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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Jan 27, 2015 |
"I've decided to be happy because it's good for my health" Voltaire
4 Montana Communities in Top 100 Best Places to Live - Missoula #8, Bozeman #11, Helena #52, Billings #98 http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- Galactic Farms Sprouts at the University of Montana - Provides Learning Opportunities and Locally Grown Food with Aquaponics System http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
2014 Montana Politics & 2015 Legislature
Early Edge Montana
- Build Montana will be good for state
Our elected leaders have the perfect opportunity to stand together at this historic time, and to renew the legacy passed on to us by continuing to Build Montana.
- Montana's Legislature can help increase graduation rates
Together, we can provide an economic boost to our state and communities and improve the lives of hundreds of Montana students. Together, we can make graduation matter!
- Civil Engineers: Build Montana Act Sets 'Foundation'
"Will the (Build Montana Act) bring the state from a C-minus to a solid B? Probably not, but it shows that we're heading in the right direction."
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce
- "Let It Go, Let It Go, Let It Get Funded !!! - Rally held at Montana Capitol to support early-education program
Montana is one of eight states without public preschool and not everyone is pleased with the statistic.
Montana Data Focused Business Cluster
- Kalispell Chamber of Commerce - Poised for Another Busy Year of Economic Activity
"We think the timing is excellent," Unterreiner said. "We want to focus our attention and energy to make sure we have a vibrant and fully developed and exciting downtown."
Northwestern Energy
- Microsoft Continues Its March Toward Open Source With Latest Acquisition
Inside the corporate world, R has become a de facto means of analyzing data, and it's often used in the data science competitions run by startup Kaggle, competitions that have become a popular way for companies to tap independent data scientists for help with particularly thorny problems.
Sustainable Business Council
- New building highlights NorthWestern Energy's big year
NorthWestern Energy http://www.northwesternenergy.com/ would be hard-pressed to script a bigger year for itself in Butte and the rest of Montana than what actually played out in 2014.
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- Bringing sustainability to small-town America
There are some terrific examples of green initiatives beginning to emerge in small-town America.
Great Falls Development Authority
- Origins Montana Offers Heritage Tours of Historical and Archeological Sites
Our current itineraries are featuring Chinese and Chinese American historical and archaeological sites and we will provide local guides who are the top professionals in their discipline.
- Beautiful Montana Landscape Timelapse Video by Mark Irion
Filmmaker Mark Irion's put together these stunning timelapses of Montana's beautiful landscape as a side project during a three week shoot.
Inteneo Systems
- Great Falls Development Authority Top 14 for 1/26/15
Congratulations to the United Way of Cascade County team for topping its donation record for the 6th year in a row! Thank You for everything you do for the Great Falls community!
Come Home Montana
- Why Business Intelligence is Not CRM
CRM vendors who realized too late that data analysis capabilities were vital are now pitching CRM data marts along with their core products.
- Big data lessons: How to apply analytics to improve utility distribution operations
It's not always clear when the sun will shine, the wind will blow or a storm would hit, but predictive distribution grid analytics can help utilities identify and address these intermittent conditions and better manage operational risk.
- Advisers who embrace big data will have a leg up on competitors
Companies of all sorts are boosting spending on technologies related to big data as studies show early adopters of these systems are enhancing their businesses.
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunities - Missoula Community Relations Manager and more... - Northwestern Energy
The Community Relations Manager will work to advance the reputation and image of NorthWestern Energy and contribute to the business and civic life in the communities served by NorthWestern Energy.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Montana Smith River Field Coordinator - Trout Unlimited
We are seeking a staff member to coordinate our efforts to protect the Smith River, and in the process, the strong sporting heritage it sustains.
- Community Medical Center Inc. begins search for Legacy Foundation board members
Non-clinical, public health professionals are encouraged to apply for current Board openings.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Systems Administrator - The Biomimicry Institute
In addition to managing our technological systems, this position provides technical expertise, user support, and limited training to our small, geographically dispersed team of staff and contractors.
- 4 Montana Communities in Top 100 Best Places to Live - Missoula #8, Bozeman #11, Helena #52, Billings #98
Spend some time getting to know them, and when it comes time for your next move, maybe you'll think small.
Montana Economic Development
- This Week - Stockman Bank Missoula Grand Opening - Jan. 26-30
Stockman Bank is a complete financial center providing personal, business, agricultural and real estate banking services across Montana, northern Wyoming and western North Dakota.
- What is the Hardest Thing About Owning a Small Business?
Never Underestimate Your Capacity to Not Know.
- For Athletes Who Don't Savor Sweets, How About Montana Beef In a Bar?
Brent Ruby, whose Montana-based Omnibars http://omnibars.com/ are made from grass-fed beef and potatoes, says he ate sweet bars and gels for more than a decade, and one day simply burned out.
- Connole Morton Insurance and Real Estate Schools
We offer the premier Insurance and Real Estate schools in Montana. Connole-Morton Insurance and Real Estate Schools have provided instruction for over 40 years and helped thousands start careers in insurance and real estate.
- Belgrade, Montana company Root Cellar Foods packs local veggies on large scale
Root Cellar Foods http://rootcellarfoods.net/ is the only large-scale processing and packing company for locally grown foods around, and, aside from one smaller operation in Ronan, may be the only such company in the state, said co-owner Christina Waller.
- Butte's top 10 employers
Here's a list of Butte's Top 10 private employers. The list doesn't include public entities like Montana Tech or the federal or state governments.
- Many Montana employees, businesses work from home
Interestingly, a handful of smaller Montana counties had an even higher share, more than 20 percent, who worked from home.
- Stockman Bank opens temporary location in downtown Missoula
"We are a community bank that serves the needs of all members of the community," said Stockman Bank Missoula president Bob Burns.
TEDx Events in Montana
- Montana economic outlook detailed at University of Montana
Experts say Missoula and Western Montana have seen slow growth since the recession because of a lack of construction. While commercial buildings are being built, residential areas are not growing.
- New building could land manufacturers for Butte
"It took a long time for us to get to this point but we have had a number of manufacturers come in, and they just cannot find this kind of space we're talking about in Butte," she said. "At this point, they really just want to manufacture.
- Slow and steady: Butte looks for economic jump-start
Right now, Butte's economy probably best resembles a tortoise. Whether it can catch economic hares remains to be seen.
Careers
- Today's TED Talk Miguel Nicolelis: Brain-to-brain communication has arrived. How we did it
Watch to the end for an experiment that, as he says, will go to "the limit of your imagination."
Next Generation Broadband in Montana
- 5 interview questions CEOs really ask (and how to answer them)
Here are five real interview questions from chief executives plus some tips on how to best answer them.
- New free career tool for college students
The website helps students quantify their interests into career options and also gives tips on resume building, interview guidelines and on constructing a personal brand.
Government
- City looks to boost broadband with Bozeman Fiber Master Plan
This plan aims to create an open access network to draw in more providers like Charter to Bozeman.
- In Portugal, WiFi vehicles could create truly smart cities
Veniam is aiming to create a reliable, ubiquitous WiFi for on the move passengers and workers, reducing the reliance on cellular data, and creating truly smart city centres.
Idaho Business
- The Wrong Way to Keep Cops and Firefighters on the Job
The systems we live under vary from place to place, but no system can change the human impulse to shift problems to someone else.
Incubators and R&D
- Idaho's Emergency Operating Plan Updated with Cyberattack Procedures
The state's homeland security director says cyberthreats remain the "most important and least understood risk" to government and the private sector.
Regional Business
- 5 Creative Ways Business Incubators Are Helping Their Startups Succeed
By lightning everyday business costs and resource burdens, incubators are yielding high economic return.
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- It's Time to Fix America's Infrastructure. Here's Where to Start
There's a lot of work to be done. Here's an overview of the American infrastructure that needs to be fixed, and some good places to start the work.
- Ten ways to support the next generation of farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that half of all current farmers are likely to retire in the next decade, leaving a large gap for the next generation to fill.
- The Obama administration wants to dramatically change how doctors are paid
"For the first time, we're going to set clear goals and establish a clear timeline for moving from volume to value in the Medicare system."
- Getting Smart About the Water We Use
In this challenging environment, local officials are taking action to minimize water-related costs for their governments and the residents they serve.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Bozeman-based S2 Corporation has provided $5 million to Montana State University research efforts
The technology capabilities of a small Bozeman company have been compared to Superman's X-ray vision, while at Montana State University it is also the millions of dollars the company has invested in research that places it in the superhero category.
Education
- Learning new languages re-wires brains of all ages
"Like physical exercise, the more you use specific areas of your brain, the more it grows and gets stronger."
- California Schools to Get Help with Broadband Infrastructure
"Our students deserve to be connected to the outside world."
Montana Education Excellence
- A Quiet Revolution in Helping Lift the Burden of Student Debt
The result may make it much easier for students to get out from under their debts.
- Obama would improve tax subsidies for higher education
If we are going to continue to rely on the tax system to subsidize college education, the president's reforms would improve the targeting and effectiveness of educational aid.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Laurel graduation rate spikes as students get 'intensive care'
At Laurel High School, failure is not an option.
Universities and Economic Development
- NorthWest Farm Credit Services Donates $75,000 to MSUN Auto/Diesel Center
"We are honored to partner with MSU-Northern in support of the Auto/Diesel Technology Center project," explained Bill Perry, Montana President of Northwest Farm Credit Services.
- New student housing project to be built in downtown Missoula
The complex will include an outdoor pool, music practice rooms, a ski- and bike-tuning room, a fitness center with a yoga studio, a media room, study lounges, extra storage and retail space.
- Galactic Farms Sprouts at the University of Montana - Provides Learning Opportunities and Locally Grown Food with Aquaponics System
Aquaponics is a soil-less growing process, using plants, fish and beneficial bacteria in a closed, self-contained environment. UM Dining will be growing a wide variety of nutrient-rich leafy greens as well as fresh herbs and edible flowers in the new system.
Community
- Montana Tech poised for growth, already offers $100 million boost
With almost 600 employees, Tech is one of Butte's largest employers. Almost 3,000 students take classes, many of whom relocate to Butte.
Funding and Building your Business
- ELEVEN New grant announcements
- Channel Your Inner Burning Man (Parent Style) In Missoula, 1/30
The experiences moms and dads have as parents will be honored by letting go of any guilt or regrets by lighting them on fire.
Energy and Climate Change
- The Right Marketing For A New Business Costs Least
The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth.
- Why This CEO Will Never Hire Another Salesperson
I have many good friends who work in sales. That's why this post is going to hurt.
- Foundersuite, other startups can help startups start up
"Before you had to dig through the jungle to figure out what you needed to do when starting a new company," said Doug Camplejohn, the founder of Fliptop, a software startup that uses Foundersuite. "Now it's all much more coin-operated."
- How to Start a Business With Very Little Money
Small-business people can find the cash they need to grow without going hat in hand to reluctant bankers, pleading with relatives or pandering to venture investors.
- To succeed, fail fast and learn quickly
"Every innovative idea is partially right and partially wrong, so the goal is to learn which is which and what to do about it."
- Why Hobbies Make for Very Successful Businesses
Turning a hobby into a business can really pay off. It just may take a while.
- Seven Tips for Entrepreneurs on Twitter
Similar to any other activity in your marketing and communications strategy, the way you use Twitter must be integrated into your overall strategy.
Connectivity & Communications
- California Ski Resorts Close over Lack of Snow
Most of the region has experienced dry and unusually warm conditions for about a month, with the temperature in Reno approaching 66 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, tying a 44-year-old record.
- Cleanup Of Solar Energy Spill Underway In Montana
"Yeah, we started getting calls from park rangers that things were getting pretty bright during the day," said Altair Energy spokesperson Rhett Gartner. "When we went to check out the scene one evening and didn't even need flashlights, we knew there was a problem."
- Solar-powered EV charging made easy for apartment blocks
In San Francisco, Powertree Services enable apartments to offer EV charging and solar power at no extra cost to building owners.
- Ocean heat content is climbing so quickly that the tracking chart 'broke'
What happens in the oceans does not stay in the oceans.
- New Video: Neil deGrasse Tyson Destroys Climate Deniers
Back in November, I observed that if Carl Sagan, the creator and host of the original Cosmos series, were alive today, he would have been a leader in the charge to address global warming.
- 8 Cray Cray Ways to Harness Solar Energy
Highly unusual ways to harness solar power today
- An Interstate Highway for Our Nation's Electricity
It's time to modernize the grid so we can better provide reliable, efficient and cheaper electricity while incorporating renewable sources to holistically tackle our 21st century energy needs.
GIS Technology
- How the cable industry is trying to reshape the economics of the Internet
If the industry gets its way, it'll enjoy tremendous advantages when it comes to the economics of the Internet. Here's how.
Government Technology
- Montana Ski Map Survey - Raffle for lift ticket!
All participants will be entered into a raffle to win one full-day adult lift ticket to Montana Snowbowl ski resort!
Non-Profit News
- Data Innovation Day 2015: Methodologies Behind Analytics Success Stories
"The people who are starting to succeed in big data are taking data sets they've never looked at before, combining them, and then asking questions that weren't askable before"
- Itemized receipt: A look at where the State of Montana uses its credit cards
A few charges raised our eyebrows enough to warrant a deeper dig.
- A Shortage of Data Analysts, Data on Student Absences Proves Fruitful
Online education offered by colleges and universities in America may not be a good tool for financial savings, as one might expect.
- Labor Department takes data-driven approach to veteran hiring
Companies need to eventually show that the percentage of veterans in their workforce is the same as the total share of veterans in the national population -- about 7 percent.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Four New MNA Products to Lower Your Overhead Costs
We appreciate your membership and trust you are saving enough through these programs to pay for your membership dues!
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- The Hidden High Costs of Mobile Homes
High-interest loans, shorter loan terms and some sales tactics turn what could be a good deal into an expensive proposition.
- The 88-Year-Old Skier You Wish You Could Be
'Sculpted in Time: The Wise Man' is the story of Eddie Hunter's life-long connection with Banff National Park and Mt. Norquay.
Transportation
- Can coconut fat keep brains from aging too fast?
Scientists say these results open the possibility of treating children, who are aging prematurely, as well as adults with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
- Testing for mortality: A way to measure our bodies' risk of disease
For the first time in humanity's long search for immortality, it's possible to see how our cells are holding up against the ravages of time.
- This device thinks it can be the last smartphone you will ever need
"A smartphone with modular parts make a lot sense now that we've gotten to the point where a lot of the core functions have more or less stabilized."
- The most affordable eBike EVER.
The Storm eBike can travel a range of 30 to 50 miles with a single charge. Full battery charge only takes 90 minutes.
- Are 3D-printed cars the next big thing?
"I like to think about it as, you go to a car wash today and you stand in front of the window and you're like, 'look at my car getting washed,'" said Rogers. "It's the same thing, look at my car being made, being printed."
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