MATR Newsletter – August 30, 2019
The state with the best education wins!

Montana Opportunity Zone Subcontract Solicitation

In partnership with Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) seeks an individual or firm with the qualities and expertise to work with Montana’s Opportunity Zones.

“Education is not something you can finish” Isaac Asimov

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Come Home Montana

Where Salaries Go Furthest in 2019: The Small-City Advantage – Great Career Opportunities in Montana
When it comes to what many job seekers care about most, smaller cities often are best.
Montana Career Opportunities – VP of Marketing, Senior Content Marketer, Director of Information Technology, Salesforce Software Engineer , Customer Success Manager, Business Analyst, and more… PFL
PFL started as America’s first ecommerce commercial printer, way back in 1999. Since then, we’ve grown into a marketing automation company developing innovative solutions for marketers and sales teams. Our main campus is located in Livingston, Montana, tucked into a snowcapped mountain valley. We are close to Yellowstone National Park, world class skiing, rock climbing…

Opportunity Zones

New Twin Falls Building Will Be First Major Opportunity Zone Project In Idaho
“The idea behind the provision is to get money moved from paper investment stocks — from Wall Street, if you would — onto Main Street.”
Montana Opportunity Zone Subcontract Solicitation
In partnership with Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) seeks an individual or firm with the qualities and expertise to work with Montana’s Opportunity Zones on the tasks identified in the Scope of Work below.
City Provides $50,000 in funding to the Missoula Economic Partnership (MEP) to develop investment in the Missoula Opportunity Zone.
“Cities across the country are taking proactive steps to position themselves to maximize the investments that will come from this tax incentive,”

Great Falls Development Authority

GFDA September Business Education Calendar
Here are our upcoming educational events for business owners, managers, and professionals for September 2019:

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Glacier Park International to Add Direct Flights to New York City Starting in 2020
American Airlines will begin seasonal flights to LaGuardia starting next summer

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

Bozeman airport adds direct flights to Philadelphia, New York
Along with Philadelphia, the airline announced it will add flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Saturdays and Los Angeles daily, all for the summer 2020 season.

The Telecommuting and Gig Workforce in Montana

Instead of paying workers a minimum wage, Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash will spend $90 million fighting them
The bill would require ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft to treat their drivers as employees.

Gov. Steve Bullock

Montana Governor’s office seeks 7th-12th graders to help hungry children
The council will consist of seventh-12th grade students from across the state who are committed to ending childhood hunger in their communities, according to a press release from the office.

Idaho News & Events

StagedotO: Early Stage Seattle Venture Fund launches $50 million Boise startup fund and moves to Boise
It’s like Austin 25 years ago.

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

Montana Western Ranked Among Fastest-Growing Universities in the Country – Experience One
Montana Western is the only public university in the United States offering Experience One

Government Technology

Can Paris Help Cities Revamp Their Digital Infrastructure?
Already successful in Paris, the platform, which can power multiple services, could start to appear in U.S. cities soon.
How Texas Cities Are Handling Recent Ransomware Attacks
Together with federal authorities and other partners, the state government has stepped in to help municipalities ailing from the large, coordinated attack that left town data locked up by malware.

American Prairie Reserve

Montana’s American Prairie Reserve is growing by 14,122 acres!
“The topography and habitat of Blue Ridge are extremely important to the regional elk population,”

Careers

Jack Ma, once proponent of 12-hour workdays, now foresees 12-hour workweeks
The founder of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba said Thursday that technological advancements would enable people to live longer and work far fewer hours.

Oregon Business

Oregon’s Rural Counties Haven’t Recovered From the Great Recession, Report Finds
The Oregon Center for Public Policy found that rosy statewide unemployment figures don’t capture difficulties in rural counties.
Electric Car-Share Program Coming Soon to Rural Oregon
“I believe that if we’re going to clean up the transportation sector, then it has to start everywhere. We can’t rely on early adopters anymore,” said Kelly Yearick, program manager at Forth. “And I think rural communities have just as much, if not more, to benefit from electric transportation.”

Connectivity & Communications

Wi-Fi 6 Will Be Here Soon. What Is It?
The new standard promises to improve the speed and reliability of your home Wi-Fi network. And it arrives as soon as this fall.

Transportation

China pilots autonomous, electric air taxis
Guangzhou is partnering with aerial vehicle experts EHang to develop what could be the world’s first city-wide, air-taxi network.
Columbus, Ohio, Takes Multi-Strategy Approach to EV Adoption
“It’s rather pioneering in our state to have a regulated utility participate in charging infrastructure,”