Rural Communities

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Housing prices down by shocking amount in Gallatin County

Median home prices in Gallatin County decreased 21.1% from $868,000 in February 2022 to $684,682 last month.

CBS Sunday Morning – COVID’s education crisis: A lost generation? What can be done to save them?

Students who were forced into remote learning because of the pandemic lost valuable time in class; one nationwide study shows reading skills have dropped to their lowest point in 30 years. With the added personal toll from COVID, this generation is facing a crisis of stunted learning and emotional turmoil. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with educators about what can be done.

Come Home to Great Falls – Economic Development Top 10 for 3-26-23

Through our talent attraction efforts we often hear stories of Great Falls natives returning to the community after experiencing out-of-state living. They are drawn to the small town feel of Great Falls, the bountiful recreational opportunities, and low cost of living. Tara and Jason Beam chose to move back to Great Falls and started Roadhouse Diner.

This Ponzi Scheme Might END Suburban Prosperity

The Growth Ponzi Scheme is not nefarious; there is not a specific individual or group that has created it for their own benefit. It has emerged from a broad cultural consensus about economic growth, development patterns, and debt. So what can you do?

Renewable Energy Survey for Residents of Blaine, Cascade, Choteau, Fergus, Glacier, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Meagher, Pondera, Teton, and Toole Counties in Montana. 

Attached is a survey which by your communities’ responses will help shape our Food, Ag, and Bioprocessing and Farm-derived Renewable Energy business development strategies for the next three years! 

What’s New in Digital Equity: HUD Releases High-Speed Internet Guide

Plus, a continued look at what some state and local governments are doing to increase participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, and more.

111 Resources, idea starters and opportunities for people who can “work from anywhere”

Estonia created the world’s first digital nomad visa in July 2020, allowing qualified people to live in Estonia for one year while working remotely from their home country. Since then Europe has roundly adopted the concept with Armenia, Cypress, Croatia, Cypress, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Turkey all creating or announcing remote work visas.

TED Talk – How to keep your hometown from becoming a ghost town

From the closure of the iconic Route 66 to the roller-coaster history of Buffalo, New York, Paget reveals the power of sharing your town’s “civic story” to spark local revitalization

Montana Senator Jon Tester, Senate Republicans Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Foreign Adversaries from Buying U.S. Farmland

The Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act would prohibit China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing or leasing U.S. farmland

Where States Get Their Money

The portion of state government revenue coming from federal dollars remained inflated by billions in COVID-19 pandemic relief aid in fiscal year 2021.

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Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.

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Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative - Collaborative program design and execution and integrated programs fostering innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship and sustainable small businesses

Bozeman is a rapidly growing city with a high quality of life in part due to the easy access to the outdoors, burgeoning tech industry, and cultural experiences it offers.

SBA 504 Loans offered statewide! Real estate and equipment, acquisitions, renovation, and new construction. Low, fixed-rates up to 25 years with as little as 10% down.