[DanielN]

http://www.siliconprairienews.com/ is a good starting point. KC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Columbus, Madison, Detroit and Omaha all have great tight knit entrepreneurial communities, as do most of the college towns in the midwest.

I guarantee you there is at least one thriving developer meetup in your area.

Also, it has already happened this year but checkout http://cincinnati.startupweekend.org/ and other startup weekend events in cities near you. They are a great way to meet fellow entrepreneurs and hackers.