The color of money is now gray. “Gerontonomia”

Great Falls Development Alliance

• Great Falls Development Alliance First Quarter 2026 Index – Numbers to Celebrate

  GFDA is a certified Community Development Financial Institution and a 501(c)3 charitable organization. High Plains Financial is a certified Community Development Corporation that offers SBA 504 loans statewide. GFDA and High Plains Financial are Equal Opportunity Employers, Lenders and Providers.

• GFDA Upcoming Business Trainings and Events

  Whether you’re just getting started, looking for new customers, wanting to grow sales through e-commerce, or focusing on workforce. We can help in your success!

Montana’s Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

• New Amtrak trains coming soon to Pacific Northwest

  “We considered what we could do, but I think it’s really important to make sure that the trainset is really fit and ready for service, and that the crews are ready to operate it,” Mason said. “That’s why we are recognizing that it’s not going to be here for the World Cup.”

Prospera

• Bozeman, Montana Airport Launches $200 Million Terminal Expansion – Public open house is scheduled for April 16, 2026

  A public open house is scheduled for April 16, 2026, to solicit community input on the runway plans, with sections of the expanded terminal possibly opening by fall 2026. Runway construction could commence within two years, contingent on the environmental assessment covering historical, wildlife, noise, and traffic impacts.

• Bozeman ranked as nation’s best college town for third consecutive year as enrollment grows

  Wellness played a big role for many Gen Z students and pointed to Bozeman’s setting in the Rocky Mountains, access to Yellowstone National Park and strong air quality as reasons the city stood out.

University of Montana College of Business

• You Are Invited as University of Montana Students Compete at the 37th Annual Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge 4/17

  The Ruffatto Startup Challenge – sponsored by Ontra Marketing Group, Bill and Cheryl Papesh and the Folley Family Foundation – provides a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their business ideas. Students compete for $50,000 in prize money, which reflects the strong support of businesses, organizations and individuals dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship across the state.

Montana Business

• Forest Service Proposes Stable Timber Supply for Montana Mills

  The agency is using a 1944 law to direct federal timber from three national forests to local mills.

• Why Denmark Removed 40 Percent of Greenland From the Economy—and What It Teaches Us About Modern Capital

  Denmark’s decision reveals something important: Not everything that can be monetized must be. And, more important, not everything should be exposed to economic optimization.

• Montana Logos highway ad sign costs double, pricing out Montana business owners

  Montana Logos renegotiated its contract with the Department of Transportation, leading to a significant price increase for tourist-oriented directional signs. “I’ve watched different advertising things go by the wayside. And maybe Montana Logos needs to find that out,”

• Whitefish Revises Growth Policy Amid Legal Height Limit Concerns

  The city council removed building height restrictions after State Senator Ellie Boldman highlighted conflicts with state law. This change reflects the challenge of balancing local planning goals with Montana’s housing legislation.

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses – Applications Open to Montana Businesses

  Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is designed for business owners who have a business poised for growth. We look for applicants who are passionate about growing their business and creating jobs in their communities

• Registration Now Open for Montana Department of Commerce Governor’s Conference on Tourism – 9/16-18 – Great Falls

  These sessions provide hands-on learning designed to show you exactly what our landscapes need to thrive. You’ll step directly into the heart of Montana’s rural communities to see the challenges and triumphs of hospitality firsthand.

• Massive 5,600-Worker Man Camp Proposed For Cheyenne, Wyoming’s South Side

  Iron Guard Housing plans a large modular camp to house thousands of workers for major projects, raising concerns about crime and infrastructure. Local officials weigh the benefits of centralized housing against community impact as public hearings approach.

• Microsoft will triple its data center footprint in Cheyenne, Wyoming with a 3,200-acre land purchase.

  The expansion raises important questions about infrastructure, resource management, and community impact that Montana businesses will want to watch closely.

• $970,000 in Big Sky Film Grant Funding Awarded to 22 Filmed-in-Montana Productions

  Roughly 124 applicants requested over $13 million in grants this year.

• New Study Finds Traditional TV Ads Overvalued by 55 Percent

  Researchers using smart TV data reveal that conventional ratings overstate ad effectiveness, with viewer response peaking within two days. Montana businesses may need to rethink advertising strategies to improve targeting and efficiency.

• Which states have the largest elderly populations?

  Elderly Population by State 2026

• Montana’s population is projected to grow and get grayer over the next 15 years

  Key trends include an aging population, a decline in children under 18, and high-income earners moving to western mountain regions.

• The color of money is now gray. “Gerontonomia”

  There has never been a better time to be a senior citizen in America… but at what cost?

Regional Economic Development

• Wyoming Advances Nuclear Plans as Communities Request Constraint while feds rush to expand industry

  Wyoming lawmakers amended the nuclear waste storage ban to support TerraPower’s Natrium plant proposal. Community opinions remain split as regulatory changes and environmental concerns shape the state’s nuclear future.

Rural Montana Communities

• Half of All Rural Counties Are Losing Population. Eastern Montana is a Hotspot. What Is Contributing to Those Declines?

  For years, the dominant headline has been that rural America is growing again. And that’s partly true. But zooming in reveals a more complex picture.

City Club Missoula, Montana

• Your Networking Efforts and Why You Should Compound Relationships, Not Just Contacts

  Why your network should deepen, not just widen.

• Missoula community leaders looking for all stakeholders to come together in uncertain times – City Club Missoula

  “So there is evidence of volatility at the federal level all the time, but only some of it actually affects us, and at the state level. I want to touch on a couple of these things and then give some examples of how we are working to be stable. And when I say stable, I mean, doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done,” Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick said.

YOUR MONTANA CAREER

• Montana Agriculture Student Loan Assistance Program Program Guidance April 2026

  Applications will be accepted from 4/15/2026 until 5/18/2026.

Montana Energy and Transportation

• PowerShelter – E-Bike Battery Charging Lockers

  The safe charging infrastructure that protects property owners and keeps electric cycle delivery fleets running 24/7

• “Spin-flip” system pushes solar cell energy conversion efficiency past 100%

  Energy can never be created or destroyed. That’s basic Physics 101. You simply cannot create energy out of thin air. Yet researchers at Kyushu University in Japan say they have developed a technology that pushes the energy conversion efficiency of solar cells to 130%!

• Denmark (almost) completed its first full calendar month running entirely on renewable electricity – UPDATED

  Denmark almost achieved this milestone without any new storage installation — relying entirely on grid interconnectors with neighboring countries as virtual storage, demonstrating that a highly interconnected European grid can provide 100 percent renewable reliability without requiring expensive dedicated storage infrastructure.

Montana’s 21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Browning, Montana High School Students to Showcase Mental Health App at National Science Fair

  Browning High School seniors created Sspomo, an app addressing mental health on Native reservations. Their project highlights growing tech solutions for underserved Montana communities.

• Dr. Jeremiah Shinn Named University of Montana’s 20th President

  “I am honored to be named the 20th president of the University of Montana and eager to get started,” said Shinn. “I am inspired by the remarkable students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members who make UM so special, and I look forward to joining this extraordinary team to build on its strong foundation and shape a bright future together.”

• Blue & Gold News from Montana State University President Tessman

  I am so excited about the future of Montana State University and look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead. Thank you for all you bring to our university, state and world.

2025 Montana Legislature and Politics

• The Post Office isn’t failing. It’s being deliberately dismantled, piece by piece, to hand to the highest bidder.

  What may appear to be mismanagement is actually a coordinated strategy: Starve a public institution of resources, let it collapse, then sell the mess to private interests at a discount.

VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence, The Internet of Things and Montana

• Earbuds That See

  Researchers yesterday presented a novel wireless earbud-camera system that lets users talk with an artificial intelligence model about what they’re seeing.

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