Parkinson poses for a photo in her suit during the filming.

30 Years Later: Looking Back On The Filming Of 'Starship Troopers'

30 years ago this summer, Melissa Parkinson and Tana Libolt landed the most unusual job they ever had. They were hired to be dead bodies at Hell’s Half Acre for the filming of 'Starship Troopers.' They were among 300 who answered a newspaper ad in Casper.

Renée JeanFebruary 22, 2026