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

Dixie Berger explains how the removable patches work for a potential customer.

How A Saratoga Woman Built An International Western Fashion Brand From Her Bedroom

A Saratoga woman was determined to remain a stay-at-home mom, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t build an international Western fashion brand. Her business Pure Dixie started in a 150-square-foot bedroom, now takes up two warehouses and continues to grow.

Renée JeanAugust 01, 2026

A Crook County ranch with almost a century of history has hit the market for $5 million. It comes with a historic homestead, 7,500-square-foot mansion, a trout stream, views of red bluffs and access to the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota.

T Diamond Ranch, Legacy Black Hills Spread, Hits Wyoming Market For $5 Million

Another of Wyoming’s legacy ranches is hitting the market after nearly a century of stewardship. The T Diamond Ranch in Crook County comes with a 7,500-square-foot mansion, trout streams, scenic red bluffs, and a front-row seat to the Black Hills.

Renée JeanAugust 01, 2026

Doctors thought John Mionszynski would never bend his arm again and would likely lose use of his fingers. But every year he becomes the piano man for South Pass City, playing flawless 1800s tunes.

South Pass City Saloon's Piano Man Has Entertained Gold Rush Visitors Since 1974

John Mionczynski has entertained patrons of the South Pass City Saloon since 1974, when the state resurrected the gold-rush town. Watching him play a flawless rendition of “The Entertainer," one would never guess that once he couldn’t use his fingers at all.

Renée JeanAugust 01, 2026

Home Prices In Northeast Wyoming Jump 20% While Much Of U.S. Market Cools

From Gillette to Aladdin, home prices are up 20% and inventory is scarce as retirees have discovered northeast Wyoming. That has the region bucking a national trend of a cooling housing market. “We have record low inventory,” one real estate agent said.

Renée JeanJuly 31, 2026

$1.8M Settlement Puts Star Plunge On Track To Reopen After Closed For 18 Months

Star Plunge in Thermopolis is on track to reopen after a $1.8 million settlement between Wyoming State Parks and its previous operator has kept it closed since January 2025. “It won’t happen today, but hopefully soon,” said a state parks official.

Renée JeanJuly 31, 2026

Cheyenne Frontier Days is basically a 10-day part with concerts, rodeo and other events, but the party isn’t confined to the CFD grounds. It spell out into Wyoming’s capital city, where bars and restaurants can do double their normal business. The arena floor at Frontier Park is rebranded as The Party Zone at night for standing-room-only concert-goers, who can even buy fast passes to get closer to the stage.

Cheyenne Turns Into Wyoming’s Party City For 10 Days During Frontier Days

Cheyenne Frontier Days is basically a 10-day party with concerts, rodeo and other events, but the party isn’t confined to the CFD grounds. It spills out into Wyoming’s capital city, where bars and restaurants can do double their normal business.

Renée JeanJuly 26, 2026

Brian Harms talks about using Matchbox-sized cars to work out complicated logistics for television shows like "The Closer" and "Grey's Anatomy" when he was art director and production designer.

Wyoming Native, Now Small Business Owner, Spent 13 Years On TV’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Brian Harms is a Lander native who spent 13 years designing the look of TV's hugely popular "Grey's Anatomy." Harms, who recently bought the Lander Bake Shop, has dozens of other film and TV credits to his name in his 20-plus-year Hollywood career.

Renée JeanJuly 26, 2026

From escaping Cambodia's killing fields to crafting handmade furniture, a Lander business owner says she has a deep appreciation for the American Dream — because she's living it. “My mom didn’t make it because we had no medication,” said Sophal Thompson.

Lander Business Owner Escaped Cambodia's Killing Fields To Build American Dream

Sophal Thompson grew up in Cambodia and remembers hiding underground when bombs came. She saved every penny to take English lessons and had $10 when she arrived in the U.S. Now, a successful business owner in Lander, she says: “I really, really love America."

Renée JeanJuly 26, 2026

John and Bill Brewster are among Cheyenne Frontier Days' longest-serving volunteers.

The Brewster Brothers: 134 Years Of Cheyenne Frontier Days In Two Cowboy Hats

Cheyenne Frontier Days has 2,700 volunteers, many of them multigenerational. Among them are the Brewster brothers, who have 134 years of volunteering between them. "Our grandfather was on the Frontier Days parade in the '20s, so it’s family here.”

Renée JeanJuly 25, 2026

"Mountain Men" star Josh Kirk wan't going to let his teen daughter Eden get away with ding-dong ditching homes in Lander, so he made her own up to her actions and issue a public apology. “Even though it was peer pressure, that’s not an excuse,” she said.

Lander's 'Mountain Man' Makes Daughter Give Public Apology For Ding-Dong Ditching

History Channel's "Mountain Men" star Josh Kirk wan't going to let his teen daughter get away with ding-dong ditching homes in Lander, so he made her own up to her actions and issue a public apology. “Even though it was peer pressure, that’s not an excuse,” she said.

Renée JeanJuly 25, 2026

A Head Injury Nearly Killed Her, Now She’s Competing At Cheyenne Frontier Days

After a devastating head injury nearly ended her life, barrel racer Anita Ellis is on an inspiring comeback trail that runs through Cheyenne Frontier Days. “I don’t really get intense or worry about stuff now. It’s in God’s hands,” she said.

Renée JeanJuly 25, 2026

Hudson Bolton, center, with his girlfriend Kennedy, drops off a load of laundry with Drop N Dash during Cheyenne Frontier Days while Jessica Snider, left, looks on.

Cowboys, Crap And 1,900 Pounds Of Laundry: The Dirty Side Of Cheyenne Frontier Days

Behind the scenes, Cheyenne's Courtney Shillenn and her Drop N Dash laundry crew are washing away the dust, the mud, the blood, and the poop at Cheyenne Frontier Days. A half-month's worth of dirty clothes have spun through their machines in five days.

Renée JeanJuly 24, 2026

Other Authors

Meet The Cheyenne Leatherman Repairing Heirlooms — And Reviving A Lost Skill

In an era of mass-produced, throwaway goods, Cheyenne craftsman Rob Underwood is different. Amid a surge in western culture popularity, he demonstrated old-world leatherman skills during Cheyenne Frontier Days, hoping to keep a dying trade alive.

Renée JeanJuly 24, 2026

For the first time since it was homesteaded 138 years ago, the Hoback River Homestead — a legacy Sublette County, Wyoming ranch that brokers say has the largest privately owned stretch of the Hoback River — has hit the market for $59.5 million.

2,000-Acre Wyoming Homestead On Market For First Time Ever At $59.5 Million

For the first time since it was homesteaded 138 years ago, the 2,000-acre Hoback River Homestead is on the market. The legacy Wyoming ranch has the largest privately owned stretch of the Hoback River and is listed at $59.5 million.

Renée JeanJuly 23, 2026

Left, Chris LeDoux performs in Nashville in 1993. Right, his son Ned LeDoux points to heaven while performing on stage at the 2021 Watershed music fesival in Washington state.

‘Bareback Jack’ Rides Again: Ned LeDoux Launching Tribute Tour For Dad In Cheyenne

Fifty years after Ned LeDoux’s dad, Chris, won the PRCA bareback championship, his son is launching the “Bareback Jack” Tribute tour in Cheyenne, the city that helped start both his dad’s rodeo and music careers. The tour starts Friday, July 24.

Renée JeanJuly 23, 2026

A view to a kill — Cheyenne Frontier Days new skybox experience offers a commanding view of the action. Sound is wired directly into the skyboxes as well,, making it an immersive rodeo experience.

Cheyenne Frontier Days' New Skybox Delivers Luxury — And An Over The Top View

Soft seats, catered food, and a commanding view — Cheyenne Frontier Days’ premium skybox experience already has fans. “The view above Chute 9 is incredible,” one said. “I think it’s going to be harder and harder to get these as people find out.”

Renée JeanJuly 22, 2026

Author Craig Johnson, left, and Sheriff Walt Longmire actor Robert Taylor talk about the fictional sheriff in the books versus Walt Longmire in the television series during the "Two Walts" panel at Longmire Days in Buffalo.

Fans Still Pack Buffalo For Longmire Days, Even 9 Years After Last TV Episode

Fans still pack Buffalo for Longmire Days even nine years after the last “Longmire” TV episode aired. Author Craig Johnson created Sheriff Walt Longmire, and said fans "expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time."

Renée JeanJuly 20, 2026

Gary Engman is building the Cowboy Starship just West of Dubois, 12 miles from the Teton County line.

Inside The ‘Cowboy Starship,’ A $7.95 Million Off-Grid Mansion In Remote Wyoming

A Dubois man is betting a remote 9,000-square-foot, $7.95 million off-grid mansion made from reclaimed wood can lure Jackson Hole-level buyers across the Teton County line to Fremont County. “I have more wildlife on my ranch than Yellowstone,” he said.

Renée JeanJuly 19, 2026

Continental Divide hikers near Island Lake in the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

Small Wyoming Towns Get Huge Economic Boost From Continental Divide Hikers

From burgers and ice cream in Atlantic City to showers in Lander to Thai food in Rawlins, hikers on the Continental Divide Trail are giving small Wyoming towns a big economic boost. “It’s put Atlantic City on the map,” said one local business owner.

Renée JeanJuly 19, 2026

National Geographic Profiles Wyoming’s Famous Hell’s Half Acre

National Geographic has raised the profile of Wyoming’s famous Hell’s Half Acre by featuring the alien landscape in its latest issue. It comes at a time when much of Hell’s Half Acre that had been inaccessible to the public for roughly 20 years is open again.

Renée JeanJuly 19, 2026

A packed house turned out in Evanston's Roundhouse to hear answers about Prometheus Hyperscale's proposed data center in Uinta County.

Opponents Of Massive Data Center In Uinta County Launch Petition For Court Review

Opponents of Prometheus Hyerpscale’s massive data center near Evanston are challenging permits and zoning for the project due to fears about water, energy, and land use. Supporters say the project is a rare lifeline for Uinta County’s struggling economy.

Renée JeanJuly 17, 2026