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Fish and Wildlife Service Limits Endangered Species Act Protections – could allow widespread development

The agency redefined ‘take’ to exclude habitat harm, narrowing federal protections for endangered species. This change has sparked multiple lawsuits and could impact Montana’s land use and conservation efforts.

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation – Transformation Futures Through Education

Education can mean the difference between minimum wage and a living salary, between a life of poverty and a promising future.

U.S. Household Water Bills Jump 62 Percent in Ten Years

Water costs have risen faster than grocery prices and median incomes, making water unaffordable for many low-income households. The report urges federal and local action to address these rising costs and infrastructure challenges.

HUD Unveils Next Generation Manufactured Housing Action Plan to Modernize 50-Year-Old Code

The elimination of the permanent chassis requirement represents a significant change to the federal manufactured housing framework. HUD officials said it could allow manufacturers and builders to explore housing designs that more closely resemble other forms of residential construction while retaining the advantages of factory production.

What Is the Daughter Effect? The Surprising Reason Male Bosses Are Hiring More Women—and Paying Them Better

“The main takeaway is that managers’ attitudes toward women can shape women’s opportunities at work—and that those attitudes may change quite quickly.”

Teaching kids to code used to be a path to good jobs. AI has changed that.

Launchpad Philly is revising its curriculum to equip youth with AI and project management skills while offering paid work opportunities. Despite these efforts, participants still face challenges securing full-time tech roles in a competitive market.

Montana is one of the 10 weakest economies by real GDP growth in Q2

Montana’s real GDP grew by an annualized rate of 0.1% in Q2 2026, down from 1.1% in Q1 2026, placing it among the 10 weakest state economies in the country according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) via the St. Louis Fed (FRED)

California Closes “Montana” Loophole That Has Cost It $20 Million in Sales Taxes

California’s new law targets wealthy residents using out-of-state shell companies to avoid sales taxes on luxury vehicles. This reform aims to restore fairness and fund essential services like road repairs.

October News for Montana Nonprofits

Together we are a force for good.

Northwestern Energy May Have Your Future Career Opportunity – Check Them Out.

Mobile Dispatcher Northwestern Energy – Butte Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE! Corrosion Technician Northwestern Energy – Montana Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE! Paralegal Northwestern Energy – Helena Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE! Journeyman Lineman Northwestern…

A new group to help US small towns lead the clean energy transition – National Conference of Small Cities and Rural Mayors

“One small town can be ignored. Thousands of organized small towns become a national constituency.”  — Mayor W. Mondale Robinson, Founding Convener

‘We’ve been screwed’: A wealthy county is overrun with data centers

Loudoun County, Virginia, became the world’s data center capital and became flush with tax dollars that helped cut residents’ taxes and improved schools. Now the county is hitting the pause button.

New Customs Rule Threatens Affordable Canadian Drug Imports

The Trump administration’s suspension of the de minimis exemption complicates access to lower-cost medicines from Canada, potentially raising costs and disrupting supply for millions of Americans relying on cross-border prescriptions.

Helena district receives federal grant to bring locally grown food into schools

Project SCALES, which stands for Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems, is led by the Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger (MT-PECH). Funded by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, each school receives about $12,000 a year to build a nutritional project suited to its community.

MEIC – Data Centers: Threats to Water and Energy Bills

While large data center projects may appear promising at first glance — touting the potential for economic growth and infrastructure investment — the processes that safeguard our environment, electricity bills, public health, and infrastructure are being trampled by the over-eager juggernauts of “opportunity.”

Controversy Clouds Livingston, Montana’s Film Industry Future

“I, as Explore Livingston, am getting messages from people who are not going to come to Livingston because of this film. It doesn’t sound like they would be safe here or welcome,” she said. “We work so hard to describe how welcoming and lovely Livingston is, especially downtown. And now this is the international impression that people have of our town.”

Sublette County, Wyoming Dips Deep Into Reserves Amid Mineral Revenue Drop

Sublette County spent $10 million from reserves in 2025 to cover expenses as mineral tax payments fell sharply. Officials face tough choices balancing essential services with declining oil and gas income and rising costs.

Missoula Economic Partnership’s annual meeting highlights Missoula’s resilient economy

The highlight of the gathering was tied to the keynote speaker, Erick Garcia-Luna, regional economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, who spoke about the economic resilience of Missoula.  View the story for his presentation slides

TikTok Quietly Gutted Its Advertising Rules. Scams Have Exploded Ever Since.

Last year, TikTok’s executives quietly defanged its advertising rules, opening the floodgates to fraudsters that target American users with fake sales of products that never arrive. Sources told Forbes the change was understood internally as a way to make more money.

Wyoming Data Center Project Grows Due to Limited Local Regulatory Control.

“We’re not just talking one data center. We’re talking about many others coming after that,” Thomas said. “It’s like weeds.” The county lacks zoning authority to regulate such projects, prompting commissioners to contemplate new rules.

Localize – America’s local farm marketplace – Where to buy your local beef

Order directly from 30,000+ farms, ranches & butcher shops across all 50 states — meats, produce, dairy, honey & more.

Great Falls Proposing to Host Annual Ironman Races Starting 2027

The Great Falls Tourism Business Improvement District proposes hosting Ironman triathlons for three consecutive years, pending city approval. This initiative could reshape the city’s tourism strategy and bring significant economic benefits.

The 4 next big things in food and agriculture, applied AI, in wellness and fitness, and in consumer tech for 2026

There’s a lot getting developed….

The VBX Keginar series “What Comes After the Transformer?” – Every Thursday Starting 10/8 – Missoula

What is a Keginar, one might ask? It is one part seminar, one part beer, and completely Missoula. All techies and AI-nerds invited!

Are You Positive You’re Registered to Vote??? – Check with the Montana Voter Portal

Now is the time…go online to MT Voter Portal (or voterportal.mt.gov), put in your name and birthday, check your voter registration info, track your ballot and look at your sample ballot. 

Montana Ranch Uses Virtual Fences to Track 1,750 Cattle Amid Wildfires

The Holland family employs satellite-based collars to monitor their herd in remote grazing lands, enabling faster responses to wildfire threats. This technology bypasses connectivity issues and could transform livestock management in Montana’s rugged terrain.

Data Center Moratoriums

Tracking state-level data center legislation across the United States

Missoula County Voice (What are the similar sites in other Montana communities?)

Welcome to Missoula County Voice, Missoula County’s online engagement platform. Local government works best when we hear from community members like you, so please leave comments, participate in surveys and polls and let us know what you think!

CoBuild Montana – We bring people, programs, and mentorship together in one place

CoBuild Montana is focused on solving Montana challenges by developing accessible, replicable solutions that create economic opportunities, jobs, and stronger communities.

The VBX Keginar series “What Comes After the Transformer?” – Every Thursday Starting 10/8 – Missoula

What is a Keginar, one might ask? It is one part seminar, one part beer, and completely Missoula. All techies and AI-nerds invited!

Electric Vehicles Could Power Grids During Peak Demand

European trials show parked EVs returning energy to grids using bidirectional charging technology. Montana businesses may benefit from this innovation despite unique local challenges.

Montana State University Research and Economic Development will be hosting it’s first combined Centers, Institutes, and Core Facilities day on Monday, November 9, 2026.

Join us for the Research and Economic Development Centers, Institutes and Core Facilities Day, an event designed to showcase what Montana State University has to offer in terms of research resources and expertise. We’re bringing together some of MSU’s centers, institutes, and core facilities to highlight the technologies, equipment, and knowledge available across campus.

‘Absolute Blow’: After Nearly 50 Years, Hulett Family Sawmill To Shut Down

After nearly 50 years of operating in Hulett, Bearlodge Forest Products has announced it will shut down after Oct. 31. “This is an absolute blow” to a community with deep ties to Wyoming’s timber industry, says Sen. Ogden Driskill.

Wyoming Industry Leaders Say Manufacturing Jobs Can Stop Youth From Leaving State

Wyoming Business Alliance Dir. Renny McKay says Sheridan is an example of what a manufacturing center can look like.

Ukrainian Kopychyntsi and Bozeman, Montana Officially Become Sister Cities

This partnership did not begin with a document – it is built on four years of working together. Over this time, Bozeman residents have raised funds for Kopychyntsi, while American volunteers have travelled to Ukraine, supported the local hospital and delivered medical equipment. Architects and Montana State University have also joined the cooperation, and one volunteer from Bozeman even stayed to live in Kopychyntsi.

Today a group of us launched Founded Colorado. (This should be a great idea for every state including Montana)

Our mission is straightforward. We make sure Colorado companies are at the table when policy is shaped. We bring real operating experience to proposed laws and to the rules that put them into practice, so they protect Coloradans and work for the Colorado companies that have to comply. We want to be the place lawmakers and partners call when they want a straight answer about how a new idea will play out. Our constituency is all companies based in Colorado.

Loneliness Cuts Nearly Six Years From Healthy Life Expectancy

Get out of the house and talk to people no matter what age you are.

Livingston, Montana city commission temporarily suspends film permit amid controversy

A film production has transformed downtown Livingston, prompting protests and concerns over road closures, access to a local food pantry and the project’s political themes.

Missoula Public Library’s M-CAT offers free podcasting classes and equipment

Neil Wells, a community media mentor and one of the instructors, said the setup gives people access to tools they likely could not buy on their own.

Rural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax Break

The new rules “may significantly lower barriers for large-scale, capital-intensive projects in rural areas—most notably hyperscale data centers,” said a statement from Ways and Means Committee chair Jason Smith last year. “The economic case for building data centers in designated rural opportunity zones becomes far more compelling” with the new program, he continued.