Missoula, Montana’s Silk Road Catering Develops Map of Montana Event Venues

The Silk Road Catering team has catered over 2,000 special events since 2009, and has traveled to hundreds of public and private locations in Western Montana. Are there more we can add to the map? 

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Missoula Public Library 5th Birthday Block Party – 7/17 – Main Street

Come meet your neighbors.

Will Europeans now start demanding air conditioning? It’s a cultural and architectural challenge

“The question is how to provide it in a way that is efficient, equitable, and smart. Not by panic-buying inefficient, energy-intensive portable ACs.”

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Does Your Organization Have Leaders Who are Good Story Tellers? – Leaders Must Embrace Authentic Engagement to Build Trust and Credibility

Senior leaders are moving away from polished messages toward authentic, consistent engagement. This shift helps leaders connect meaningfully and maintain trust in today’s digital and dispersed environments.

Bonner, Montana Data Center Project Canceled After Massive Petition Campaign

Nearly 50,000 signatures opposed the proposed data center over environmental concerns. The project’s withdrawal highlights rising local resistance to resource-heavy infrastructure developments.

Biking the Historic Hiawatha Trail Through Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains

The 15-mile Hiawatha Trail follows a former Milwaukee Railroad route, blending history with stunning nature. Riders experience the 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass Tunnel and scenic views while supporting local tourism and preservation efforts.

Cities, including Missoula, Slash Parking Minimums to Boost Housing Affordability

Since 2019, over a dozen states and more than 100 cities have reduced or removed parking minimums to lower development costs and ease housing shortages. Montana may face similar challenges balancing parking management with housing needs if it adopts these reforms.

Missoula based BlueLine Development Plans 296 New Workforce Housing Units In Bozeman, Montana to Ease Shortage

BlueLine Development’s Rocky Mountain Flats project aims to provide affordable housing for workers and families priced out of the market. This initiative supports economic growth by addressing structural housing deficits in the Gallatin Valley.

Aviation Mechanic Shortage Spurs Job Growth and High Salaries – Aviation Maintenance Technology – Helena College

The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics recently graduated 60 maintenance students, with nearly half securing jobs before graduation. Boeing forecasts a need for 123,000 maintenance technicians in North America through 2044, highlighting strong demand in the industry.

Stu Brumbaugh Returns to Help Build Montana’s Film Industry

After 30 years in Hollywood, Brumbaugh aims to create authentic Montana stories and career opportunities through Ladder 5 Films. His project Running Eagle honors the Blackfeet Tribe and plans include a film academy to nurture local talent.

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Tell Us Something – The Pursuit of Happiness – 9/23 – University of Montana Dennison Theater

Eight storytellers will share their true personal stories without notes on the theme: “Pursuit of Happiness”

Montana State University strategic plan listening sessions planned for July in Kalispell, Great Falls, Helena, Butte and Bozeman

All upcoming listening sessions are listed on MSU’s Strategic Plan website that will be updated with additional details as needed. 

Missoula, Montana taekwondo team from Corbin’s Championship Training Gymnasium wins big on national stage

“There are full-ride scholarships available,” Corbin said. “Fully funded athletes that are going to universities. Only two in the USA, but it’s building momentum, and my hope is in the next few years this will be something that athletes will be able to be fully funded for going to college.”

What U.S. City Has The Most Marijuana Dispensaries Per Capita – Freezes New Marijuana Dispensary Licenses Until 2027

The city council enacted a temporary ban to control rapid dispensary growth and address public health concerns. Existing dispensaries can relocate if compliant, while new licenses are halted to develop zoning standards.

What it’s like to be a person of color in Montana: Two Great Falls business owners share their stories

Two minority entrepreneurs in Great Falls share their experiences with microaggressions and social stigma in a predominantly white state. Their stories highlight the complex realities behind Montana’s 43 reported hate crimes from 2021 to 2023.

North Dakota Nearing 100 Percent Fiber Connectivity – How is Your State Doing?

In one of the most rural parts of the U.S., the Peace Garden State is close to being the first in the nation in which every home and business has (or will soon have) access to fiber service, the gold standard of Internet connectivity.

Tour Operators:  Will ChatGPT Recommend Your Tours? Here’s How to Find Out

Today, a growing share of those travelers ask ChatGPT or Gemini instead — and get back a short, confident answer naming two or three specific outfitters. If your company is one of them, great. If it isn’t, that family books with someone else, and you never see it happen. No lost click in your analytics. No drop in your rankings. Just a booking that quietly went elsewhere.

Younger Entrepreneurs Drive Record SBA “Blue Collar” Business Acquisition Loans to Hedge Against Artificial Intelligence

In 2025, SBA-backed loans for business acquisitions reached $8.17 billion, fueled by millennials buying blue collar firms. Buyers often evaluate hundreds of businesses before closing a deal, highlighting the complexity of these transactions.

Montana Faces $16 Million SNAP Cost Sharing Starting 2027

Montana’s SNAP error rate exceeded the federal 6% threshold, risking a $16 million charge based on current benefit distributions. State officials are working to reduce errors and possibly avoid or lessen this financial impact.

Montana State University Wins $600K Grant to Fight Bacteria in Hydroponic Farms

MSU researchers are developing nanoparticle technology to detect and remove harmful microorganisms from hydroponic systems. This innovation aims to protect year-round crop production and support Montana farmers adapting to harsh climates.

Growth, Succession, or Exit? Find the Right Path for Your Business

Every business must eventually decide whether to grow, transition to new leadership, or prepare for sale. This session clarifies the options and helps owners choose the right path.

In Missoula, Montana, a Museum Grows from Timber and Memory

Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the National Museum of Forest Service History’s new hub transforms donated materials and expressive timber forms into a learning environment.

Bearpaw Development Corporation in Havre, Montana – Community Investment Is Business Attraction

Havre is currently experiencing a downtown renaissance, fueled in part by strategic investments made possible through programs administered by Commerce. These efforts stemmed from the development of a well-timed downtown master plan adopted by the Havre City Council that included components designed to make its downtown business district a more inviting place to live, visit, build a business and invest. 

Your School Districts are Unappreciated Economic Development Engines – Just ask Winifred, Montana

School districts play are engines of economic development. Beyond education, they drive jobs, infrastructure, and community resilience, challenging the common view of districts as mere cost centers.

Passive Income Instead of Hard Work is the New American Dream.

A Wall Street Journal investigation this month put a striking name to a sweeping cultural shift: passive income has replaced hard work as the new American Dream. 

Battery Swapping Is Finally Coming To The USA, Starting With Two Wheels

Eventually conductive charging could replace both static charging as well as battery swapping. 

Montana Career Opportunity – University of Montana Corporate Relations Officer, Office of Research & Creative Scholarship

The University Corporate Relations Officer is responsible for building and stewarding strategic relationships with corporate and employer partners to advance the university’s research, talent, and workforce-development priorities. This role serves as a primary entry point…

Hellgate Venture Network July Meetup with Jennie Yang of NeoSchool – 7/16 – First Interstate Bank – 101 E. Front Street, Missoula, Montana

Guest Speaker: Jennie Yang, Founder of NeoSchool – The school built for the post-AI world.

Reimagine Wellness at the Gate of Your Flight at the Airport with Sky Cycle.

Then we launched at the Missoula International Airport. Travelers walked up, scanned the QR code, and rode. Nobody wondered why it was there. A few people wandering by said “what is this”, with genuine curiosity, and the second they got it…they got it completely.

Montana Career Opportunity – Administrative Associate IV – University of Montana College of Business

The College of Business invites applications for an Administrative Associate IV to oversee front-office operations and provide administrative, fiscal, and personnel support. This position serves as a key resource for faculty, staff, students, and visitors while…

GFDA Top Ten for 7/5/26

Janicki is hosting a Community Forum at 5:30 PM on Thursday, (7/9) in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU. Please RSVP here so we have enough seats.

Both Employers and Employees Face Challenges “Returning to the Office”

Leaders say that in-person work boosts collaboration and productivity. But in 2026, workers continue to act like it does anything but: Having grown accustomed to working in the peace and quiet of their own homes, offices feel more overstimulating and work-inhibiting than ever.

Montana Career Opportunity – Paid Social Manager – TOMIS

We grow tour operator businesses. Through marketing software and expert services, TOMIS generates more direct bookings for your business, makes sense of your marketing and sales data, and streamlines your operations. Job Title: Paid Social…

Missoula Smokejumpers Gear Up for Rising Wildfire Threats – ‘The Swiss Army knife’ of wildland fire fighting.

Missoula’s elite smokejumpers are preparing for a wildfire season with a 43-percent increase in catastrophic fires. Their adaptability and expertise are crucial as the U.S. Forest Service faces reorganization and personnel cuts.

AI is fueling a shocking new trend in San Francisco real estate

The most alarming trend to emerge this summer is the colossal overbid. “85% of SF houses sold over asking in early 2026,” San Francisco real estate specialist Luba Muzichenko wrote on Instagram. The average overbid, she said, was 23% above list price. “That ties the all-time record from April 2022.”

Are you preparing for the new age of quantum computing and “Q-day”?

A surge of funding and federal action is giving the once-futuristic technology a more immediate role in everything from business to cybersecurity.

California Bans ‘Sell By’ Labels, Hoping to Cut Food Waste

The law standardizes language around expiration dates, aiming to minimize confusion about when food is safe to eat. More than one-third of food sold nationwide is wasted, the U.S.D.A. says. “Consumers get confused and they just default to assuming that whatever date is on the package means ‘don’t eat it and throw it away’,” said Kumar Chandran, policy director at ReFED, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste.

University of Montana Honors Four Alumni for Leadership and Impact in Last Decade

The University of Montana Alumni Association recognized Alexa Coyle, Bailey Durnell, William Lapointe, and Genevieve Lind for their significant professional achievements. These honorees exemplify how UM education translates into meaningful careers across diverse sectors.

The Trump Administration is Shuffling Interior Department Employees To New Roles That Don’t Make Sense

“When I tell you that it makes no sense, I’m not exaggerating,” one employee told SFGATE. “It’s just insane — absolute insanity.”

University of Montana welcomes Jeremiah Shinn as 20th president

“Our students deserve a university built for the world they’re entering, not the one we’re leaving behind,” Shinn added. “At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, UM will meet this moment. Not with arguments, but with proof. In our work, in our graduates and in our service to Montana.”

World’s first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle could revolutionize biological engineering

“This is likely the most exciting project I’ve ever worked on,” said Adamala. “We’ve replicated in chemistry what only used to be possible in biology: the complete set of behaviors of a cell. It proves that the most fundamental functions of life, like growth and replication, do not need a mysterious magical spark.”