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

Wyoming’s expansive Pathfinder Ranches comes in at nearly 1 million acres — bigger than Rhode Island. And it’s on the market for $79.5 million.

Wyoming Ranch Bigger Than Rhode Island Lists For $79.5 Million

Wyoming’s expansive Pathfinder Ranches come in at nearly 1 million acres — bigger than the state of Rhode Island. And it’s on the market for $79.5 million.

Renée JeanAugust 08, 2025

Freddy Boss tries to yank Sierra Greathouse's top back down during the judging of the burnout. To no avail. The crowd cheered loudly for her anyway.

Wyoming Woman Bares All, Then Promptly Wins 50th Sundance Burnout Contest

The Sundance Burnout is a Wyoming tradition during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. A Gillette woman won the 50th Burnout this week, in part by boldly lifting her top to bare it all to win it.

Renée JeanAugust 07, 2025

25,000 Sturgis Rally Bikers Make Pit Stop In Hulett For Famous Ham And Jam

About 25,000 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally bikers made a pit stop in tiny Hulett, Wyoming, on Wednesday for the town’s famous Ham and Jam street party. Free barbecue and revving engines through the main drag are traditions some bikers have kept going for decades.

Renée JeanAugust 06, 2025

Shantel Mysliwiec and her children enjoy living in Wyoming despite the sagebrush they're allergic to.

Can’t Stop Sneezing? You’re Not Alone — Wyoming Among Worst Allergy States

Wyoming is not an easy state for allergy sufferers, and there’s a reason for that. Sagebrush is a huge contributor to the state’s overall pollen counts, which are the sixth highest in the nation.

Renée JeanAugust 05, 2025

Jackson caps habitable space on a given property at 8,000 square feet. But at $40 million, Riva Ridge Reserve far exceeds that. Grandfathered entitlements mean its 18,378 square feet of living space are something you couldn’t build today.

$40 Million Will Buy A Unique Estate At Foot Of The Tetons You Couldn’t Build Today

Teton County caps habitable space on a given property at 8,000 square feet. But at $40 million, Riva Ridge Reserve far exceeds that. Grandfathered entitlements mean its 18,378 square feet of living space are something you couldn’t build today.

Renée JeanAugust 03, 2025

Forward inertia is about to throw this rider off of this bucking bronco during a miniature roughstock rodeo in Newcastle during the Weston County Fair.

Growing Up Rodeo In Wyoming Means Riding In Miniature Roughstock Events

Generations of Wyoming kids have been raised by the Cowboy Code and a rodeo lifestyle. They’re also cutting their teeth competing in miniature roughstock rodeo — like the one this past week at the Weston County Fair in Newcastle.

Renée JeanAugust 03, 2025

Tim Kellog, Wyoming's cowboy chocolatier, shows a cacao pod to a customer in his shop, Meeteetse Chocolatier, in Meeteetse, Wyoming.

Wyoming Cowboy Wanted To Buy A Saddle, And Became A World-Class Chocolatier

Tim Kellogg, aka the Meeteetse Chocolatier, got his start trying to earn money to buy a saddle. Now he’s a master at his craft, traveling the world to source unique, high-quality ingredients and techniques. His world-class chocolates sell out in minutes.

Renée JeanAugust 03, 2025

A small cloud of motorcycles had found downtown Newcastle Friday afternoon, and were looking for adventures on Wyomingn's Black Hills side.

Newcastle Welcomes Bikers As Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Begins

Newcastle doesn’t go all out like some towns that are on the road to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. But it still gets plenty of motorcycle riders on their “hogs” exploring Wyoming’s Black Hills on their way to the rally.

Renée JeanAugust 02, 2025

Cheyenne artist Jordan Dean is painting two giant 60-to-70-foot horses as the centerpiece of a stunning mural on a prominent water tank. It takes two giant booms, a projector and $400 a gallon paint.

Cheyenne Artist Uses 2 Booms, $400-A-Gallon Paint To Paint 80-Foot Water Tank Murals

Cheyenne artist Jordan Dean is painting giant 60-to-70-foot horses as the centerpiece of stunning murals on two water tank north of town. It takes two giant boom lifts, a projector and $400-a-gallon paint.

Renée JeanAugust 02, 2025

Texas-based Crusoe is teaming up with Wyoming-based Tallgrass to build a huge 1.8-giggawatt data center in Cheyenne. Pictured is a Crusoe data center in Abeline, Texas, that's expanding to 1.2 gigawatts.

Cheyenne To Get Massive AI Data Center Powered By Gas And Carbon Capture

Cheyenne is about to get its largest artificial intelligence data center yet, at 1.8 gigawatts. Wyoming company Tallgrass and Texas-based Crusoe say the center will be powered by Wyoming natural gas, along with carbon capture technology.

Renée JeanJuly 29, 2025

Cheyenne Man Pulls 9 Gs With Thunderbirds, Then Takes A Nap

Cheyenne’s Bryan “Alf” Grzegorczyk had planned a celebratory drink following his once-in-a-lifetime Thunderbirds flight to salute everyone who nominated him for the honor. But after flying at 9 Gs, all Alf could manage was a celebratory nap.

Renée JeanJuly 28, 2025

Dan Starks, left, and Iwo Jima Association Executive Director Shayne Jarosz at the memorial to the flag raising on the island earlier in 2025. Starks got a rare opportunity to visit Iwo Jima 80 years after his father fought in the World War II battle.

80 Years After His Dad Fought On Iwo Jima, Dan Starks Makes Rare Visit To Island

National Museum of Military Vehicles owner Dan Starks took a rare trip to Iwo Jima earlier this year. He has new respect for the soldiers who fought there 80 years ago during World War II — including his own father.

Renée JeanJuly 27, 2025

Other Authors

Couple Steals Show With Surprise Proposal During Cheyenne Frontier Days Concert

Romance wasn’t in the air when Brandon Boyer and Shilee Calhoun met, but they fell in love anyway. That led to a surprise proposal that stole the spotlight for a moment during Ian Munsick’s Cheyenne Frontier Days concert.

Renée JeanJuly 27, 2025

Moses J. Brings Plenty gave a message of hope and unity at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Indian Village for what will be its last year in this location.

‘Yellowstone’ Actor Mo Brings Plenty Advises On New Frontier Days Indian Village

“Yellowstone” television series actor Mo Brings Plenty is helping shape the new Morning Star Indian Village, a multimillion-dollar project at Cheyenne Frontier Days set for completion in 2026.

Renée JeanJuly 27, 2025

A couple of shoppers stroll down the streets in downtown Cheyenne.

Cheyenne’s Rodeo Week Inspires Huge Shopping Sprees, Millions In Economic Impact

Rodeo season in Cheyenne brings a surge of shoppers and record-breaking sales. Local businesses are projected to reap millions in economic benefits during the city’s iconic Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Renée JeanJuly 25, 2025

The famous Air Force Thunderbirds have touched down in Cheyenne ahead of their Saturday Wings Over Wyoming show. Its first civilian air show was the 1953 Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the Thunderbirds have been back every year since, but one.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Was First Civilian Show For Thunderbirds 72 Years Ago

The famous Air Force Thunderbirds have touched down in Cheyenne ahead of their Saturday Wings Over Wyoming show. The squad's first civilian air show was the 1953 Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the Thunderbirds have been back every year since but two.

Renée JeanJuly 25, 2025

Gap Pucci with Mother Marie Wendy McMenamy at his place in Jackson Hole.

Estate Of Legendary Wyoming Spaghetti Westerner Gap Pucci To Be Bought By Nuns

Gap Pucci befriended two nuns 25 years ago after they walked in sandals with no socks in knee-deep snow to see his crosses. Now the nuns say they will buy the legendary Wyoming spaghetti Westerner’s estate with a promise it won’t become a luxury mansion.

Renée JeanJuly 24, 2025

New Warner Bros. Streaming Service Fuels Hope For ‘Longmire’ Comeback

Warner Bros. Discovery is creating its own streaming service. That’s fueling hopes among die-hard fans that that the popular “Longmire” series, which Warner Bros. owns, could make a comeback.

Renée JeanJuly 23, 2025

Moses J. Brings Plenty atop a horse named Louie, right before the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade with the Cheyenne Capitol in the background.

“Yellowstone” Star Mo Brings Plenty Back In Wyoming As Cheyenne Frontier Days Parade Grand Marshal

“Yellowstone” star Mo Brings Plenty is back again for Cheyenne Frontier Days, this time as grand marshal of the parade. Growing up, the A-lister heard many stories about CFD, and says it’s the most prestigious rodeo in the world.

Renée JeanJuly 22, 2025

Robert Taylor and Craig Johnson pose together for Cowboy State Daily after their "Two Walts" presentation during Longmire Days in Buffalo.

Longmire Star Robert Taylor Comes To Buffalo Every Year Because He Loves Wyoming

If Longmire Days had to pay Australian actor Robert Taylor to attend, it would be far out of reach. The actor doesn’t come for the money. He comes to Longmire Days in Buffalo every year for something else. He loves Wyoming.

Renée JeanJuly 21, 2025

A huge bronze installation of 70 larger-than-life longhorn steers that was cast at Eagle Bronze Foundry in Lander, Wyoming.

Famous Sculptures Placed Around The World Come From Lander's Eagle Bronze

Outside the art world, few may recognize the name of Lander’s Eagle Bronze Foundry. But sculptures created there are prominent around the world, including 70 larger-than-life 6-foot-tall longhorn steers in Dallas, the longest continuous-themed bronze sculpture collection in the U.S.

Renée JeanJuly 20, 2025

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