The present is a past factory.

Come Home Montana

• Census projects U.S. population bust by 2080 – Some cities see migrants as a ‘lifeline.’ Policy could follow, experts say

  A former top national immigration official recently offered a proposal: Fund basic help for migrants at the border and in destination cities, send them where they’re wanted and can get jobs, and make quick decisions on asylum to discourage mass entry.

• Montana is Now One of the Most Expensive Places to Buy a House

  Yesterday, we had a story about houses that are available for under $500,000, and in that story, Chris Wolfe had some interesting information about how much a house used to cost.

• Montana Photonics is Amazing – Video

  Last week, at the Montana Chamber’s Business Days at the Capitol, MEDA member, Brit Fontenot led an excellent discussion on the photonics industry. Check out the discussion

• Small town values bring $90 million high-tech firm to Lewistown, Montana – Snowy Mountain Development Corporation (SMDC)

  “We’re a family business, and in Germany we’re a Mittelstandt (a mid-sized family-owned firm), Bergner told Forbes. “For us, it’s not just about producing. It’s about working together, educating, and making a better life. In Montana there’s enough space for growing. Lewistown is a wonderful place to raise a family.”

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• The Long and Persistent History of Loneliness in America

  “American cities nurture loneliness,” the magazine Yellow Scene reported recently, “by hyper-focusing on cars to the detriment of alternative transportation and neglecting the creation of quality public spaces.”

• Montana State receives $10 million grant to establish initiative to help underserved communities in 6 state

  At a Jan. 19 event on campus, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Montana State University will receive at least $10 million to establish a regional partnership to help communities and tribal nations in six states address environment- and energy-related priorities.

• Glass recycling on the rise in Missoula

  In 2018, the non-profit Recycle Works became the only business in western Montana to recycle glass. Since then, more than 2.1 million pounds of glass has been recycled, according to the organization.

• Montana Growth Fund Program

  The Montana Growth Fund Program’s overall objective is to assist in economic development for Montana that will: (a) create good-paying jobs for Montana residents; (b) promote long-term, stable economic growth in Montana; (c) retain or expand existing businesses; (d) provide a better life for future generations through greater economic growth and prosperity in Montana; and (e) encourage workforce development.

• Prospera Announces Statewide Funding Opportunity Empowering Women-Owned Businesses

  To foster entrepreneurship and drive economic growth, Prospera is offering a total of $18,000 in funds to assist three deserving women-owned businesses in achieving their business growth goals.

• Climate change terrifies the ski industry. Here’s what could happen in a warming world.

  The USA’s multibillion-dollar ski industry isn’t taking climate change lightly: According to the National Ski Areas Association, climate change is “the number one threat to the snowsports industry.”

Northwestern Energy

• Weisgram bill dealing with nuclear energy passes South Dakota House, heads to Senate committee

  Supporters assert two critical reasons for the revision: First, to clarify that the governor must deal with the NRC; And second, to prepare the state for the potential construction of a “fourth generation” nuclear plant by NorthWestern Energy.

Great Falls Development Alliance

• GFDA Top Ten (+6) for 1-21-24

  GFDA has earned the 2024 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, the nation’s leading source for information on nonprofit organizations. We continue to be proud of this mark of distinction, putting us at the top of non-profit transparency.

• Video – Great Falls Montana Tourism unveils master plan

  Looking towards the future.

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

• ImagineIF launches 3D printing pilot program in Kalispell, Montana

  Explore the world of 3D printing and unleash your creativity at ImagineIF Libraries. The Free Public 3D Printing Pilot Program provides free access to 3D printing services for personal and educational purposes.

Montana Business

• Two-man company, SpaceAge Ceramics in Hamilton, Montana sells band saw parts around the world

  We ship to Europe or Canada, Indiana, or wherever. Some go to England, and they put them on their new saws.”

• Do you earn tips? Montana now taxes them.

  The change, stemming from a 2021 tax code overhaul, went into effect this month.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• New Municipal Broadband Networks Skyrocket in Post-Pandemic America As Alternative To Private Monopoly Model

  As the new year begins, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) announced today its latest tally of municipal broadband networks which shows a dramatic surge in the number of communities building publicly-owned, locally controlled high-speed Internet infrastructure over the last three years.

Funding and Building your Business

• Can an AI Become Its Own CEO After Creating a Startup? Google DeepMind Co-Founder Thinks So

  Real-life entrepreneurs, don’t panic. At least not yet. AI will take a few years to rival your hustle

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

• Public universities seek innovative ways to teach humanities as interest wanes

  As state universities across the nation face budget troubles, declining enrollments and pressure to cut humanities courses and majors that have few students, some university systems are searching for innovative ways to restructure majors or entire universities.

• Nearly $4.5 million directed to local school districts through tax credit program

  Donors — taxpayers, estates, trusts or businesses — can donate money to two separate buckets of recipients: K-12 public schools and organizations that provide scholarships to private school students. The portal opened on Jan. 17, and by the end of the day, nearly $4.4 million had been donated to local school districts and over $3.9 million to student scholarship organizations.

Rural Communities

• Rural Drivers vs. Disinformation: 3 Facts about Electric Vehicles to Set the Record Straight

  False claims about EV demand, reliability, and performance are circulating widely, making it more challenging for rural drivers to separate fact from fiction as they consider purchasing an electric vehicle.

Government News & Events

• Missoula City Transportation Planners Update – 2/1 – Missoula Food Bank

  City Transportation Planners will recap the sustainable transportation related infrastructure updates completed in 2023 and provide an overview of what’s in store for the upcoming year.

• Solar Industry Responds to BLM Opening 22 Million Acres of Federal Lands to Solar

  “Under the current policy, there are at least 80 million acres of federal lands open to oil and gas development, which is 100 times the amount of public land available for solar. BLM’s proposal is a big step in the right direction and recognizes the key role solar plays in our energy economy.

Transportation

• Goodbye, Snowmobiles — The MoonBike Has Arrived

  “Think of it as a sophisticated person’s snowmobile. It’s cleaner and quieter but also smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable, which makes it more appealing to a broader demographic.” Muron tells TNW, “We’re on a mission to democratize snowmobility. The average snowmobile user is male, over 50 years old, and a powersports enthusiast who loves gas, fumes, and noise. We’re a little different.”

• How the Mighty Heat Pump Helps EVs in the Cold

  “Any electric vehicle that comes out right now and doesn’t have a heat pump is a dinosaur already,”

Cool Stuff That’s Coming

• Can AI-designed panels revolutionize solar power?

  Renkube is also pioneering a pilot scheme for farmers wherein solar panels act as a canopy over farmed land underneath. This means farmers don’t lose any farming space on the ground, and can lease out the canopies to solar developers for additional income.

Energy and Climate Change

• Science vs. social media: Why climate change denial still thrives online

  Social media is still not doing enough to stop misinformation denying the existence and causes of climate change.

Social Media, Connectivity & Communications

• “We Didn’t Do Enough” – Uvalde Newspaper Publisher Urges Community Journalists to Pay More Attention Before Tragedies Strike

  Craig Garnett of the Uvalde Leader-News won a national award for courage, integrity, and tenacity for how he and his staff covered the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School. Rather than recounting his paper’s successes, he looked for lessons for how his publication could have done more.

• Social media and a new age of cults: Has the internet brought more power to manipulators?

  In an era when almost anyone can reach millions on the internet, where is the line drawn between a social media influencer, and an influential leader who draws followers to something more sinister?

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