MATR Newsletter – September 13, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

Corona Virus Information

• New federal vaccination mandate could complicate things for Montana hospitals

  “I think it’s very clear if it can go into effect, it will make things safer,” said Dr. Pam Cutler, president of the Montana Medical Association. “It will make life more complicated in Montana, where this is a controversial topic, but it will make things safer for patients and employees.”

Come Home Montana

• Biotech company Novoron to open Missoula branch in pursuit of cure for spinal injuries

  Dr. Travis Stiles, president and CEO of Novoron, described the company as a biotech firm that spun out of the University of California-San Diego. The company is working on ways to regenerate nerves in the spinal cord and treat other disorders in the central nervous system.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

• Dorsey & Whitney – Life in the New Digital World – Pitfalls and Opportunities – 9/29 – Online

  Join us for a business and legal discussion on the acceleration of online use and consumption of digital content in the current environment, and its impact on areas such as iGaming, digital marketing and the metaverse.

• Dorsey & Whitney Event – President Biden’s Mandatory Vaccination Executive Order: What We Know and What We Don’t Know – 9/14 – Online

  Dorsey’s Labor and Employment team will answer the questions on everyone’s minds, including who is affected by the policies, what the policies require, and what is yet to come.

Montana Department of Commerce

• Polson business wins Retailer of the Year Award at 2021 Made in Montana Tradeshow

  “It’s small business owners like Carol at handMADE Montana who highlight the very best of Montana-made handcrafted goods while providing a supportive platform for local artisans,” said Montana Department of Commerce Director Scott Osterman.

• Montana ARPA Communications Advisory Commission Meeting 9/14 – State Capital and Zoom

  Public comments may be submitted during the meeting or by submitting comments here.

City of Bozeman Economic Development

• Officials say collaboration key to managing Bozeman, Gallatin County growth during MSU panel

  It’s obvious that Bozeman and Gallatin County are growing. But the question isn’t how to stop it, it’s how to manage it.

Great Falls Development Authority

• GFDA invites public participation in economic development strategy meeting Wednesday – 9/15 –

  Brett Doney said the department tweaks their strategic plan every year, but said it’s important to start with a clean slate every once and a while, especially when there’s been major economic disruptions in the world.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Can a green economy boom town be built to last?

  The electric vehicle boom is something of a microcosm for the larger transition to a low-carbon economy: As governments and investors funnel hundreds of billions of dollars into green industries, there is certain to be an initial jolt. But will it last?

• Why Making Entrepreneurship a Community Priority Is Key to America’s Economic Recovery

  As the U.S. celebrates Small Business Week, the time is ripe to take a fresh look at the critical role that business owners will play in the post-covid economic recovery–and how best to support and foster entrepreneurship.

• Whitehall, Montana Community Library sets up new business resource center

  Thanks to a grant given by Montana Libraries SPARK, the library opened a business resource center to help new and established owners find the information they need as quickly as possible.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Technology Policy Institute Launches Broadband Map

  The Technology Policy Institute launched a new broadband map intended to help policymakers and others make evidence-based decisions, including how to best implement, evaluate, and take advantage of new infrastructure programs.

• Internet funding rule could favor rural areas over cities

  Some want the Treasury to define underserved areas as anything less than download and upload speeds of 100 Mbps.

• Billings is the first city in Montana to receive a fiber-optic network as construction starts

  “TDS is modernizing and expanding the infrastructure here and the company is bringing services that will greatly help our businesses and residences,” said Cole. “Another choice for internet, TV and phone services is great news for our community. This fiber network will help us build an even stronger economy.”

           Gov. Gianforte Invests $6 Million to Strengthen Montana’s Workforce

• “Helping Montanans acquire the in-demand skills needed to fill good-paying jobs is a top priority,” Gov. Gianforte said.

Housing

• Developers Offer Mobility Services to Lure Car-Free Renters

  Residents of Culdesac Tempe, a no-cars-allowed development in Arizona, will receive a bundle of discounted mobility services when the first units open in 2022.

• This new mixed-income housing complex comes with its own farm

  The 361-unit complex will also have enough land to produce 20,000 pounds of produce a year, available at a discount to residents.

Funding and Building your Business

• How to Call Customer Service and Actually Get What You Want

  These tips are your best shot when trying to resolve issues swiftly with minimal stress.

• AI-powered training platform helps businesses predict future skill gaps

  By analyzing the skill set of current employees, the platform is able to map the knowledge, personal attributes and qualifications currently available to the company.

Incubators and R&D

• Anti-aging drugs preserve spinal discs to target age-related back pain

  Scientists have shown how so-called senolytic drugs that remove destructive senescent cells can prevent age-related deterioration of spinal discs, raising the prospect of a new opioid-free treatment for back pain in humans.

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

• Consider the value of your public school in your Montana community

  I learned that the politics surrounding the anger in our country, mostly focused on COVID-19 and its harsh impact on our lives, has been staged in Montana and with propaganda driven by entities outside of Montana and social media.

• Universal Pre-K and free college part of massive spending bill By: Ariana Figueroa

  “The high cost of child care is failing families’ budgets and pushing millions of Americans out of the workforce—the majority of those are women,” Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, said in his opening statement.

• Education expert shares how to increase literacy rates in school and at home

  If words carry weight, then the inability to read them is a burden holding our children back.

North Dakota Business and Economic Development

• North Dakota co-op plans expansion of carbon capture system at synfuels plant

  Basin Electric Power Cooperative plans to expand the carbon capture system at its Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah to contain as much as 70% of the carbon dioxide the facility generates.

Come Home Oregon

• From Extraction to Sustainability: Oregon’s Southern Coast and the Emerging Blue Economy

  From the fishing industry, and the scientific community, to the local Tribe, diverse stakeholders are coming together to chart the course for a sustainable local economy with a global outlook on the environment.

Transportation

• We Are Going to Need a Lot More Electric Delivery Bikes – Montana’s Coaster Cycles

  Shipping companies in European cities are replacing delivery vans with cargo bikes and trikes. But the U.S. rollout of these vehicles has been frustratingly slow.

Energy and Climate Change

• This giant wind turbine blade can be recycled

  Energy companies are trying to redesign wind energy so the giant components don’t end up in landfills. Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlade can be broken down into its raw materials at the end of its life.

• Meet This Year’s WIRED25: People Who Are Making Things Better

  The scientists, technologists, artists, and chefs who are standing between us and species collapse.

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