Fresh dog food is the new rage among pet parents. A few years ago, it was difficult to find fresh dog food unless you cooked it at home or happened to have a kitchen nearby that would do it for you. However, in the past couple of years, many different fresh pet food companies have been founded. Many of these deliver fresh dog food right to your front door. There are actually quite a few benefits to feeding your dog a fresh dog food, as opposed to canned or dry dog food. Fresh dog food is almost always more expensive. However, you may find the price worth it when it comes to your pooch’s health!  

Healthier Ingredients

Fresh dog food almost always has fresher, better ingredients than other commercial dog foods. This is partially because fresh dog food can’t hide unsightly ingredients deep in the ingredient list. You can see everything you’re feeding your dog when you put it in their bowl! However, dry and canned food has been processed to the point that you really can’t tell what’s in it without looking at the ingredient list. This isn’t even an accurate detailing of everything in the dog food, though. According to one study done by Chapman University, many dog foods do not have accurate ingredient lists. In some cases, the listed meat couldn’t even be detected. 

Safer For Dogs

As you might imagine, not having an accurate ingredient list can be potentially dangerous. Some dogs have allergies, which can make exposure to particular ingredients troublesome. Other dogs need a special diet to control health problems. When you can’t even be sure what is in your pet’s commercial dog food, this can be a problem! Furthermore, a quick glance at any dog food recall list will make it very clear that fresh dog foods hardly ever get recalled. On the other hand, though, canned and dry foods get recalled for all sorts of reasons all the time. 

Convenience 

In many cases, fresh dog food is much more convenient than other commercial dog food options. Most fresh dog food companies will deliver their food right to your front door. This means you don’t have to make a shopping trip or haul a bag of dog food through the store. Plus, you’ll never run out! At the same time, many fresh dog foods are also pre-portioned for your canine. This feature means that you don’t have to worry about scooping or measuring.  Two of the most popular brands for fresh dog food include Nom Nom Now and Farmer’s Dog (see how they compare). With both brands, all the work is done for you. You just need to pour it into a bowl!

Personalizable

Many fresh dog foods formulate their food depending on your dog’s needs. When you sign up for a new fresh dog food, you will often be asked all sorts of questions about your pet’s health and activity level. Overweight dogs will automatically be given a food that is formulated to help them lose weight, while active dogs will be provided a food that is designed to keep their muscles in top-top shape. This personalization is simply not possible with most commercial dog foods. Because of this, you’ll need to deal with all the measurements and personalizations by yourself or with a vet. 

Fewer Possible Allergens

Fresh dog foods usually have very short ingredient lists. Many are only made with a meat and a few veggies. This is in stark contrast to the mile-long lists that are common on commercial dog foods. This factor means that your dog is less likely to be allergic to any of the ingredients in the dog food - simply because there are fewer ingredients in general! Plus, if your dog does become allergic to something in their food, it is much easier to figure out what it is!  So what are you waiting for?  Add Fresh Dog Food to your resolutions for next year!

Bozeman has been named the seventh most arts-vibrant medium-size community across the nation in 2020, returning to the list from 2017. 

The sixth annual Arts Vibrancy Index Report, compiled by SMU DataArts, a national center for arts research at Southern Methodist University, ranks more than 900 communities across the country examining the level of supply, demand, and government support for the arts in each city. According to the report, Bozeman ranks 9th in the country on independent artists and 11th on arts, culture, and entertainment firms per capita, driving it to the 13th spot overall on Arts Providers for medium-size communities with populations between 100,000 and 1,000,000. 

The SMU DataArts press release states, while the report is based on 2019 data and therefore does not reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, its findings help illustrate the critical role of the arts, both socially and economically, in cities and towns around the nation. At this historic moment, the report also serves as a pre-pandemic benchmark of where the most arts-vibrant communities are located. 

Bozeman Symphony Executive Director Emily Paris-Martin has been with the organization for more than 17 years and has experienced first-hand the impact arts have on the community. “As a performing musician and arts administrator, I have always seen strong support for the arts in Bozeman. It is exciting to see our community recognized on a national level. With the growth that Bozeman is experiencing, the study solidifies the demand for arts and culture in our community.”

In the report, the Bozeman Symphony was listed as a local landmark arts organization, along with the Arts Council of Big Sky, Intermountain Opera Company, Equinox Theatre Company, Montana Ballet Company, and Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture. Bozeman was also recognized for its many unique museums, The Bozeman Public Library, and Montana State University’s diverse arts department. 

“It is an honor to be represented along with many of Bozeman’s beloved arts organizations and artists who add to the dynamic of a thriving arts scene in our community,” said Emily. “The study recognizes the vibrancy we’ve all come to love as the arts inspire and inform our own lives. It is a wonderful reminder during a challenging time.” 

From the onset of COVID-19, the Bozeman Symphony, like many arts organizations across the nation, has learned to adapt and come up with new innovative ways to connect to the community. Recently, the Bozeman Symphony presented its first-ever Ranch Around concert series hosted by The 1915 Barn and The Big Yellow Barn. These unique open-air concerts featured Music Director Norman Huynh along with musicians from the Bozeman Symphony and guest violinist William Hagen. This was Norman’s first conducting and programming debut as the new Music Director for two sold-out performances.  

The Symphony wishes to thank the community at large for supporting the arts, and a special thanks to David Ross and Risi for their season sponsorship and the season subscribers, donors, and patrons who have provided support through these extraordinary times. The Bozeman Symphony is fully committed to serving its role as a leading arts institution in the community and believes music will move us forward. To read the entire 2020 Arts Vibrancy Index Report, please visit bozemansymphony.org. 

Big game hunter check stations will be in operation across Montana beginning this weekend and continue through the general rifle season with a few changes in protocol related to COVID -19 safety. 

General big game season runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 29.  At check stations public safety as it relates to the spread of COVID-19 will be important. FWP staff will be working to reduce crowding at the stations this season and for hunters the check station process will be streamlined as much as possible.

However, each check station may handle this process a bit differently, depending on staff, check station logistics and traffic flow. Please follow all directions and signs from FWP staff as they work diligently to check game, answer questions and get you on your way. If social distancing is difficult, please be ready to wear a mask.

Additionally, in the northwest, eastern and southwest parts of Montana, FWP will be operating CWD sampling stations where staff priority will be collecting samples rather than the traditional check station process. Again, please follow site-specific directions and signs from FWP staff. These CWD sampling locations are as follows:

• Ennis Lions Club Park
  • Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to dusk
  • Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Dillon – 730 N. Montana St.
  • Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to dusk
  • Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

FWP is also ready to help hunters sample their deer, elk or moose for CWD at our offices:

• Region 3 Headquarters – 1400 S. 19^th Ave., Bozeman
  • Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Helena Area Resource Office – 930 Custer Ave. W.
  
  • Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Butte Area Resource Office – 1820 Meadowlark Lane​
  • Monday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information on CWD, please look online at fwp.mt.gov/cwd.
 

Kristi Borge, a Montana State University alumna who now teaches kindergarten through eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse in the small rural community of Polaris, has been named Montana Teacher of the Year.

Borge said she was humbled by the award, given by the office of the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, and called it a tribute to the “incredible mentor teachers” she has had.

“Every action I do is a result of the leadership of others who have really shown me the essence of teaching,” she said. “I feel incredibly proud and honored. However, I think that there are so many teachers who have influenced me who are equally deserving of this recognition. While the (Montana Teacher of the Year) is awarded to an individual, I think this year it celebrates the hard work of the rural, multi-grade teachers who share similar responsibilities (to) my own.”

Borge currently teaches 11 students, including students in first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh grades. She said she enjoys teaching in a small school and loves Polaris, which is located about 35 miles northwest of Dillon and has only about 100 residents.

“I get to know the families so closely, which allows me to illustrate relevant connections between student lives and classroom content,” Borge said.

Borge began teaching in Polaris in the fall of 2015 after four years teaching middle school social studies and language arts at Monforton School in Four Corners. Earlier that year, she and her husband, Erik, were considering moving to the outskirts of Bozeman when they learned Maverick Mountain Ski Area near Polaris was for sale.

“We are both passionate about skiing – we actually met coaching ski racing in Big Sky – and Erik convinced me that we could sell our house and have enough for a down payment on the ski area,” Borge said. “I knew that in order to feel fulfilled and be happy, I would need to be able to keep teaching if we moved.”

Coincidentally, Polaris needed a multi-grade teacher.

“I immediately felt comforted by the wide-open valley nestled into the Pioneer Mountains,” she said. “The school is really cozy and picturesque and is just so inviting.”

Borge noted that the educational setting is particularly appealing because it affords her a great deal of creativity and autonomy.

“I can integrate curriculum – or connect subject area topics – easily because I am so in tune with what each student is learning in every subject,” she said. “If we are really caught up in a specific lesson, I can adjust the daily schedule as needed to allow for those teachable moments.”

Borge said some of her current challenges include having no preparatory periods, long hours and a lot of lesson planning each week to address unique grade-level standards.

“This year I have five grade levels, so you can imagine how complex that can look when planning five math lessons, five reading lessons and so on,” Borge said. “I spend long hours at the school most days and have a lot of extra duties that one may not think of, such as shoveling the sidewalk, ordering supplies, coordinating school maintenance projects, managing all of the technology devices and writing administrative reports.”

Borge was born and raised in Big Sky. She attended Ophir Elementary School and high school in Bozeman. She enrolled at MSU after receiving a Montana University System scholarship, which covered her tuition. She also competed as a member of the university’s alpine ski team.

She credits her own early educational experiences for choosing to study education at MSU.

“I had such a positive elementary school experience and have always been drawn to the classroom,” Borge said. “My own fifth through eighth grade teacher, Alec Nisbet, created a remarkable sense of community and belonging for me and my classmates that really made me love school and all it entailed.”

At MSU, a number of professors in the Department of Education were especially impactful. Among them were Ann Ellsworth, who had high expectations and reminded Borge that teachers should approach reading and writing instruction with a deliberate, research-based approach; Lynn Kelting-Gibson, who related theoretical methods to real-world applications; and Christine Rogers Stanton, who Borge said pushed her to think critically and was an important mentor when working on her master’s degree.

She also valued the field experiences that came with her major in education, said Borge, who completed her student teaching at Anderson School outside of Bozeman.

“Getting to spend time in the classroom is really what gave me confidence that I was on the right career path,” she said. At Anderson, her mentor teachers, Stephanie Lourie and Sandy Wilson, “opened my eyes to the art and science of teaching” and taught her to incorporate humor and relationship building to make deeper connections with students. 

Borge received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education K-8 with a reading K-12 minor in 2010 and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an educational researcher option in 2016, both from MSU’s College of Education, Health and Human Development.

In a press release from the Office of the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction announcing Borge’s award, Beaverhead County Superintendent of Schools Linda Marsh said she was honored to nominate Borge for the honor.

“I have worked with Kristi for several years and have seen firsthand her ability to create an environment with a positive culture for learning in which all students are free to make choices, ask and find answers to their questions, and develop a love of learning,” Marsh said. “During the school closures this spring due to COVID-19, she displayed great flexibility incorporating technology to ensure her students didn’t miss a beat. She even kept the year-end awards tradition alive virtually and provided summer school instruction to her students.”

For her part, Borge said she loves seeing both social and academic growth of her students over time.

“I have had students for several years who I taught to read and count in kindergarten and are now writing essays and multiplying decimals as fifth graders,” she said.

Borge hopes to continue to learn and implement research-based practices that directly impact student success both academically and behaviorally.

“As a professional, I hope to continue to learn about the instructional planning practices of multi-grade teachers and establish frameworks and systems to help both myself and other multi-grade teachers to manage our workload and be more efficient, effective educators,” she said. And, “with the COVID-19 pandemic at the forefront of our lives, I am focused on building social-emotional skills with my students so that they can have a strong foundation of stress management and tools for building growth mindsets during challenging times.” 

Borge will represent Montana in the 2021 National Teacher of the Year Program. More information about the Montana Teacher of the Year program is available at the Office of Public Instruction’s website at http://opi.mt.gov/Educators/Teaching-Learning/Montana-Teacher-of-the-Year.

Some locals remember traveling on newly constructed roads and bridges to attend Big Sky Resort’s opening day in 1973. Critical infrastructure has not only faithfully carried skiers year after year to their destination; it has also withstood heavy equipment as Big Sky grew. Now, nearly 50 years later, drivers once again can enjoy traveling over smooth bridges. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT)’s Big Sky Bridge Decks project completed work today on three bridges in the Big Sky area.

“MDT thanks everyone for their patience and understanding during this busy construction season,” William Fogarty, Butte District Administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, stated. “These bridges sorely needed these improvements and had not experienced repairs of this scale since they were originally built, when Big Sky was a fraction of the size it is today. These bridges will serve the community for many more years to come.”

Dick Anderson Construction crews began work in late May with repairs to the bridge by the intersection of MT 64 and US 191. They also started work on the bridge by Little Coyote Road. That structure had a longer construction schedule as it was a full reconstruction of the bridge deck. The Little Coyote Road crews had to rebuild the bridge deck from the bottom layers up. Once the bridge by MT 64 and US 191 was complete, crews worked on a bridge on US 191, two miles north of the turn to Big Sky. 

Repairs were focused on the bridge deck; the surface of a bridge vehicles drive on. A bridge deck is comprised of multiple layers. These begin with a strong base layer that lays on top of supportive beams, include a layer of rebar that reinforces the structure, and finish with a concrete surface. Over time, water seeps into small cracks on and near the bridge, eventually creating larger potholes and cracks. Patches are then used to fill in holes as a quick repair to ensure that deterioration does not continue. However, damage can permeate multiple layers of the deck or patches can become so numerous that large-scale repairs are needed.

Those looking for any other information on the Big Sky Bridge Decks project are advised to email takami@bigskypublicrelations.com or call the project hotline at (406) 207-4484.
 
Alternative accessible formats of this document will be provided upon request. Persons who need an alternative format should contact the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Transportation, 2701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620. Telephone 406-444-5416 or Montana Relay Service at 711.

Each and every year, millions of young adults set off for the start of their college adventures, finally leaving the family home behind and getting ready to take the next steps towards their future lives. It can be an exciting time for everyone involved, as well as a stressful one for many protective parents as their grown-up children leave the nest.

Having a college-aged child is very different from having a little one or a high school teen. It's at this stage of life that young men and women begin to become much more independent, making more of their own decisions and taking more personal choices that will shape their future in various ways.

However, that doesn't mean that mom and dad no longer have a part to play. Parents of college kids simply have to adapt to changing circumstances, but can still help their children in various ways and will surely be called upon in several key situations. With this in mind, let's take a look at some top tips for parents of college kids to bear in mind.

Educate, But Don't Patronize
It's natural for parents to be worried or stressed as their older children leave the home and head off to college, especially with so many stories and reports of college parties and all the possible things that can go wrong. In reality, college campuses are relatively safe places and most students have the best years of their life at college.

However, there are still some risks out there, and it's important for parents to guide and educate their older children into making the right decisions, without being too 'parental' or patronizing. Remind your kids of the importance of keeping up with studies and meeting deadlines while still feeling free to have fun. Talk about the importance of acting responsibly, understanding the age of consent, not drinking excessively, and so on, while appreciating their individuality and maturity.

Encourage Them
Parents can be nervous about their kids starting college, and there are many situations where the kids themselves are equally stressed out. They might be worried about fitting in, keeping up with their courses, making the right decisions, and so on. This is your time to encourage them, to let them know that the next years could be some of the best they ever have, to let them know that they've earned their place and will be successful.

Speak positively about your son or daughter's college education, encourage them to be confident, and approach this next step of their life with self-belief. Invite them to be independent, to pursue their passions, to meet new people, to participate in extracurricular activities, and so on. The more involved they get, the better the experience could turn out to be.

Try To Limit Your Role
As stated earlier on, this is the time in a young person's life when they'll typically start to become more independent, learning about living on their own, discovering new skills, and developing the abilities they need to look after themselves and forge their own path. This doesn't mean they won't still need your help, but if they do, they'll usually ask for it.

In the meantime, parents should try to limit their roles, letting their kids live and enjoy their college years, while still being present and ready to help out as and when they are needed. You shouldn't be the one choosing your child's courses, giving them constant unsolicited advice, or calling them non-stop. Again, you can still keep in touch, but be ready for things to change a little, which leads us to the final tip below.

Final Word
As mentioned above, things will usually change quite a lot when a kid goes off to college. After just a few months or semesters, they might change in some big ways too, learning more about themselves, discovering new aspects of their personality, or uncovering new interests they hadn't had a chance to pursue in the past.

Be ready for this, accept that things are going to change, know that the child you raised for 18 years is starting to become an adult, and do what you can to embrace those changes in the best possible way. Ultimately, it's all about trusting your child, and yourself. You've raised them all their life, preparing them for the challenges that lie ahead and effectively helping them get to where they are.

Now, it's up to them to start forging their own road in life, and if you choose to embrace it and approach it with a positive mindset, you may have a lot of fun watching the people they become.

Although it may seem that successful students are born smart, it is not true. They are not necessarily more intelligent than others, but they are certainly more skilled at learning. Top students have developed study habits and are able to be focused. They are very disciplined and have their own life hacks for learning so they can effectively assimilate new knowledge. If you want to become a successful student, consider the five strategies described below.

Create a system
Don’t rely on motivation, rather stick to your own learning system. You shouldn’t wait until you are in the mood to get your work done because it may never happen. Students who do well at school can complete their assignments even when they don’t feel like it.

Create a rough weekly schedule based on your recurring commitments and follow it no matter what. Block out time each week for studying so as not to forget about anything or do it at the last minute. Use planners and set daily reminders to organize your study activity.

Break big tasks into smaller ones, so they don’t seem too complicated and overwhelming. Most people can’t maintain a high level of focus for more than 45 minutes at a go, so you should work in 30- to 45-minute blocks, followed by a 5- to 10-minute break. Studying in shorter blocks of time is much more effective for the majority of students, rather than trying to stay focused for a couple of hours straight.

Avoid multitasking because it reduces your study efficiency. Instead, complete one task at a time, and you’ll notice that you’ll get more things done in less time. Get rid of distractions that may surround you, like notifications on your phone, numerous open tabs in your browser, or favorite apps that draw your attention.

Prepare materials for essay writing ahead
Whether you need to complete a research paper or to write an essay, gather as much information as possible. Get an in-depth understanding of the subject you're going to highlight in your academic work before you start the process of writing itself. Today, searching the information is so easy, as you have access to a big number of high-quality resources, one of which is WritingBros, where you can get a lot of essay examples on various topics. College study has never been so simple as nowadays, use all the informational resources available on the Internet. Make the most out of your education with the help of modern online services like Khan Academy, Udemy, Coursera, or WritingBros.

Be diligent
Always take notes in class to learn new concepts better. Prepare for each class by skimming your notes or a textbook, so you will be familiar with what will be covered the next day. Get engaged by asking questions to make sure that you understand new material. Review the information you’ve learned on the same day, so it will be moved to your long-term memory more quickly.

Do consistent work and avoid postponing things until the last moment. This way, you won’t need to cram for exams and less likely to break your deadlines.

Find time for relaxation
Being a successful student is not really about getting the highest grades and outperforming others. It's more about having a well-balanced life that ensures you won't burn out. Regularly, find time for relaxation so you'll be emotionally satisfied and productive.

As a student, you must feel how tiring intellectual work is, so try to get at least eight hours of sleep to restore your mental energy. Proper night sleep will help you stay an effective learner as it boosts memory and enhances cognitive processes. It would be great if you could make 8-hour sleep a priority and go to bed at roughly the same time every day.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Both your physical and emotional health affect your performance at college. Regular exercises can not just make your body stronger, but also enhance your concentration, boost creativity, and improve memory. Also, when it comes to your diet, research has shown that the better your nutrition, the more efficiently your brain functions. Include fresh fruit and vegetables in your meals, add eggs and nuts to your diet, and eat enough meat and fish. In addition, you should try to avoid processed foods, trans fats, sugar, and artificial sweeteners.

If you want to be a top student, it’s essential to keep yourself motivated by rewarding yourself whenever possible. Don’t forget to do something enjoyable during study breaks so you’ll always be encouraged to get back to work. And remember that outstanding performance is possible only if you are able to manage your stress and stay positive.

Author’s Bio
Robert Everett is a private tutor and academic writer. He works at an essay service that provides students with homework help. Robert believes that support is very important to learners so he does his best for encouraging students to achieve outstanding results.

A new grant from the state of Montana will support Montana State University researchers as they explore a faster and less costly method for COVID-19 testing which, when used in conjunction with existing testing methods, could ultimately improve the access to and the speed of testing.

The research team includes 12 faculty members from the colleges of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Development, Engineering and Letters and Science. It is led by Connie Chang, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering who specializes in microfluidics, the creation and scientific use of tiny droplets of fluid in genomic and bacterial studies. 

The $776,000 grant will fund research on LAMP testing, short for loop-mediated isothermal amplification. LAMP testing is an emerging complement that could be used in conjunction with the standard COVID-19 test, which uses a method called quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or qPCR, Chang said. qPCR is the most widely used test in Montana and across the U.S. and is commonly administered using a nasal swab. 

The funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act — or CARES Act. The grant was administered by the Montana governor’s office and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. 

Rather than a nasal swab, LAMP testing can analyze saliva samples in as little as 30 minutes, Chang said. LAMP is compatible with “colorimetric” technology, meaning the sample changes color based on the presence of the virus: pink if the sample is negative for COVID-19, yellow if it’s positive. LAMP testing doesn’t require specialized training to use and attempts to avoid the supply-chain issues posed by the unique materials needed for qPCR tests.

“There’s a lot of research exploring LAMP right now because of its speed,” said Chang. “With the technology that we’re developing, we think we can trim the result time even more. It’s an exciting developing technology for point-of-care testing, and that’s why a lot of people are working on it right now.”

The easy-to-use and rapid LAMP tests would allow public health officials to quickly identify those with a very high probability of having COVID-19 and then confirm those cases with a subsequent qPCR test. 

“The bottom line is the addition of LAMP to our testing toolbox could help increase our ability to identify COVID-19 cases,” said Jayne Morrow, MSU assistant vice president for Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education and a member of the project team.

However, before LAMP technology can be made available for use, it must be validated to ensure that it is accurate at identifying COVID-19. To perform that validation, the team will partner with MSU’s COVID-19 testing laboratory, which processes approximately 1,500 COVID-19 tests per day in partnership with Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services. They will compare the results of LAMP against the “gold standard” qPCR results and evaluate the new test’s effectiveness.

In addition to validating LAMP technology, the team will develop epidemiological models to help determine vulnerable populations and the optimal rates of LAMP testing to best contain COVID-19 spread. The hope is to ultimately deploy LAMP testing in order to identify and contain outbreaks and identify groups that may need to quarantine in minutes rather than days.

“This project takes a holistic approach not only to the scientific elements of exploring a new testing platform but also to the best practices for applying novel technologies to Montana’s communities,” said Jason Carter, MSU Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education. “Our researchers continue to live the land-grant mission of Montana State by pivoting their research expertise and talents to help our state and local public health agencies to make an immediate positive impact in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and maximize the benefit to our most vulnerable communities.”

Along with Chang and Morrow, collaborators on the project include professor Matthew Fields of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Biofilm Engineering; associate professors Deborah Keil, Raina Plowright, Matthew Taylor and Seth Walk of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology; associate professor James Wilking of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; assistant professor David Millman of the Gianforte School of Computing; professor Kristen Intemann of the Department of History and Philosophy; associate professor Selena Ahmed of the Department of Health and Human Development; and Alex Adams, director of MSU’s Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity. 

Montana businesses are now eligible to apply for workforce recovery grant dollars to help companies refill jobs that were lost due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montana Department of Commerce has launched a temporary Workforce Recovery grant program as part of the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund (BSTF).

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund Workforce Recovery program will reimburse a business for the wages of full-time, permanent jobs that are created and retained for at least six months, up to a maximum of 25 jobs per business. Businesses apply directly to the program. Find more information here: https://marketmt.com/BSTF/WorkforceRecovery.

The Workforce Recovery program is in direct response to supporting businesses impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic. The ability to create the temporary program has been made possible by a governor’s directive which allows for flexibility in the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund program. Funding for the temporary program comes from reverted BSTF Job Creation awards, it is not a replacement for or pausing of the well-established business development program.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been committed or December 31, 2020; whichever comes first.

Apply at MARKETMT.COM/BSTF/WorkforceRecovery.

When we think about common wild animal problems on our property, our mind automatically goes to creatures such as rats, snakes, or mice, but these are not the only creatures that we’re dealing with here. Not by a long shot. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and gophers are really common intruders, also, as are bats.


Indeed, these little winged rodents have been known to make a home inside your attic and sometimes even inside your walls, so it’s only smart to take the necessary precautions in order to protect your home from bats. In this article, we’ll look at precisely what those precautions are.

First, why are we so worried about bats in our homes?
Well, aside from the obvious unpleasant factor, bats are carriers of a wide range of diseases and might even aid the spread of the new coronavirus, so obviously you wouldn’t want that in your home. What’s more, their droppings are endangering your pet’s life and are also pretty corrosive, which might put the structure of your home in danger. So suffice to say, you don’t want bats in your home. You can visit getridofbat.com to learn more.

How can you prevent bats from coming to your house?
1. Get an owl.
Some sources recommend buying a fake, plastic owl, and mounting it on your roof, or on a perch near your attic. Owls are the natural enemy of bats, and their presence will automatically deter the bats from approaching. On the other hand, bats aren’t stupid and the truth is, most wild animals realize the difference between a plastic and a real animal. So if this method appeals to you, instead of buying a fake, you might as well put up a tall perch that will attract owls or eagles, both of which keep bats (and other intruders, such as snakes) away.

2. Regularly perform upkeep on your attic.
Most of us tend to avoid our attic, especially in the cold months, unless there’s something we absolutely need to do up there. This is detrimental because it leaves the place unattended for months, and thus an ideal roosting ground for bats. So make time to clean up your attic at least once or twice a season. Even if it’s nothing more than dusting and moving a few things around. This will let you keep an eye on the place, to ensure no pests are creeping in and it will mark it as an inhabited area, which might deter bats from coming around.

Also, checking on your attic regularly allows you to keep an eye on the walls, windows, and roof, to make sure there are no cracks to allow bats or any other unwanted animal to sneak through. This website has resources on how to properly inspect your home and get rid of unwanted wildlife intruders.

3. Install a chimney grate and window screens.
This is a good tip because it helps keep out a lot more than just bats. The truth is, a lot of animals are attracted to your chimney, due to the warmth. But a bat nest inside your chimney can pose a serious fire risk to your property, and to the bats themselves, since they might not be able to escape the chimney in time, in case of fire. So your best bet is stopping them from getting in in the first place.

4. Find a professional.
Specific measures depend on the specific property, so while the above are some great general tips for wildlife prevention, you may want to find a professional for some specific help. First, do your research, and figure out how likely it is to get bats in the area where you live. This is also a good chance to inform yourself on other popular pests in the area.

Afterward, call in a certified wildlife removal professional, who will inspect your home for signs of potential wildlife intruders, as well as provide you with some great tips on how to protect your property. What’s more, a professional will have a keener eye and be able to point out weaknesses on your property, ones that you yourself might be oblivious to.

Remember, it’s always better to invest in prevention, rather than have to deal with the aftermath of a bat infestation, which can prove disastrous to your property.