Wind farm blows into Randolph County

Though they aren't spinning yet, some already have blades, which add another 100 feet to their height.

"It's quite a climb," says Jeremey Chenoweth, operations manager for the Headwaters Wind Farm that will contain 100 turbines when completed by the end of the year.

Carrying 30 pounds of safety harnesses and other gear, it takes him about 20 minutes to climb ladders to the top of the towers for inspection and maintenance.

Including the blades, the height of the structures nearly equals that of Shafer Tower (150 feet) on the campus of Ball State University and of the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument (285 feet ) on Monument Circle in Indianapolis — combined.

"It changes the skyline ... but you don't want to stay in the horse and buggy age," said Kaylene Straley, clerk treasurer for the town of Lynn. "The public doesn't appear to be complaining about them like they do about CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations, aka industrial hog and dairy farms)."