MATR Newsletter – September 28, 2020
The state with the best education wins!

Governor Bullock Announces Virtual Business of Montana Outdoor Recreation Summit – October 13-15th, 2020

“This summit will provide outdoor and tourism professionals and business owners with the opportunity to engage with industry leaders and renowned adventurers to ensure our recreation industry and economy continues to grow.”

You MUST Watch ‘The Social Dilemma’ – “This scares me to death.” Montana Senator Jon Tester

“What we’re seeing is a global assault on democracy.”

Today’s MATR Newsletter is sponsored by:

Come Home Montana

Flathead City-County, Montana health department desperate for more staff
“If we can find more people to help with COVID, we desperately need them,” Knuckles emphasized. by KIANNA GARDNER Full Story

Montana Department of Commerce

Governor Bullock, Lt. Governor Cooney Applaud Federal Court Decision to Extend 2020 Census Deadline, Allocate Additional Funding for Census Outreach
“A complete count in the 2020 Census is a foundational part of shaping Montana’s next decade,” Governor Bullock said.
Tester Statement on Federal Court Ruling Extending Census Deadline – Montana currently ranks second to last in overall response rate.
Montana currently ranks second to last in overall response rate.

Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

Governor Bullock Announces Virtual Business of Montana Outdoor Recreation Summit – October 13-15th, 2020
“This summit will provide outdoor and tourism professionals and business owners with the opportunity to engage with industry leaders and renowned adventurers to ensure our recreation industry and economy continues to grow.”

iConnect Montana

As Smart Cities Grow, Data Consolidation Efforts Should Too – iConnect Montana
“Cities’ data is very siloed. So if you were looking at this, just from a general smart city perspective, the lighting vendor doesn’t talk to the parking vendor, who doesn’t talk to the water vendor, who doesn’t talk to weather management.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded $51,517 to Butte Local Development and Headwaters RC&D to assist area rural businesses.
To learn more about the grant program, Montana USDA Rural Development staff will host an online RBDG workshop via Zoom from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Report: Unaffordable child care harms Montana economy
“This is going to end up slowing down the country’s economic recovery until people can figure this out,” said Robert Sonora, the director of health research at the Bureau.
Websites still don’t provide equal access in 2020 — and lawsuits are increasing
For a website to accommodate various impairments, its content must be keyboard accessible, have text alternatives, and follow the international standard, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
4 Urban Planning Fails We Need to Correct in 2020
When urban planners envision their work for the 21st century, many often say it’ll begin with fixing the shortcomings put in place in the 20th century.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

Wi-Fi woes are even worse during coronavirus pandemic, and only some of us can do anything about it. – How access is not created equally.
“Of the 21 million Americans who lack high-speed broadband internet access, 80% are in rural areas and on tribal lands.”

Montana Business

Mountain Hot Tub With Stores in Bozeman, Butte and Helena Receives SBA 2019 Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year
“To me the recognition goes to our employees, they’re the ones that do the work, they’re the ones that are out there delivering the product, they’re on the phones talking to our customers, they’re really the ones that do the work that make it possible for us to give back and so you know I appreciate the recognition for Shirley and I’s service but it really goes to our employees for their work,” Kind said.

Funding and Building your Business

Climate tech investment grows at five times the venture capital market rate over seven years
Key factors influencing investment include capital efficiency to prove and scale solutions; and the potential for the solutions to provide cost effective carbon reduction or removal.
You’re generating so much waste with your food deliveries. What if it came in reusable containers instead?
Dispatch Goods is a new zero-waste container system for restaurants. Get your food delivered in a metal container. They’ll come pick it up, clean it, and bring it back to the restaurant.
Insurtech Venture Partners: The Future of Fundraising Post-Covid – 10/7 – 4PM MDT – Online
Our VC and start-up panelists will discuss their experiences with fundraising during a pandemic, lessons learned and advice going forward.

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

Future of Higher Education in the Covid-19 Era
Conversation with Josh Wyner, Founder of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute and Michael Horowitz Founder of TCS Education System on the future of Higher Education in the Covid-19 era.
How Teachers Can Foster Community in Online Classrooms
Remote learning doesn’t have to mean distracted, disconnected students. Here’s what you can do to build calm and trust.

Government News & Events

Poll: US Postal Service should be run like a public service, not a business, Americans say 2-to-1
Americans still rate the Postal Service favorably, with 72 percent saying it is doing an “excellent” or a “good” job. That number is virtually unchanged from Gallup polls conducted in 2014 and 2017, suggesting that its recent troubles have not damaged public perceptions of the agency.

MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools

MAPS (Media Arts in the Public Schools) enters 17th year with high hopes and solid plans
The mission of MAPS is “to empower, inspire and prepare Montana’s next generation for future success through professional media arts instruction, engaged community service and compassionate mentoring”, giving young people the tools they’ll need to succeed in the 21st century.

Transportation

Bay Area says employees will be required to work from home three days a week AFTER the pandemic to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
‘To ensure this strategy achieves equity goals, a complementary strategy to expand internet access in underserved communities was added to the Economy Element as well.’
Richmond-to-Raleigh High-Speed Rail Gets Big Funding Win – $3.2 Billion Bond Sale For LA-To-Vegas High-Speed Train
Federal grant funding awarded recently takes a critical step toward making high-speed intercity rail service a reality between North Carolina and Virginia.
Tesla’s $25,000 Electric Car Means Game Over For Gas And Oil
The tail end of the Battery Day presentation was incredibly significant and foretells the final nail in the coffin of the traditional car industry based around fossil fuel propulsion.
Some Cities Are Plotting a ‘Green Recovery’ After Covid-19
The look and feel of these urban areas is set to change. Seattle has announced 20 miles of streets will be permanently closed to cars, New Orleans is planning to pedestrianize a slice of its famous French Quarter and New Yorkers are spreading out into its streets in a wave of socially distanced alfresco dining and drinking.

Other Economies

Wildfire-weary Californians, ‘tired of this being normal,’ consider uprooting their lives
The latest talk about people fleeing the California dream comes during an apocalyptic summer of record-breaking temperatures, raging fires that have forced thousands to flee their homes up and down the West Coast, unprecedented lightning strikes, rolling blackouts that left millions in the dark, and ghostly orange and Martian-red skies.