MATR Newsletter – September 11, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

“Today, all Americans pause to reflect on one of the darkest days in our history—a day that changed this country forever. The attacks of September 11^th were meant to destroy us, and instead America showed the world a nation united in strength. As we face new challenges, let us remember that we are stronger together, and that we must continue to honor the sacrifices made by our first responders, servicemembers, veterans, and countless other brave Americans who work to ensure this country remains the greatest nation in the world.”  Senator Jon Tester

“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.” — Barack Obama

Corona Virus Information

• Spiking coronavirus cases and falling oil prices deliver dual blow to North Dakota

  Six months after the state registered its first confirmed infection, roughly 80 percent of North Dakota’s drilling rigs remain offline and thousands of local workers are still out of a job, cutting deeply into the state’s ability to refine oil and mine hundreds of millions of dollars from the natural resources that flow deep within its borders.

• Governor Bullock Announces Additional Coronavirus Relief Funds for Meat Processing, Nonprofits

  Governor Bullock also announced he is committing an additional $25 million to nonprofits and issued new guidelines for nonprofits to seek another round of funding.

• The Idaho Department of Commerce awarded nearly $50 million awarded for broadband projects

  The grants help fund broadband connectivity for more than 43,000 underserved households, the majority of which are in rural communities of less than 3,000 residents.

• Governor Bullock Announces Montana Working Capital Program

  Governor Steve Bullock today announced the new Montana Working Capital program which builds off the Montana Loan Deferment program by allowing Montana businesses to take out a new loan to support economic recovery.

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunity – Regional and Community Development Director – Lake County Community Development Corporation

  Position Announcement Regional and Community Development Director Lake County Community Development Corporation IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Executive Director SALARY AND BENEFITS: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications, with beginning wage expected to be $48,000 – $58,000 DOE. Benefits package includes; 100% employer-paid health insurance for employee; optional additions for family, dental and vision (employee paid) effective…

Montana Department of Commerce

• Export Webinars for Montana Businesses – Montana Department of Commerce

  Hello, Montana exporters!  Here is information on upcoming webinars that may be of interest to you.

Big Sky Economic Development

• MapQuest Co-Founder Helps Billings Entrepreneurs Build Critical Mass

  “I like that Billings is built on a strong foundation, there’s a lot of hard-working people who live here” they said. Andrew Korf, a business student at Rocky explained how being a part of this entrepreneurial community inspires him to stay here instead of going back home to Boise after he graduates. 

• Upcoming Trainings Opportunities from Big Sky Economic Development!

  Entrepreneur Academy – Choosing the right legal structure, business registry, contracts, zoning regulation, business taxation, payroll taxes, withholding, employer/ independent contractor.

Montana Governor’s Office of Economic Development

• Investors planning $20M film, television studio for major productions in Missoula

  “We think Montana is in a great position to really establish a new industry and capture a lot of market share,” said project partner Adam Graham. “The proximity to the airport is fantastic and it’s why we’re targeting this site.”

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• ‘Yellowstone’ boosts Missoula, Montana businesses

  Businesses in the Missoula area are reaping the benefits of Kevin Costner and his hit TV show “Yellowstone” bringing their production and filming facilities here.

• Bozeman child care company MyVillage expands to national market

  MyVillage franchises independently owned, small in-home child care and education facilities in Montana and Colorado. But the massive increase in the number of kids learning from home at least a few days a week gave it the opportunity to create a national subscription-based program, different from its Montana and Colorado programs.

• SBA’s 2020 Montana SBA LEGACY AWARD – Jim Davison, Anaconda, MT

  Jim Davison served Anaconda, MEDA and the entire state of Montana well over his very distinguished career in economic development.

• The 10 Dumbest Phrases Used By Economic Developers

  (1) “Attract and Retain Business”

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Too many farmers can’t get broadband. That’s a crisis for us all

  Resilience and farming go hand in hand. If anyone can achieve the impossible, a farmer can.

• FCC Chairman Ajit Pai touted false broadband data despite clear signs it wasn’t accurate
  “The FCC should fine itself”: Pai relied on ISP’s impossible deployment claims.
• SpaceX confirms Starlink internet private beta underway, showing low latency and speeds over 100Mbps

  The public Starlink beta is still on track to kick off later this year.

• Telemedicine and Montana’s digital divide

  Although Montana is not currently among the 26 states Telehealth Access for Seniors serves, it would be hard to argue there isn’t a need for such a service. According to median age statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Montana is the oldest state west of the Mississippi, and the Pew Research Center has found that about six in 10 American seniors don’t own smartphones.

• 2nd Annual Broadband Summit–“North State Connected!” – 9/30 – 11:00AM

  Now more than ever, access to reliable internet is critical to the way we work, learn and do business.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

• Manufacturing Day is Coming Soon!

  Manufacturing Day 2020 will officially be observed on Friday, October 2nd, but manufacturing is too big for a single day, so we encourage you to celebrate Manufacturing Month!

Funding and Building your Business

• 61 Books Elon Musk Thinks You Should Read

  The billionaire entrepreneur is also a prolific reader.

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

• Making universities sustainable, future-proof and fully networked

  An education-oriented start-up aims to help universities set up programs and incubators for entrepreneurial students.

• Montana State University ranked among best employers in Montana by Forbes

  Other employers on Montana’s rankings were Costco Wholesale; Glacier Bank; Billings Clinic; Town Pump; Home Depot; Kroger; Target; Wells Fargo; and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Montana Learning Center Awarded Grant by Montana Space Grant Consortium to Offer Remote Telescope Teacher Training

  NASA has awarded the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake a grant to develop and offer state-of-the-art online courses for teachers to integrate research into the classroom.

2020 Montana Politics

• Ransomware Could Be Biggest Threat to Upcoming Elections
  Of all the cyberattacks that affect state and local governments, ransomware is one of the most ubiquitous and costly. Now security researchers fear it could also become a political weapon in the upcoming election.

City Club Missoula

• City Club of Missoula Presents: Recreational Marijuana in Montana: Pros and Cons – 9/14 – 11:30 AM MST

  INITIATIVE NO. 190, A LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION, legalizes the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21.

Miscellaneous Ramblings

• What Will the World Look Like in 2030?

  In his new book, “2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything,” Guillen discusses how these changes will affect us in the years to come.

Transportation

• Europe’s Cities Are Making Less Room for Cars After Coronavirus

  Hard-hit Milan may be leading the way in reimagining how transit and commuting patterns could change as cities emerge from coronavirus shutdowns.

• Missoula Passenger Rail Summit (9/17) will lay groundwork for “southern route” service

  The goal is to bring passenger rail back to the “Southern Route”, where Amtrak stopped running more than 40 years ago.

• Delivery Vehicles Cruise for Parking, but Changes Could Improve Curbside Traffic – The Most Valuable Element of Transportation: The Curb

  New transportation research measures the impact of commercial vehicles as drivers search for parking on city streets.

• Building community through transportation

  To meet the challenges of the 21st Century, traffic engineers and transportation planners need to think of streets as places and the foundation for community.

Energy and Climate Change

• New Montana climate plan calls for carbon neutrality by 2050

  Montana Climate Solutions Council releases proposal for limiting carbon and adapting to a warming climate.

• Tiny Nuclear Reactor Design Becomes First in US to Get Safety Approval

  This will change the energy sector.

Social Media, Connectivity & Communications

• Hate Social Media? You’ll Love This Documentary

  The Social Dilemma argues that humanity’s greatest existential threat is not climate change, but Facebook.

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