“Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that makes you smile.” – Kristen Bell

Come Home Montana

• Black-owned business (Bestie Bottle) owner Akono Hite discusses entrepreneurial journey in Missoula, Montana (Video)

  Our GOAL is to offer affordable and innovative products to the dog community that will give you peace of mind knowing that your dog’s needs are well taken care of.

• 10 new Montana nonprofit jobs

  More Nonprofit jobs

• Montana Career Opportunity – Senior Firmware Engineer – Advanced Electronic Designs, Inc. (AED)

  Who We Are Advanced Electronic Designs, Inc. (AED) is an engineering product design and development firm located in Bozeman, Montana. Founded in 1994, AED thrives on solving intricate design challenges and developing innovative solutions for a diverse clientele.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Why Google, General Mills and other companies are ending on-site childcare

• America has a legacy of treating childcare far more as a private-market good like a gym membership or pet care than a societal obligation like public school or parks.

• Western Rural Development Center Annual Report 2023

  National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Conference

  Save the date!

• Long-distance rail route through southern Montana garners another nod from feds

  The Federal Railroad Administration identified 15 routes, including the North Coast Hiawatha, for new or restored passenger rail service.

• BLDC February Newsletter – Business Recruitment Update

  Last week BLDC, BSB, and the State of Montana hosted Cenate, a Norwegian company looking to set up operations in the US. Butte is currently in the running along with Richland, Washington for the placement of this facility.

Great Falls Development Alliance

• Energy Production Market Assessment and Economic Development Strategy RFP Proposals Due 3/20/24

  The Great Falls Development Authority, Inc. (GFDA) seeks proposals to conduct a market assessment of energy production, energy support services, and energy retrofit demand in the Great Falls Montana trade area and to use the market demand assessment to develop an Energy Economic Development Strategy for GFDA and partners to pursue the identified opportunities.

Montana Technology Innovation Partnership

• MSU’s Montana Innovation Partnership adds new consultants for regional Montana technology companies

  The three consulting firms will work with MTIP to support Montana companies applying for Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, funding by providing coaching, reviews and other assistance.

Housing

• How the housing industry is working to stop energy efficient homes

  “When things don’t go their way at the national level, then they turn to the state and local level. And when things don’t go their way there, they change the rules.”

• Missoula County, Montana contract to provide guidance on converting sheds to housing

  Some see the conversion of sheds into tiny houses, or accessory dwelling units, as a possible way to combat housing affordability. If done right, experts say the results can be budget friendly “and incredibly charming.”

• Governor’s Housing Task Force – Meeting Notice March 8, 2024 – Zoom and Helena

  The purpose of this meeting is to review and discuss Assignment #2: Analysis that focused on housing development case study examples and other information with an emphasis on finding Common Themes and Key Factors.

• Innovative housing project aims to boost Missoula’s affordability 

  With help from a local couple, Habitat for Humanity and land trust team up for development.

• Arizona’s ‘Car-Free’ Community Takes Shape

  Culdesac Tempe has been welcoming residents since last year.

Funding and Building your Business

• Want to Live a Meaningful Life? Be the Hero of Your Story – Knowledge at Wharton Podcast

  Wharton’s Jonah Berger explains how people can find meaning and resilience by making themselves the hero of their own story.

Government News & Events

• City extends police department’s ‘life changing’ 4-day workweek pilot

  The decision comes after the data shows that the 32-hour workweek resulted in faster emergency response times and cost savings

• Great Falls, Montana considering energy consulting firm to help monitor, manage costs

  The analytical information gives more power and insight to city management to better control energy spending and usage, Morin told commissioners. The system can help show which buildings are using the most energy per square footage and help make adjustments.

Careers

• Tech Job Interviews Are Out of Control

  Tech companies are famous for coddling their workers, but after mass layoffs the industry’s culture has shifted. Engineers say that getting hired can require days of work on unpaid assignments.

• Q&A: Older and unemployed? Here’s how to overcome the stigma and move forward

  Some timely advice for the laid-off from author and professor, Ofer Sharone

Transportation

• Trillions of tons of buried hydrogen: Clean energy gold rush begins

  There’s enough natural hydrogen trapped underground to meet all projected demands for hundreds of years. An unpublished report by the US Geological Survey identifies it as a new primary resource, and fires the starter pistol on a new gold rush.

• Dublin to Ban Driving Through Its City Center

  The proposal echoes vehicle restrictions underway in other European Union cities, such as Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon. And like city leaders elsewhere, the architects of the Dublin plan invoke the “15-minute city” concept — which aims to allow residents to access all major destinations within a 15-minute walk or bike ride — as a key goal.

• American drivers are now even more distracted by their phones. Pedestrian deaths are soaring.

  During the pandemic, distracted driving increased, and it hasn’t gone down since.

• The Switch To Electric Cars & Renewables Will Make Our Children Healthier

  Everyone wants their children to grow up to be healthy adults. Well, almost everyone. W.C. Fields liked to say, “Anyone who hates dogs and small children can’t be all bad,” but he was a social outlier — hopefully.

Energy and Climate Change

• Green energy, EV sales are growing remarkably in the US as emissions fall. Is it enough?

  Renewable energy in the U.S. reached an all-time high last year, with wind, solar and hydroelectric plants meeting almost a quarter of the nation’s power demand as electric vehicle sales also surged to their highest levels ever.

• ‘They lied’: plastics producers deceived public about recycling, report reveals

  “I think the first step in solving the problem is holding the companies accountable,”

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