Feds approve Montana’s plan to expand broadband access

We’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and “success,” defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers. A culture that does not grasp the vital interplay between morality and power, which mistakes management techniques for wisdom, which fails to understand that the measure of a civilization is its compassion, not its speed or ability to consume, condemns itself to death.

Chris Hedges

Come Home Montana

• Amazon cuts the ribbon on Missoula facility, first in Montana

  Company says new logistics building means 100-plus jobs, faster deliveries.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

• You’re Invited: Dorsey’s Privacy Titans – Optimizing Our Neural Networks (4/16) – Online

  Come join us to hear about the latest privacy and cybersecurity developments and the key items to put on your 2024 roadmap.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• With demand expected to double, Missoula airport updates long-term plan

  Airport officials’ projections suggest Missoula could serve 1.5 million passengers annually by 2044, driven by factors including increasing population.

• Native American Business Summit comes to Billings – 4/4

  The Billings Chamber of Commerce presents the Native American Business Summit sponsored by Wells Fargo for all Indigenous entrepreneurs, makers and creators on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Montana State University Billings in the Glacier Room.

• Registration is open for the Women’s Leadership Conference at Montana State on May 20

  The conference features breakout sessions and guest speakers. This year’s theme is “Leading at Every Level.”

TOMIS

• AI Summit, TOMIS Websites & Case Studies | March Newsletter

  Learn how AI is revolutionizing customer service from pre-travel recommendations to in-destination support and post-experience engagement, setting new standards for satisfaction and efficiency. Don’t miss this insightful exploration into the future of travel!

Big Sky Commerce

• Missoula, Montana lands $308K federal grant to study Reserve Street – Let’s Improve Missoula’s Reserve Street Zooms Every Tuesday Morning – What are your thoughts and hopes for Reserve?

  “This is a really great opportunity to expand on efforts to make Reserve Street safer, particularly as we have more and more development west of Reserve,” said council member Mirtha Becerra, who represents the area.

Five Valleys Archery Club

• Montana’s GFPS Archery Program is again headed to national competition

  The archery program at the Great Falls Public Schools has once again hit the mark, earning another coveted spot at the national competition for the second consecutive year.

Montana Business

• 406 Recycling hosting an electronics recycling event – TODAY 3/29 – Helena

  The event supports the Good Samaritan Thrift Store. Collection is from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. in the Good Samaritan parking lot.

• Your doctor might not be listening to you. AI can help change that.

  If implemented responsibly, artificial intelligence promises to help return medicine to its humanistic roots.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• New Documentary Showcases Vermont’s Unique Community Broadband Approach

  A new documentary tells the uplifting story of how Vermonters rallied around the emergence of Communications Union Districts (CUDs) as the state’s primary vehicle to bring high-quality Internet service to every resident and business in one of the most rural states in the nation.

• Feds approve Montana’s plan to expand broadband access

  Montana’s Digital Opportunity Plan listed barriers to digital access, which include broadband availability, service affordability, device access, and digital skills – with access and affordability being the top two.

Housing

• The Economic Impact of Homelessness in Missoula A study prepared for MEP by Bryce Ward, Ph.D.

  This publication provides a framework for understanding the issue as well as a menu of options for reducing homelessness.

Wyoming Business

• Lander-based outdoor school NOLS sheds jobs, announces closures

  Leadership, expedition and technical skills organization will eliminate 60 positions and suspend three campuses. The 59-year-old institution has to pivot to meet modern demands, president says.

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

• Vision Magazine 2024 – University of Montana Research, Innovation & Imagination

  Welcome to another edition of Vision, the magazine of research and creative scholarship for the University of Montana. I’m happy to report that the research enterprise at UM continues to grow. This past year we set another record for the University: Our research expenditures in fiscal year 2023 were $134 million — an $8 million increase over our previous high mark set in FY22.

Government Technology

• Can a ‘Smart Highway’ in Texas Pave the Way to Self-Driving?

  The tech company Cavnue says that its sensor-equipped “autonomous freight corridor” outside of Austin will help usher in a future full of driverless trucks.

Non-Profit News

• Have you heard? Giving is rising in 2024 – Montana Nonprofit Association Newsletter

  One of the most rewarding things about serving as a nonprofit board member is the opportunity it affords to help create positive change through advocacy. This guide provides helpful tips for board members in preparing to meet with a legislator, including:

Transportation

• Intersection roundabouts drive discussion at Helena open house

  The city had an open house to discuss proposed changes to the Last Chance Gulch Five Points intersection in Helena’s downtown, which would include building one or two traffic roundabouts that would aid vehicle flow and increase pedestrian safety.

• The EV Revolution Has Passed A Tipping Point

  You might not know if it you live in the United States where anti-EV fervor is rampant, but the EV revolution is alive and well in many parts of the world. In those places, it has zoomed past the 5% of sales mark that is commonly understood to be an important milestone on the so-called S curve. If you are not familiar with the term S curve, here’s a primer.

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

• Beer-tasting Belgian Artificial Intelligence makes better brews than humans

  Guided by machine-learning models that predicted what would make Belgian beer taste more appealing, researchers tinkered with the golden nectar’s composition, greatly impressing blind taste testers. The method may lead to new recipes and improved tastes across a range of foods and beverages. Santé!

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