MATR Newsletter – June 29, 2023
The state with the best education wins!

A national program is reducing day care fees to as low as 10 Canadian dollars, about $7.60, per day, a relief for families even as a surge in demand has created obstacles.

Let’s Improve Missoula’s Reserve Street

• Let’s Improve Missoula’s Reserve Street – Every Tuesday at 9AM on Zoom

  Weekly zoom meetings with various public speakers, including city officials, local residents and even people experiencing houselessness. Those are held on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on Zoom

• Missoulians advocate for safety study on Reserve Street – Let’s Improve Missoula’s Reserve Street Meets Tuesdays at 9AM on Zoom.

  In 2021 alone, there were over 2,500 crashes on Reserve. The same year, the top five most dangerous intersections, based on city-wide crash numbers from the Missoula Police Department, were on Reserve Street.

Come Home Montana

• Winifred, Montana Is An Amazing Community – Brad Bergum

  It’s such a gift to have an amazing extended family. We and the kids always have a great time when we’re back in Winifred, and the only downside is that we didn’t have enough time there to see and do everything we wanted to do … which just adds to the list for next time!

City of Bozeman Economic Development

• Avelo Airlines brings flights from Bozeman to Burbank

  The first flight carrying passengers from Burbank lands in Bozeman late in the morning and takes back off in the afternoon. Avelo Airlines is offering low prices for their nonstop service, with tickets starting at $49 one way. They are offering service between the cities twice per week.

• City of Bozeman proposes licensing regulations for short-term rental platforms

  The City of Bozeman is proposing an ordinance that it says will give the city more leverage as to how many short-term rentals operate in the city.

Great Falls Development Authority

• GFDA Upcoming Trainings: Website Boot Camp, Roadmap Startup, Move Beyond SAM and more!

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

Prospera Business Network

• Prospera – Upcoming Trainings and Events for Women

  Woman-Owned Business Tour
  Sound Diagnostics

  New Date! July 13th | 12-1pm

Montana Business

• Helena Public Schools flying high after $100K in grants from Boeing

  “Boeing is proud to help bring training to Helena students that reflects real-world experiences,” said Gina Breukelman, senior manager at Northwest Region Boeing Global Engagement.

• Montana towns need tax, policy tweaks to coexist with tourists

  The paradox of a place with natural attractions that make it a great place to live but also threaten it with being ‘loved to death’ is what is known as the amenity trap.”

• How AI will revolutionize venture funding

  Startup founders will also need less money, as AI will handle “sales, customer service, a lot of the product design and coding, bookkeeping, and legal contracts,”

• CEDS Community Survey Closes this Friday , June 30 – Montana West Economic Development

  A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is local economic development plan that guides the economic growth of an area.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Does Federal Policy Disincentivize New Small Broadband Providers?

  In that episode, ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative Director Christopher Mitchell and the livestream crew discuss whether federal policy disincentivizes new small broadband providers by setting up barriers to the historic amount of grant funds being made available, favoring the big incumbent providers and their entrenched regional monopolies.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte

• Governor Gianforte Promotes New and Expanding Businesses on 56 County Tour – Does anyone know where he’ll be next?

  Wrapping up a three-day swing through eastern Montana on his 56 County Tour, Governor Greg Gianforte today visited new and expanding small businesses in Custer, Rosebud, and Treasure counties.

• Governor Gianforte Hosts Town Hall in Glendive – Where will he be visiting next? Montana Citizens would like to know.

  On the road today for his 56 County Tour in eastern Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte visited with veterans, law enforcement officers, and 4-H students before holding his third town hall this month.

Housing

• ‘The potential is amazing:’ HomeFront (formerly Housing Authority of Billings) plans to build affordable housing duplex using a 3-D printer

  He said the 3-D printer will have the walls up in just two days using a type of cement.

Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana

• The VC Market Has Never Been Worse. That Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Get Startup Funding

  The VC market is running historically dry, but this downturn could give way to another market boom.

TechLink

• TechLink’s The Pulse: Transforming small businesses, new learning systems, open water transport, and more available for commercialization

  TechLink connects federally developed R&D to businesses so they can innovate faster. And we’re federally funded so our support is at no cost to you.

Wyoming Business

• Wyoming trains cities, counties to apply for federal funds

  With billions of dollars up for grabs thanks to recent congressional acts, leaders convened an online and in-person summit aimed at helping state residents navigate the often byzantine, and labor-intensive process of securing and administering federal support.

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

• Rock Star Drummer Finds New Passion and Purpose at University of Montana

  Often sporting a ball cap, denim shirt and sneakers, drummer and University of Montana Adjunct Professor John Wicks doesn’t particularly stand out in his Missoula stomping grounds.

• ‘This is the existential crisis’: A push for climate change education

  Some states are looking to create standards for the classroom.

Hellgate Venture Network

• Hellgate Venture Network – July 20 – Missoula

  Networking Opportunities for Everyone.

Transportation

• 3 things are stalling autonomous vehicles from getting on the road

  With so much attention focused on crashes, congestion, and numerous lawsuits, many are questioning if and when Level 4 and 5 autonomy will become a reality.

• Is a Parking-Free Future Possible?
  Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, talks about the blunders of urban planners and how better cities depend a whole lot on a smarter approach to parking.
• Starting to hate cars — even if you drive one? There’s an online community for you. The end of “Carcatecture”

  These groups teach members how to fight for safer streets.

• GM Energy Offers Ultium Home V2H And Energy Storage To Homeowners

  GM Energy is set to release a number of EV charging and home energy storage products. V2H will be available for the first time.

• Where to? Missoula airport eyes new service as passenger numbers climb

  Airlines that serve the airport are now operating their summer schedule, which includes more flights and a greater number of seats.

• New video: We Keep Losing The Battle Against Traffic. Is This Inevitable?

  The North American approach to traffic management has been all wrong for far too long.

• Regional Jets May Soon Be Electric Thanks to MIT Breakthrough

  Researchers at MIT have unveiled a compact lightweight design for a megawatt-scale electric motor that could facilitate the electrification of larger aircraft.

Energy and Climate Change

• Missoula County earns national designation for solar energy efforts

  The award makes the county Montana’s only gold designee and improves upon its silver designation in 2019 – recognition given for the county’s efforts to prioritize solar energy in permitting and zoning.

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

• Police Robots Patrol Singapore Airport

  Police departments worldwide have been experimenting with robotic technology to assist human officers in their daily duties, such as the recent deployment of robots by the New York Police Department.

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