Authorities caution drivers in Michigan to watch for horse and buggies
VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI – When it comes to horsepower, the Amish have a lot of it. Police are warning motorists, though, that they need the roads just as much as drivers do. “A lot…
PA Court flushes Amish free exercise claim after 8-year sewer battle
SUGAR GROVE TOWNSHIP, PA – An eight-year conflict has left a Pennsylvania family struggling to practice their faith against a sewage ordinance in Sugar Grove Township, Pennsylvania. Joseph and Barbara Yoder, an Old Order Amish…
Animal-drawn vehicle safety measure passes State Assembly
MADISON, WI – A new law authored by a pair of local lawmakers to ensure more safety on our roadways was passed by the State Assembly on Tuesday. State Senator Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), and Representative John Spiros (R-Marshfield) worked…
Horse buggy-car crashes a concern on NY roads
PENN YAN, NY – Rising populations of Amish and Mennonite communities in more rural parts of New York state over the past decade have meant an increase in horse-drawn buggies on the roads, and increasing…
Sam Mullet, Amish bishop who orchestrated beard-cutting attacks, asks judge to overturn his convictions
CLEVELAND, OH – Amish bishop Sam Mullet is asking the Cleveland federal judge who sent him to prison to overturn his convictions for orchestrating a series of beard and hair-cutting attacks on his enemies. Mullet argues in…
On the Road With the Amish
I had covered many things in my 20-plus years as a reporter — but never a deadly buggy accident. Recently, though, a news brief from upstate New York caught my eye. A young Amish man…
Court: Electric Sewer Pump Does Not Infringe on Amish Couple’s Religious Freedom
SUGAR GROVE, PA – The Commonwealth Court has ruled that connecting an Amish couple’s property to a municipal sewer system using an electric pump does not violate the couple’s religious freedom. A split three-judge Commonwealth Court panel…
Amish faith lost when beliefs and government clashed
PENNSYLVANIA – The case Yoder v. Sugar Grove Area Sewer Authority was heard in a Pennsylvania state appellate court, concluding a five-year legal battle when a 2-1 court decision ruled the Old Order Amish couple has to…
Pa. court rules against Amish family and its privy, orders sewer and electric connection
WARREN COUNTY, PA – After a legal battle spanning more than five years, a Pennsylvania court has agreed with a lower court ruling that ordered a Warren County Amish family to connect to a municipal sewer,…
Hydraulic printing press has been used by local Amish community for 50 years
Alymer, Ontario – A hydraulic-powered printing press in rural Malahide Township, near Aylmer, just entered its 50th year of operation printing papers for a local Amish community. It may not be long before the old machine…