MATR Newsletter – December 8, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

“Anything that helps Winifred grow or maintain at least, because it seems like every small town, if they’re not growing they’re dying.”

Looking toward the future: Montana State University Geothermal-Winifred project to explore heating, cooling needs

Norm Asbjornson, MSU Alumni and founder and president of AAON, approached associate professor Kevin Amende to see if there was interest in adding value to the heating and cooling world, through his hometown of Winifred. Amende goes on to note that this project, gives them the opportunity to research in a way that is not typical.

“It’s not surprising given what we know about future climatic changes.

We’ve always often talked about those changes in terms of increased temperatures in our winters and our summers as a thing and phenomenon that’s going to happen in the far and distant future.

But in reality, that time is now and we’re starting to experience those [climate] changes firsthand.” – State Climatologist Kelsey Jensco

Record Montana temperatures may impact drought, predicted by climate models

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Come Home Montana

Research Results: ‘Who Comes Home?’
Rural communities hear a lot about the “brain drain.” But a new study examines commonalities of communities that attract their young people home after college.

Montana Department of Commerce

Montana Approves More than $25 Million in Federal Affordable Housing Tax Credits
It will help finance the construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of affordable housing units in Big Sky, Lewiston, Billings, Great Falls, Dillon and Kalispell
Butte, Montana struggles with lack of affordable housing – Another $27 million in fed funds financing affordable housing in Montana
The emergency shelter in Butte is full, but people continue to come looking for help.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

Broadband Drives Growth in Women-led Rural Entrepreneurship
Access to broadband is essential to start-ups in rural America, and that connection is especially important for female entrepreneurs.
Blackfoot Communications and C2M Beta Announce 2021 Showcase Event, Highlighting Local Entrepreneurs – 12/14 – Online
This year’s cohort includes four startups that offer disruptive technology experiences, positively impact the Montana and Idaho region and continue a focus on female founders.
Montana Governor Gianforte administration proposes rule change to let employers take on more apprentices
Registered apprenticeships combine classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training under an employer’s supervision. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry says 2,600 apprentices have been active this year, in 85 different occupations.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

How to solve the rural-urban digital divide
The author of ‘Farm Fresh Broadband’ draws on history to chart a better future for rural internet access.
Is your state ready to handle the influx of federal funds for expanding broadband?
The US$42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, known as BEAD, requires each state to generate a five-year action plan laying out how it will use the funds, including a process for prioritizing locations that are classified as “unserved” or “underserved.”
How States Are Using Pandemic Relief Funds to Boost Broadband Access
This funding is separate from the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will provide an additional $65 billion to help policymakers address high-speed internet access and adoption.

Housing

Pandemic relief will help build affordable housing on reservations
A federal program aimed at funding affordable housing on tribal reservations hasn’t kept up with inflation since it was established in 1996.

Montana Business

Bozeman, Montana – based Bridger Photonics gets $9M contract to survey natural gas well operator
A Bozeman high-tech laser company that uses lasers to scan for gas leaks has contracted with the largest natural gas well operator in the U.S.
This Startup’s Futuristic Idea to Fight Climate Change? Make Meat From Thin Air
Air Protein’s scientists are leveraging decades old NASA technology to pull molecules out of the atmosphere and whip up a burger for you–the first carbon-negative protein source on the planet.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

The Factory of the Future Is Here–and It’s Run by Americans (and Small Robots)
Robots can power networks of local factories–bringing your manufacturing closer to home and generating American jobs in the process.
Where Did All of the Food & Beverage Workers Go?
Help wanted. Really wanted.

Funding and Building your Business

Moms Are a Huge Untapped Source of Talent. This Startup Can Connect You to Them
Started by a mother of soon-to-be-three children, the Mom Project has the potential to unlock enormous potential in the economy by upskilling working mothers and finding them flexible positions.

Regional Business News

AgentSync Secures $75M at a $1.2B Unicorn Valuation to Power Growth Across the Insurance Industry
Trusted by the fastest growing companies in insurance, AgentSync is the first insurtech SaaS unicorn focused on building infrastructure for the $1.3T US insurance market.

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

WWAMI increases recruitment efforts for Native American students
It gives students residing in the Northwestern United States access to high-quality, cost-effective medical education by decentralizing the educational process and sharing existing facilities and personnel in universities and communities in the WWAMI states.
Montana’s largest schools say they have ‘no confidence’ in Superintendent Arntzen
The superintendents of the Montana AA school districts, including Great Falls Public Schools, sent a letter on Dec. 6 to Elsie Arntzen, the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, regarding their “disappointment in your leadership has our state’s chief public education officer” and “we express no confidence in your performance as Montana’s chief public education officer.”

STARS Montana Early Education Program

Creating pathways to entrepreneurial leadership in early education
As early educators ourselves, we know that the field is filled with enormous potential for leadership from every level.

Rural Communities

Looking toward the future: Montana State University Geothermal-Winifred project to explore heating, cooling needs
Norm Asbjornson, MSU Alumni and founder and president of AAON, approached associate professor Kevin Amende to see if there was interest in adding value to the heating and cooling world, through his hometown of Winifred. Amende goes on to note that this project, gives them the opportunity to research in a way that is not typical.

Tell Us Something

December 2021 Tell Us Something Newsletter
A return to live in-person storytelling events requires your input!

Transportation

Grants will fund electric vehicle charging stations across Montana
The grants were awarded to four businesses and will fund construction of charging stations along key travel corridors and near entrances to both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

Other Economies

How making $300,000 in San Francisco can still mean you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck
“It’s a middle-class lifestyle if you consider a middle-class person should be able to afford a modest home, have at least one car, have a kid or two. There are no private jets in this budget.”

Social Media, Connectivity & Communications

Four Points Press – Journalist begins digital media outlet on Crow Reservation
After 20 years of reporting for print media, area journalist Luella Brien has started her own digital news outlet that covers the Crow Indian Reservation and surrounding areas.