MATR Newsletter – October 26, 2023
The state with the best education wins!

Day one of the MEDA conference has come to a close, a huge thank you to all of the speakers who made their way through the snow to be here with us! .

Check on road conditions before you travel

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Montana receives federal tech hub designation, money to advance photonics industry
Designation of the Montana Headwaters Regional Technology and Innovation Hub will focus on supporting workforce development and jobs in the photonics, optics and autonomous systems industries. The technologies are important for natural resource management, agriculture, disaster prevention applications and defense.
Montana State part of new regional tech hub focused on critical technologies for U.S. national security
The program is designed to drive regional growth by strengthening the region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy critical technologies, according to the program’s website.

New census data shows how many people moved to Montana last year
Just over half of Montana’s 1.1 million people were born in the state, according to new census data released last week on state-to-state migration and place of birth.

Measuring Equity in Federal Infrastructure Spending
A new report from the Urban Institute tracks how a year of infrastructure and housing grants align with federal priorities for equitable spending.
How One Rural Indiana County Became a Re-Education Catalyst
Leaders in Lawrence County, Indiana come up with unique ways to close education gaps and labor shortages in their rural community.
Day one of the MEDA conference has come to a close, a huge thank you to all of the speakers who made their way through the snow to be here with us! .
What a day! Check out our takeaways!
AI Lending: Transforming the future of borrowing and risk assessment
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, loan underwriting automation and cutting-edge digital lending platforms have revolutionized the borrowing experience. The days of tedious paperwork and lengthy approval processes are long gone.
Gallatin College aims to get students excited about a career in photonics
Only in its second year, Photonic-Con’s student attendance was triple that of last year, according to Gallatin College Enrollment Manager Jessi Cannaday.
Register Now – Leadership Series Starts 10/31 Online at no cost
The webinars will be held on Tuesdays at 8:30-9:00 am and are open to the public at no cost. Please share far and wide with any individuals or groups in your communities that would benefit.

Montana PSC approves NorthWestern Energy rate increases
The order follows the provisions laid out in a settlement agreement NorthWestern reached in April with the Montana Consumer Counsel, several large business customers and federal agencies.

October 2023 | TOMIS Newsletter
The shoulder season is the perfect time to focus on building an AI ChatBot – a guaranteed way to save you time and increase direct sales year-round. Our AI ChatBot can assist with everything from FAQs to real-time check availability.

Navigating Regulated Exports & Strategies – 11/9 – Bozeman, Montana
Time is running out. Take advantage of this exclusive training opportunity. Is my conversation with a prospective foreign buyer considered a deemed export? Does my product need a license for export? We have the expertise you need.

New York’s Airbnb Reform, One Month In
Less than half of submissions to the city’s new application process have been approved under new short-term rental regulations.

DataGPT launches AI analyst to allow ‘any company to talk directly to their data’
DataGPT, a California-based startup working to simplify how enterprises consume insights from their data, came out of stealth today with the launch of its new AI Analyst, a conversational chatbot that helps teams understand the what and why of their datasets by communicating in natural language.

Amid teacher exodus, Wyoming eyes $68M to cover rising K-12 costs
Wyoming teachers are leaving the profession at the highest rates recorded and their salaries have seen little growth over the last decade. To help attract and retain qualified teachers, lawmakers are recommending a K-12 funding bump during the upcoming budget session.

Montana State selects Alison Harmon as new vice president for research and economic development
“Under Dr. Harmon’s leadership, I know research will continue to grow at Montana State University, bringing forth new knowledge to solve the world’s problems, expand opportunities for students and help the economies of our state and nation flourish.” President Waded Cruzado.
Artificial Intelligence class in Missoula
The point of the introduction to artificial intelligence class is to help the public out, so that people can understand it better or access it quicker.

Local Governments Band Together to Address Use of AI
Led by the co-chairs named earlier this month, the members of MetroLab Network’s GenAI for Local Governments Task Force will work together to create a comprehensive resource of guidance on the use of AI technology.

American Prairie announces purchase of 2,000 acres in Phillips County
The acquisitions bring American Prairie’s total deeded and leased property in northeastern Montana to more than 462,000 acres, much of it close to the Missouri River Breaks.

Immigrants are coming to North Dakota for jobs. Not everyone is glad to see them
“Beautiful country, beautiful people,” Roman says in halting English. He doesn’t want to use his last name, because some of his family are still in Nikopol, Ukraine, just a few miles from Russian-occupied territory, and he fears he might endanger them.

Two California state agencies ground Cruise driverless cars for public safety
“When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits,” the DMV said in a news release, which also said Cruise’s suspension is partly based on a state regulation related to the following: “The manufacturer has misrepresented any information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles.”

From doom to boom: AI is slowly re-energizing San Francisco
Buzzy AI startups are landing big investments, drawing talent to the city and occupying more real estate.
Amazon launches new AI product image generator
Amazon debuted a new generative AI feature that allows vendors to upload photos of their products to Amazon’s Ad Console service and then add AI-generated backgrounds.