MATR Newsletter – September 23, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

Corona Virus Information

• Montana seeing ‘remarkable increase’ in COVID-19 cases, state disease bureau official says

  The 275 is second highest number of cases Montana has added in a day, just behind Saturday when the state added 293.

City of Bozeman Economic Development

• The West Region Transportation Workforce Center Will Kick Off Webinar Series on Transportation Workforce Development – 4 Part Webinar Starting 10/7 at 11AM MST

  How do we inspire the next generation of transportation professionals and start filling growing workforce needs in the transportation sector?

Big Sky Economic Development

• Big Sky Economic Development finalizes plans for Billings business incubator – Rock 31 Entrepreneur Program

  After receiving a $2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration in 2019, Big Sky Economic Development is finalizing its plans to renovate the Montana National Bank building at 201 N. Broadway to house the organization’s entrepreneurial business incubator, the Rock 31 Entrepreneur Program.

Great Falls Development Authority

• Looking to expand your business? We can help! – Great Falls Development Authority

  How can we help? Marketing, E-Commerce, destination branding, business plans, getting you ready for bank financing, and more.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• University of Montana study shows the affects of inadequate child-care on all Montanans

  Inadequate child care costs Montana businesses nearly $55M per year.

  Better access to child care would save the Montana economy $232M a year.

• “What kind of city do we want to leave for our children?”

  The rules in place now help determine the shape of the city a generation later, even two or more.

• Montana manufacturers to offer tours as part of national event

  The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University is encouraging Montana manufacturers to host the tours and is available to provide guidance about how to conduct the tours virtually to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• FCC Has Money But Lacks Data for Broadband Implementation

  The Federal Communications Commission is ready to auction $20 billion for rural broadband development starting in October, but many lawmakers are nervous that they don’t have accurate enough data to do it correctly.

• Sweetgrass Development works to help Montana’s rural businesses

  The money will help teams hire individuals who can focus on capacity building and planning.

• Build Your Strong Town

  Thousands of people across North America are choosing to make their cities stronger and more financially resilient. It’s time to build prosperity in your strong town.

• Save the Date – MEDA Fall Conference morning of Oct 13, 14, 15

  You will not want to miss the MEDA 2020 Awards, candidate forums, Tell Us Something, legislative strategy time,
  and the latest on the Montana Next Generation of Community and Economic Development Tools next steps.

Montana Economic Development

• Save the Date! Charles Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, is coming to Missoula via Zoom live on October 28th from 10-11:30am MST!

  Stay tuned for event details and info on how to register for this free Missoula Community Call with Strong Towns!

Funding and Building your Business

• How a little humility can go a long way with your team

  “Leaders who take a tablespoon of humility in service of bonding with the people around them are the ones that continuously come out ahead.”

• This 5-step management plan will help a remote employee who consistently fails to perform

  While it would be ideal if employee performance was never an issue, understanding the options enables managers to succeed when it is.

The Creative and Cultural Economy

• Missoula County approves land sale for $19.1 million television and film studio

  A Montana-based company called Shadowcast Partners, LLC, is planning to purchase the county-owned land located in the Missoula Technology Park, about a mile north of the Missoula International Airport, to build a large-scale television and film studio.

• “Citizens Uniting” by Former Missoula Mayor Daniel Kemmis

  This book seeks to lengthen our time horizons by reminding readers both that the major problems now besetting our democracy have roots reaching years before the 2016 election, and that any meaningful efforts to fashion solutions will have to be sustained well beyond the next election.

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

• University of Montana to Hold Public Comment Period on New L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation

  People can digitally provide public comment online. (https://bit.ly/2G0hwDa) The Skaggs School of Pharmacy will hold three virtual public listening sessions

Miscellaneous Ramblings

• What could our lives be like in 2025? Futurists think Americans may eat, fly and go to school differently post-COVID

  To gain better insight into where we’re headed, USA TODAY posed a question to several futurists, whose jobs involve reading trends in various parts of the consumer business world:

• Older people today are smarter, stronger and faster than 30 years ago

  A compelling new study from researchers in Finland has compared the physical and cognitive performance of a group of older people in 2017 with a similarly aged group three decades earlier. Improvements were seen in almost every test, suggesting progress has been made extending healthspan, the number of healthy years a person lives.

Transportation

• Miovision – A Technology Option Using Traffic Data to Improve Safety in the Reserve St. Corridor September 29, 2020 at 11 AM – 12:30 PM

  Join fellow Montana private citizens and officials at 11am on Sept. 29th as Miovision presents a demo of “Scout” to Missoula: a technology-driven solution using real-time data as an option to improve traffic safety conditions in the Reserve St. corridor.

• Montana Passenger Rail Summit Follow Up – Video of Summit Available

  This project is not over, but simply beginning! To help keep this train rolling down the tracks, we need the help of many. Here are some ways you can help:

• Omaha, Neb., Turns to ‘Smart Zones’ to Better Manage Curbs

  As part of a pilot project with transportation technology firm Coord, the city has set up five “smart zones” as locations to test technology to better manage the flow of delivery and other traffic on busy curbs.

• Texas Central High-Speed Rail Gets Green Light From Feds

  The Federal Railroad Administration has granted two key permissions for Texas Central to operate a high-speed trail between Houston and Dallas.

• Heat Vision’ Traffic Lights Can Save Lives

  Cities across America are telling the pedestrian “beg” button to bug off, thanks to thermal imaging technology designed to detect and protect human bodies on our roadways.

• Op-Ed: Middle America Won’t Survive Losing Amtrak to COVID-19

  Non-coastal states will suffer if Amtrak fails — unless Congress takes action.

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