Links

This section contains a collection of Internet links categorized by subject. We have selected these links with an emphasis on Palo Alto County government and demographics, economic development, and entrepreneurship. We are not endorsing any specific web site, product or service. These links are to serve as a source for information, however we cannot guarantee their accuracy or that these sites will be accessible at all times.

Agriculture
Airports
Business/Economic Development
Chambers of Commerce, Tourism & Visitor's Bureaus
City Government Links (Palo Alto County)
Education
Employment
Entrepreneurs
Finance/Money
Maps
New Markets Tax Credit
Newspapers
Palo Alto County Demographics
Palo Alto County Demographics - Community Profiles
Statistics
Transportation
US Government Programs
Weather

Agriculture
Chicago Board of Trade
A commodity exchange for grain, metals, mini-sized Dow, and U.S. Treasury Bonds.
Iowa Ag Statistics
A statistical office of the United States Department of Agriculture. Find statistical information for the national, state, and county level. Obtain crop and livestock reports, crop weather reports, agriNews, historical estimates, and prices received by Iowa farmers. Can order publications.
Iowa Corn Growers Association
Find news and information on markets, biotechnology, events calendar, corn use/education, ethanol/distiller grains, and ICGA Members page.
Iowa Dept. of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Find links for all your agricultural needs: bureaus, divisions, programs, news, directories and publications.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Information on air quality, business regulatory assistance, contaminated sites, energy, environmental reviews, waste management, fishing, hunting, geology, mapping, state parks, sovereign lands, underground storage tanks, water quality and much more.
Iowa Farm News
Fort Dodge Messenger publication. Get news, markets, ag calendar, farm safety, area auctions, merchants and dealerships.
Iowa Farmer Today
www.iowafarmer.com -- Agricultural publication featuring news, markets, classifieds, and weather.
Iowa Soybean Association
The Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Soybean Promotion Board's web site. News and information on legislation, soy biodiesel, candles, food, ink, and new uses for soy, and much more.
Iowa State University Extension
Excellent source of information on agriculture. Provides information for families, small businesses, 4-H, parents and communities.
Iowa State University Farm Economics Issues
See Ag Decision Maker, Iowa concern Hotline, Agricultural Management e-school, Farm Financial Planning, Family Financial Planning, County Extension Offices, and News and Events.
United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
Site features an index to a wide variety of agricultural links.
USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service
United States Department of Agriculture's site that provides detailed statistical information on virtually every aspect of agriculture.

Airports
Des Moines International Airport
Check arrival and departure times, parking, weather, lodging, and community information.
Fort Dodge Regional Airport
Arrival and departure times, listing of local motels and ground transportation information.
Mason City Regional Airport
Find airline flight schedules, airport safety, and menus at the airport's restaurant. Also features a FAQ page.
Emmetsburg Municipal Airport
Check this site for general airport information, map and VOR.
Omaha Eppley Airfield
Check arrival and departure times, weather, statistics, lodging and available transportation.

Business/Economic Development
Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS)
Iowa State University's Center for Industrial Research and Service. They provide educational seminars and assistance in engineering, management, procurement, productivity and quality management.
Iowa Area Development Group
Serves businesses looking at expanding or locating within their electric cooperative and municipal utility areas. Provides assistance with site selection, data standards, permits, and financial packaging.
Iowa Dept. of Economic Development
Find out about living and doing business in Iowa. This website has information on programs and services for businesses, government resources, recycling, recreation, careers, and community information. Also features facts on Iowa history.
Iowa Business Network
Sponsored by the Iowa Small Business Development Center. Features articles, events and links pertaining to Iowa business.
Small Business Administration
Dedicated to helping businesses grow and succeed. This site offers information on starting, financing and managing your small business.
Small Business Administration--Lending
Source for lender and loan information.

Chambers of Commerce/Tourism/Visitor's Bureaus
American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association
Nonprofit organization dedicated to economic and community development.
Emmetsburg Chamber of Commerce
Find community information on Emmetsburg, community calendar, and a directory of member businesses.
GreatIowa.com
Directory tool to help visitors find informative local site information in Iowa.
Travel Iowa - Iowa Department of Economic Development
Site has links for attractions, calendar of events, recreation, cites and regions, accommodations, roads, weather conditions, Iowa Welcome Centers, scenic byways, historical routes, state symbols and statistics. Publications and maps are also available for viewing or to place an order.
Western Iowa Tourism Region
The Western Iowa Tourism Region represents tourism attractions and events in 372 communities throughout the western third of the state.

City Government Links
Ayrshire - LOIS
Curlew - LOIS
Cylinder - LOIS
Emmetsburg - City website - LOIS
Graettinger - City website - LOIS
Mallard - City website - LOIS
Rodman - LOIS
Ruthven - LOIS
West Bend - City website - LOIS

Education (Palo Alto County Schools)
K-12:
Emmetsburg Catholic School
www.emmetsburg.com/education/catholic.htm
Emmetsburg Community Schools
www.emmetsburg.k12.ia.us
Graettinger Community School District
www.graettinger.k12.ia.us
Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District
www.ruthven.k12.ia.us
Saint Peter & Paul Catholic School
www.westbendiowa.com/education.html
West-Bend Mallard Community School
www.west-bend.k12.ia.us
Colleges & Universities:
Briar Cliff University
www.briarcliff.edu
Buena Vista University
www.bvu.edu
Iowa Lakes Community College
www.ilcc.cc.ia.us

Employment
Iowa Workforce Development Center
www.iowaworkforce.org -- Find job openings, news, and labor statistics.

Entrepreneurs
AnySite Products
GIS Information for your business.
Bureau of Economic Analysis: Regional Economic Accounts
Find detailed per capita income for Iowa and other geographic areas.
Community Vitality Center
The Center's mission is to encourage growth and development in Iowa's rural areas. Find community entrepreneurship information, wealth transfer studies, rural growth indicators, school and county consolidation and rural industry cluster studies.
Demographics Now
Map your business on the web. For a fee, they will provide demographic reports, maps, charts and data for your business.
EconData.Net
Excellent information source to socioeconomic data. This site has hundreds of links for finding regional economic data.
InfoUSA
Provides business and residential sales leads, mailing lists, new business lists, bankruptcy and tax lien lists, etc. Some information is fee based. Can search by state, city or zip code.
Inspiration Software, Inc.
www.inspiration.com
Sedgwick County Information Network
Site for Sedgwick County, Kansas Economic Development. This site serves as an example as a Small Business Resource Guide, listing names of agencies and organizations to contact when starting a small business.

Finance/Money
Bloomberg
World news and financial news. Find stock quotes, market snapshot for U.S., Asia and European markets, U.S. GDP, U.S. Federal Funds Rate, U.S. unemployment rate, economic calendar, currencies, and currency converter.
CNN Money
Excellent resource to links on current business news, real estate, stock quotes, personal finance, and mutual funds. Features a variety of calculators for retirement planning, mortgages, and savings and much more.
Internal Revenue Service
Search this site for forms and publications. Provides information for individuals, businesses, charities and non-profits, government entities, tax professionals, and retirement plans. Includes information on where to file, e-file, FAQ's and links to other resources.
Iowa Department of Revenue
Find tax forms, publications, business tax information and refund status. Site features a FAQ section. You can also look up the sales tax rate for your area.
NASDAQ
Get detailed information on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Includes after hours trading and pre-market indicators.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
Stock quotes, company directory, glossary of terms, most active stocks, order ratios, daily statistics, and detailed market summary.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Information provided by the United States Government on public securities.
Wall Street Journal Online
The Wall Street Journal's website. Some content is free, some requires a subscription fee.
Yahoo Finance
Get financial news, stock quotes, and links to investing and personal finance.

Maps
MapQuest
Get driving directions, maps and mileage estimates.
Yahoo Maps and Driving Directions
Source for driving directions, maps and mileage estimates.

New Markets Tax Credit
New Markets Tax Credit
Provides information on the New Markets Tax Credit program, which is designed to bring capital to communities that have had inadequate access to capital.
Awardees/Allocatees of New Markets Tax Credit
Site allows users to search for awardees of the New Markets Tax Credit program.
2120 Certified Community Development Entities as of January 1, 2006
Lists organizations that have been certified by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (Fund) as Community Development Entities (CDE's). Organizations are listed alphabetically by state and city.
Awardees/Allocatees of New Markets Tax Credit program that are located in Iowa
Provides detailed information on Iowa awardees.

Newspapers
Emmetsburg Reporter/Democrat
www.emmetsburgnews.com
Des Moines Register
www.dmregister.com
Fort Dodge Messenger
www.messengernews.net
Mason City Globe Gazette
www.globegazette.com

Palo Alto County Demographics
Census Bureau FAQs
Palo Alto County Quick Facts
Palo Alto County - Population Estimates
Palo Alto County Fact Sheet
Palo Alto County - General Demographic Data
Palo Alto County - Socioeconomic Data
Palo Alto County - Economic Data
Palo Alto County - General Housing Characteristics
Palo Alto County - Detailed Housing Data
Palo Alto County - Educational Data
U.S. Census Bureau - Searchable Data Sets for Palo Alto County

Palo Alto County Demographics--Community Profiles
Ayrshire
Curlew
Cylinder
Emmetsburg
Graettinger
Mallard
Rodman
Ruthven
West Bend

Statistics (Business and Economic)
Bureau of Labor Statistics -- by the U.S. Department of Labor
United Stated Federal Government's web site with up-to-date links to labor and economic statistics.
Consumer Price Index
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI).
FedStats
The United States Government's gateway to statistics. Search by topic, agency, state or county.
FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
Bank and statistical information
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Government's site for detailed information on the 2000 Census.

Transportation
Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E)
The IC & E Railroad services Palo Alto County with a rail line running east and west. Find out more about this railroad company by visiting their website.
Iowa Department of Transportation
Find road conditions, road work reports, weather, drivers license and motor vehicle information, maps, Iowa bicycle trails, information on buying a safer vehicle, and many other topics. Excellent resource.
Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
The Union Pacific Corporation services Palo Alto County, with one rail line running east and west in the northern part of the county, and another rail line running north and south. Find out more about this corporation by visiting their website.

US Government Programs
Government Loans
Provides information on hundreds of loan programs including small business.
Government Benefit and Assistance
Includes more than 1,000 government benefit and assistance programs.

Weather
Iowa Road Conditions
Get the latest road conditions for the state of Iowa.
Weather Underground
Check current weather conditions for the Emmetsburg area, along with the 5-day forecast for Palo Alto County. Includes astronomical data, and links to local and regional radar images. Search for detailed weather and climate data by month, date and year.