MATR Newsletter – June 7, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

2023 Montana Legislature and Politics

• ARPA Communications Advisory Commission to hold inaugural meeting June 8 – 10:30 – Helena and Virtually

  During the June 8 meeting, the commission will appoint a chair and vice chair, review roles and responsibilities of the commission, and set future meeting dates.

Northwestern Energy

• Bright Future from Northwestern Energy

  Together, we’re working to deliver a bright future.

Great Falls Development Authority

• Lifestyle’s Haute Hive Co-Working Space opens in Downtown Great Falls
  Not only will the renovated building house Lifestyle Real Estate Firm’s expanded office, but will also offer executive officers, semi-private offices, co-working space, conference rooms, and more.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Porcine Hell’s Angels of the animal kingdom – Montana trying to prevent Canadian bacon invasion

  ‘Squeal on pigs’ campaign aims to alert state officials of wild pigs

• $1,000 of community funding available for survey takers

  We will use the responses from this survey to provide business trainings and assess the needs of the region for long term planning. Anyone who owns, operates, or represents a business, nonprofit, or government entity, including the Blackfeet Tribe, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton, and Toole Counties, is invited to provide feedback. The community that provides the most responses by Friday, June 11th will receive $1,000 towards the project of their choice.

Housing

• A Key Housing Market Metric Hits Uncharted Territory – House Prices Surpass Housing-Bubble Peak on One Key Measure of Value

  The nationwide house price-to-rent ratio has hit its highest level since 1975.

Funding and Building your Business

• Wyoming startup accelerator gives boost to businesses

  When it comes to access to venture capital funding for startups, Wyoming trails behind every other state, even falling behind Puerto Rico, according to Microsoft Wyoming TechSpark Manager Dennis Ellis.

• Jim Collins Didn’t Think Leadership Was Important to a Company’s Success. Here’s Why He Changed His Mind

  How the ‘Good to Great’ author realized that leaders do matter.

Come Home Wyoming

• Wyoming may be too much like America used to be

  Hankering for a true Western vacation? Visit the Cowboy State, where low vaccination rates, precarious healthcare and backward-looking economic policies offer an authentic, livin’-on-the-edge, Wild-West experience, opines Palmer in this satirical essay.

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

• University of Montana ‘Happiness Course’ a Bright Spot for Local Residents During Pandemic

  “Old age is not an easy road to travel in the best of times,” said 87-year-old Missoula resident Lidia Donahue.

Non-Profit News

• 4 new revelations on how people give to charity crowdfunding campaigns

  Who’s raising money, who’s giving it, and what makes people more likely to donate.

American Prairie Reserve

• When the Bison Come Back, Will the Ecosystem Follow?
  An effort to bring wild bison to the Great Plains aims to restore one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems.

Workforce Development

• Maryland Puts Millions Toward Expanding Its Tech Workforce

  Gov. Larry Hogan has invested $6.5 million into strategic partnerships through an employment program aimed at boosting information technology, cybersecurity and green jobs training.

Transportation

• Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority Board Meeting June 9, 2021 – 11:30-1:00 p.m. (MDT)

  Why a passenger rail authority?

  It’s high time to try a different approach.

Privacy, Hacking and Virus Alerts

• How to Protect Your Files From Ransomware

  It’s a growing threat for individual users and businesses alike—but there are ways to protect yourself.

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