I had a great time reporting on this story. Though I’m very passionate about alternative energy, I’d never had the opportunity to see a wind turbine up close. I got a chance to watch the workers assemble the tower and to ask them questions during the process.

I also took photos for this story, and since we were working at a slower pace, I got a chance to really get creative with photography. It was nice not to have to rush through photos in between talking and writing and asking questions.

This was one time when I wished I’d had a hard hat, though. Someone almost dropped a bolt on my head!

The Farmers Bank of Mt. Pulaski sits on the town’s hilltop, approximately 700 feet above sea level, across from a courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law as a member of the Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit. Built in 1862, the oldest bank in Logan County is a large white structure with a sloping roof similar to a barn’s. A glance down South Washington Street reveals a typical small town Illinois scene: antique stores converted from historic buildings, murals featuring Lincoln, the local hardware store. But glance upward, and visitors are greeted by a 137-foot tower of renewable energy.

For the full story, click here.