MATR Newsletter – March 3, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

Rural America Chamber of Commerce Opens Its Doors for Business

The organization hopes to help rural economies by providing training and networking opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Leaders say the chamber will also play a role in shaping rural policy and addressing social issues

Montana Western University’s ‘Experience One’ Experiential Learning Prepares Students With Real World Projects

The bottom-line is students have an advantage as they enter the workforce or continue on with graduate studies because their portfolio will already contain real-world education

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Corona Virus Information

A Fourth Coronavirus Surge is Likely
The plunge in daily new coronavirus cases has ceased and may be climbing again, but the news is brighter when looking at the summer. Most of the public health experts interviewed by The New York Times believe a surge is likely but not inevitable.
SBA Update – 3/2/21 – Upcoming PPP Webinars (many), PPP Data, SVOG updated FAQ’s
Montana SBA updates for 3/2/21. Schedule of upcoming PPP Webinars (many), updated PPP Data, SVOG updated FAQ’s
Huge number of COVID infections are from people with no symptoms. People dying suddenly with no symptoms.
Researchers also found that non-symptomatic cases substantially contribute to community transmission, making up at least 50% of the driving force of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Come Home Montana

Montana Career Opportunity – Short Trips Event Coordinator – Adventure Cycling Association
Adventure Cycling Association seeks a detail-oriented, collaborative person with excellent communication skills to fill the role of Short Trips Events Coordinator. The Coordinator will organize two annual events and a volunteer Ambassador program, with a focus on making bicycle travel more accessible to a broader audience, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ…

Montana Department of Commerce

Registration for the 2021 Housing Partnership Virtual Conference is now open! May 18-19, 2021
Events like this are only made possible through the support of dedicated sponsors, and we would love to include you as an event sponsor! Opportunities are filling up quickly, please visit our web page for more information and to sign up.

Northwestern Energy

Missoula County inks contract for energy audit in pursuit of carbon neutrality
With parallel goals of addressing the climate crisis and reducing carbon emissions, the city and county of Missoula, along with the cities of Bozeman and Helena, formally adopted a joint agreement last month to work with NorthWestern Energy on developing a green tariff.

Big Sky Economic Development

Upcoming Trainings for March With Big Sky Economic Development
Great opportunities to improve Montana’s economy

Great Falls Development Authority

Webinar: Strategic Communications and Support for Women in Business Thursday, March 4, 11:00AM MST
Join Morgan Slemberger, Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship & Leadership, Accelerate Montana at the University of Montana for a session focused on communication effectiveness.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

In surprise vote, Montana House Republicans (and incumbent companies) kill Democratic municipal broadband proposal. “(Providers) just do not show up in those small towns”
“(Providers) just do not show up in those small towns,” “We’re trying to show the people of Montana that we’re trying … but we’re getting thwarted at every turn,”
“Indigenous Vision” aims to revitalize Indigenous communities
Souta Calling Last was raised in Heart Butte and has relatives on the Blackfeet Reservation and in Canada. She started Indigenous Vision four years ago with the goal of bringing hard-to-access information and resources together for tribal leaders and members, but says she has collected stories her entire life.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

State Broadband Task Forces, Commissions or Authorities and Other Broadband Resources
All 50 states have created either a task force, commission, or authority to coordinate broadband exapnsion.
Montana Legislature – Broadband Status and Initiatives
Montana’s broadband connectivity is a critical resource for purposes of education and employment, to access eGovernment services, and to participate broadly in our global world
States couldn’t afford to wait for the FCC’s broadband maps to improve. So they didn’t
Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania and others took mapping into their own hands, building their own granular data to pinpoint gaps in internet coverage and apply for federal funding.

Montana Business

Walmart says it will spend an additional $350 billion on American-made products over the next decade
The move will support more than 750,000 new American jobs and help avoid an estimated 100 million tons of CO2 emissions.
Montana’s largest gaming machine operator to be acquired in $140M deal
Montana’s largest operator of gaming machines, Billings-based Century Gaming Inc., has entered an agreement to sell to Illinois-based Accel Entertainment Inc. for $140 million, the companies jointly announced Tuesday.
Bozeman’s virtual-centric businesses see growth during pandemic
“We’re a spread-out company already, so I think that’s one thing that we kind of had an advantage on,” said President Brandon Vancleeve. “We have people remote working all across the Rockies and so the adaptation for us was pretty seamless.”

Funding and Building your Business

7 Ways To Launch Your First E-commerce Business
Here are some insights from e-commerce experts on key considerations for anyone looking to start their first online business.
Google will stop selling ads based on your tracked browsing history
It’s part of the search giant’s push for privacy, the company says.
What’s Mine Is Ours: How Consumption Is Changing
When customers form an emotional attachment or self-identify with a product, that sense of “mine” enhances its luster and keeps them coming back for more. As shoppers shift away from owning material things, how can marketers preserve these benefits?

Incubators and R&D

Tired of reading glasses? Eye drop submitted for FDA approval may help you read without them.
The eye drops are a pilocarpine solution meant to treat the symptoms of presbyopia, which is an age-related condition that causes gradual loss of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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

Montana Western University’s ‘Experience One’ Experiential Learning Prepares Students With Real World Projects
The bottom-line is students have an advantage as they enter the workforce or continue on with graduate studies because their portfolio will already contain real-world educational experiences and projects. These projects often help the community at the same time by providing key services and contributing to ongoing research studies.
Montana Statements, March 2021 – The Montana State University Alumni Foundation
The Montana State University Alumni Foundation exists to serve one mission, to “cultivate lifelong relationships and secure private support to advance Montana State University.”

Rural Communities

Rural America Chamber of Commerce Opens Its Doors for Business
The organization hopes to help rural economies by providing training and networking opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Leaders say the chamber will also play a role in shaping rural policy and addressing social issues

2021 Montana Legislature and Politics

Adapting Policy to Advancements in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
The public and private sector need to partner to facilitate adoption of policy frameworks to realize the AV promise nationally.
Almost 150 bills in one day – Lawmakers have whirlwind day at Capitol as transmittal deadline nears
“I’ve been in the legislature since 2011 & NEVER seen anything like this,” tweeted Sen. Ellie Boldman, D-Missoula, on Monday.

Government News & Events

Is universal income closer to reality? Cities from Stockton to St. Paul are already testing monthly checks for residents
“I was able to breathe better,” she says. “I was able to sleep.”

Workforce Development

Colstrip grants intended to help workers displaced from power plant and coal mine
The money, available through the Colstrip Impacts Foundation, is intended to help displaced power plant and mine workers, as well as communities facing declines in tax revenue because of power plant closures. There is also money available for economic and community development.

Transportation

Imagining a city where people no longer move at the pleasure of drivers.
TA’s report imagines what it might look like to take one-quarter of the city’s automobile space and turn it over for people by 2025 (and explains the many, many reasons why that’s a good idea). This may seem utopian—but it’s not far from what is actually happening right now in European cities like Oslo and Paris.
New Missoula transportation plan primed for more public input
A final draft won’t be finished until later this spring. But local transportation planners are giving the public another chance to review, and comment on Missoula’s long range transportation plan.
Six US utilities form Electric Highway Coalition in Southeast, Midwest
Six utilities today announced the formation of the Electric Highway Coalition. It’s a plan to ensure that electric vehicle drivers have access to a network of charging stations on major highway systems on the Atlantic coast, in the Midwest and South, and in the Gulf and Central Plains regions.
Polaris’ first full-size electric ATV should be available by early 2022
“This will be one of the most technically advanced off-road vehicles on the market and reinforces Polaris’ position as the innovation leader in powersports.”