2011 news
December 31, 2011
December 2011
Amish woman struck by car, killed
LOGAN COUNTY OH — A 40-year-old Amish school teacher is dead after she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle on County Road 101 in McArthur Twp. It was just after 6 p.m. Friday when witnesses called 911 saying a woman “may not have a pulse” after being struck by a vehicle. The victim, Martha Miller, was only about a mile from her home when her bicycle was rear-ended. She was wearing reflective gear at the time, said Logan County Sheriff Andrew Wilson. “She was wearing a reflective vest similar to what construction workers would wear when they’re out along the roadway. She also had a working flashing light on the back of her bike,” he said.
NICKTOWN — This Christmas should be a little brighter for two northern Cambria County Amish families who have been padlocked out of their homes since May 2009. Cambria County Judge Norman Krumenacker late Thursday afternoon signed an order instructing Sheriff Bob Kolar to remove the padlocks from the houses belonging to John and Susan Miller of Blacklick Township and Joely and Mary Swartzentruber of Barr Township, essentially ending a nearly three-year battle.
Sheriff: Ohio man cleaning gun killed Amish girl
FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio — A man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle shot the gun into the air, accidentally killing a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy more than a mile away, a sheriff said Tuesday. Rachel Yoder was shot in the head Thursday night while traveling to her home in Wayne County, between Columbus and Akron. She had attended a Christmas party for employees, most of them under 18 years old, at an Amish produce farm and was riding home alone when she was shot, Wayne County sheriff's Capt. Douglas Hunter said.
Road Damage, Manure and Accidents: Todd County Residents Are Taking Action
TODD COUNTY, Minn. (KSAX) – A group in Todd County is asking area officials to make and enforce laws regarding horse-drawn vehicles. “We’ve had so many people say, ‘I wish someone would do something’,” concerned driver Dean Meiners said. “Nobody does, so we are.” Todd County has several Amish communities that are growing and prevalent, and their use of horse-drawn vehicles is creating safety concerns on roads, according to Meiners.
2 Amish people fined for leaving buggy horses tied up in hot southeastern Pa. parking lot
LANCASTER, Pa. — The second of two Amish people charged with animal cruelty for leaving their buggy horses tied up in a southeastern Pennsylvania parking lot on a hot day has been found guilty and fined $300
November 2011
No Facebook, no mobile phone, no make-up and no parties. It sounds like the definition of teenage torture. So what made Charlotte Allison, 18, swap her pampered life with her parents for six weeks living in a rural Amish community in Middlefield, Ohio? The strict Christians — memorably portrayed in the film Witness — are famous for their simple living, plain clothes and reluctance to adopt 20th-century conveniences, like cars and electric light. Their life ethic is hard work, community and prayer.
Amish: Hunter shot by brother, dies
HINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - Police say a man fatally shot his brother with a rifle during a deer hunting incident on family property in Mecosta County on Wednesday night. The men were not hunting together. The men are Amish and their names have not been released. There will be no autopsy.
Ex-Amish church member charged with 4 counts of theft
Three years ago, Levi Stoltzfoos argued at trial that his Amish faith excused him from committing an alleged bank-deposit scam. The jury didn't buy it. A Lancaster County judge, while scolding Stoltzfoos for using the Amish defense, sentenced him to 2 to 5 years in state prison. Less than a year after being paroled, police allege Stoltzfoos is back to his old ways. And, now, he's back in prison.
October 2011
Amish man charged with defrauding millions wants no-contest plea on religious grounds in Ohio
CLEVELAND — An Ohio man charged with defrauding fellow Amish in 29 states out of nearly $17 million insists on pleading no contest on religious grounds at his arraignment, but that wouldn’t be in his best interest, his attorney told a federal judge Monday.
Former Amish sect member speaks about attacks
Former Bergholz member and son-in-law to Sam, we'll call Ayden, compares the sect to the former Peoples Temple, whose leader was Jim Jones. In 1978, the cult ended in a mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana.
September 2011
The Amish largely untouched by U.S. financial crisis
When Wall Street banks hit rock bottom three years ago and investors across the nation were crying uncle, members of one American subculture emerged relatively unscathed. The Amish, with their horses and buggies and their "upside-down" values, were largely unaffected by the financial crisis, living contented lives and amassing cash.
Amish boy, 4, killed in farm accident
SUGARCREEK OH: A 4-year-old Amish boy died and his younger brother was injured when they were struck by a small front-end loader vehicle at their home Thursday night. Wesley Barkman died immediately, according to Holmes County Coroner Dr. Robert Anthony. The coroner ruled the death as accidental due to blunt trauma to his head.
Amish investor charged with defrauding his community of millions of dollars
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Members of the Amish community traditionally have settled their scores independent of secular society, but the federal legal system will decide the fate of Monroe Beachy, 77, of Sugarcreek, Holmes County. Beachy was charged (pdf) Wednesday with defrauding thousands of his fellow Amish farmers, carpenters and neighbors of tens of millions of dollars in an alleged Ponzi scheme that has earned Beachy a nickname: The Amish Bernie Madoff.
9 Amish men ordered to jail after refusing to pay fines
MAYFIELD, KY. — Mose Yoder stood in Graves District Court Monday afternoon, rested his bearded chin in his hand and awaited the question from Judge Deborah Hawkins Crooks. She told him he owed $158 in fines and court costs for refusing to display a bright orange-red safety triangle on the back of his horse-drawn buggy. “Mr. Yoder, do you intend to pay that amount?” she asked. He shook his head silently, and she sentenced him to four days in the county jail.
Amish men sought in attack of teenage girls
State police are searching for a group of Amish men who they say assaulted three teenage girls in Lawrence County. Police said the group of about five men touched the girls -- two 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old -- inappropriately on the grounds of a horse auction business in Wilmington on Friday.Sept. 2 Police said the girls were at a play area outside the auction building while their parents attended an auction inside.
Amish community reeling after cart crash claims second child's life
MIDDLEBURY, Ind. — A second child has died and four remain injured after their pony cart was struck by an SUV in the 10500 block of County Road 24 in Middlebury Monday. According to the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department, around 10 a.m. the children pulled out onto the road and into the path of the eastbound SUV. One child, 10-year-old Jenna Miller, died at the scene. And around 5:40 p.m. the sheriff's department confirmed for WSBT that 7-year-old Jolisa Miller died after being airlifted to Parkview Hospital.
Complaints focus on unregistered vehicles hauling Plain Sect riders
In Lancaster County's Plain Sect communities, "Amish taxis" are a way of life. In Ohio, they're called "Yoder toters." Packing into vans, it's often how they shop, go to the doctor or visit relatives more than a buggy ride away. Their rides, if they are charged for them, are required to be registered with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to make sure the owners have adequate insurance and safe vehicles.
Amish man goes to jail for sex crimes
Despite urgings from leaders of a local Amish community, Melvin Glick was jailed on Wednesday for having a three-year sexual relationship with a young girl. Glick, 32, received a large show of support from his community after he was charged last year with sexually assaulting the girl about 100 times. However, a local judge said, that support doesn't excuse the criminal acts. "To treat you differently just because you are a member of the Amish community would disrespect that honorable community," County Judge David Ashworth told Glick.
August 2011
People often confuse Mennonites with the Amish and the Mormons, according to the Rev. Joel Shenk. The pastor of Toledo Mennonite Church since October, Mr. Shenk told a tour group of about 150 that while there is a historical thread connecting Mennonites and Amish, it's puzzling why people mix up Mennonites and Mormons. Perhaps it's because both names start with the letter M, he said.
Modern Day Noah's Ark Being Built by the Amish in... Kentucky?
In a scene straight out of "Evan Almighty," a religious group including Amish carpenters is re-building Noah's Ark to exact biblical specifications in the farmlands of Kentucky. But the group is not claiming it's for protection against a coming deluge, but rather proof that Noah was capable of the task thousands of years ago.
July 2011
When Michael Galbraith tells people he’s just finished a study of Amish architecture in northeast Indiana, they sometimes give him a strange look. “People who love history and architecture like I do are intrigued, but friends and neighbors, people like that, they tend to go, ‘Huh?’ ” he says.
Hundreds pay respect to Amish crash victims
JASPER, N.Y. -- The Amish community in Jasper continues to mourn the loss of five people from their community killed in Yates County Tuesday. Police say a van of Amish passengers was hit by a car and then swerved into a tractor in the Town of Benton. Funerals were held Friday for three of the victims. When five Amish people from Jasper were killed in a horrible crash in Yates County Tuesday, it struck a chord in the Amish community nationwide. Officials estimate close to 1,500 people attended the funerals of three victims Friday: Melvin Hershberger, Melvin Hostetler and Anna Mary Byler.
5 Amish killed, 10 people hurt in Yates County crash
A van full of adult Amish farmers collided with another vehicle in the Yates County town of Benton this afternoon, killing five of their number and injuring eight more. There were 14 people in the van total; one was uninjured. Two people in other vehicles suffered minor injuries.
Trucker charged with murder in fatal buggy crash
A tractor-trailer driver was charged with murder after his truck crashed into a horse-drawn buggy in southern Kentucky, killing an Amish toddler and injuring three members of her family, authorities said Saturday. Christian County Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Campbell told The Associated Press that 52-year-old Mark Bohms of Robinson, Ill., is also charged with operating a vehicle under the influence, three counts of assault and criminal mischief. No bond has been set, and it was unclear if Bohms had an attorney.
June 2011
DEPEYSTER — Enos Yoder fiddles with a metal gear and won't make eye contact with a stranger who is asking him about his troubles with the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Instead, he looks out onto his field, where a two-horse sleigh is carrying a stack of hay on a cart, ridden by a young man probably in his teens. Mr. Yoder, who owns a machine shop business, explains his problems politely, although with few syllables. The department, he says, wants him to file his sales taxes electronically rather than mailing them in as he has done for years. Also, the state wants to know his phone and Social Security numbers. There's only one problem: he's Amish. He doesn't use electricity, doesn't own a computer or a phone, and doesn't have a Social Security card.
Amish Youth Secretly Use Facebook
Young people from the Amish community are, like the rest of the world, flocking to Facebook with their mobile phones, continuing the social media's growing influence. For a community that shuns electricity, cars, home computers and other modern conveniences, mobile phones seem to be providing to be a convenient tool for young people to explore the social network...
Authorities investigate Amish fire as possible arson
Fertile, Minn -- Polk County and state authorities are investigating as a possible arson an overnight fire that destroyed a barn and killed three calves last week on a farm near Fertile, Minn. Jim Tadman, an investigations sergeant with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, said the fire call came at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday and brought firefighters to an address on 120th Ave. SE...
Kentucky prosecutor presses for traffic fines against Amish
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — A western Kentucky prosecutor says there should be no more delays in enforcing traffic fines against nine Amish men cited for not displaying slow-moving vehicle symbols on their buggies. The Kentucky Court of Appeals on Friday denied a petition from the men, sending the matter back to a Graves County Court...
Amish woman dies after stoking fire to do laundry
An Amish woman died Wednesday morning in Indiana County after suffering burn injuries at her home. Ella D. Miller, 32, of Smicksburg, was heating water for laundry at about 7 a.m. Monday at her home, according to Coroner Michael Baker...
May 2011
Kansas Amish mechanic has Yale degree
(HUTCHINSON, Kan.)—Leroy Hershberger doesn’t even listen to the radio while he fixes small farm machinery in his rural Reno County shop. “I focus completely when I’m working on something,” says Hershberger. If you only judge by a appearance, you might assume Hershberger leads a simple life...
Amish Man Makes Court Appearance On Sex Assault Charges
MADISON, Wis. -- One of two Amish brothers facing sexual assault charges appeared in Grant County Circuit Court on Monday.Dannie G. Stolzfus, of Fennimore, was in court for his initial appearance.He is facing two felony counts -- one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of incest with a child...
April 2011
Amish Youths Taken Into Custody In Conewango Valley
CONEWANGO VALLEY - Five Amish youths were taken into custody on Sunday by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office...
Feds Take Down Amish Farmer... Over Milk
A year-long sting operation came to an end this week. In that time, the government used fake names and surprise inspections all to nab the people at Rainbow Acres Farm in the D.C. area. The reason: they were selling milk...
Amish buggies to remain without orange reflectors
An Amish buggy and horses were parked quietly outside the Grayson County Court House early Thursday morning while the owners were inside facing charges...
Amish have trouble with government rules
EBENSBURG, Pa.-- Sewage permits and smoke-detector laws are among the religious-freedom disputes between U.S. Amish Mennonites and state and local governments, USA Today says...
March 2011
Court of Appeals hears Amish case over safety triangles
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— An argument over whether a state law requiring bright orange safety triangles to be displayed on certain slow-moving vehicles violates religious freedom came before the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Thursday. A lawyer for nine Amish men from western Kentucky argued Thursday they should not have to put the symbols on their horse-drawn buggies...
Leaving Amish Paradise, BBC Two, review
There’s one thing tougher than life in the Amish world: life out of it. If you’re part of the rigidly strict Amish community, in rural Pennsylvania, your elders allow you no car, no telephone, no electricity. From dawn till dusk you toil on a farm with horse and plough. You’re expected to be devout, yet you can’t read the Bible, because you aren’t allowed a copy in English – only in an obsolete form of German...
Driver Charged After Amish Buggy Race to Church
ASHLAND, OH -- The driver of one of two Amish buggies racing to church has been charged after a minor accident, Sgt. Robert Fullmer of the Ashland Post of the Highway Patrol said...
Amish, polygamists find common ground on tackling abuse within communities
But her desperate outreach didn’t matter. The worker took pictures, told her husband to take anger management classes, and left. And it also didn’t matter the time a police officer put her husband in jail for 13 hours, only to have him come back to make home “a living hell.” “I finally decided it was because we were Amish and it was unusual we would ask the law to come in to help us,” said the woman, whom The Tribune is not identifying for her protection. “Maybe they just don’t believe me.”...
Horses haul 18-wheeler truck back on course
An 18-wheeler truck stuck in a snow bank may have had a few hundred horsepower under its hood, but it was real horse power that saved the day...
February 2011
4 Amish children die after buggy flips in creek
MAYFIELD, Ky. - A horse-drawn buggy carrying an Amish family home from dinner and using a community telephone toppled in a rain-swollen creek in rural Kentucky, killing four children who were swept away in the swift-moving water, authorities said Friday...
Amish Man Charged With $33M Fraud
Cleveland (CN) - A 77-year-old man defrauded fellow members of the Amish community of tens of millions of dollars, the SEC says. Monroe Beachy dba A&M Investments raised $33 million on phony pretenses, and lost more than $15 million of it in "speculative investments," according to the federal complaint...
5 sue Ohio company over Amish fireplace claims
CLEVELAND (AP) — Five people have sued an Ohio company over whether its fireplaces cut heating bills sharply and are made in the United States by Amish workers..
January 2011
Total Amish population (currently 250,000) hits a million sometime in the 2050s, and rockets from there...
Convicted Amish killer commits suicide
Nearly two decades after Amish man Edward Gingerich outraged his normally peaceful religious community by killing his wife, he has been found dead of an apparent suicide...
As Amish migrate west, culture breeds hostility, confusion among locals
SCHUYLER COUNTY, Mo. -- The grumbling surfaced not long after the first Amish families moved to this sparsely populated farm region about a decade ago. Word spread that these Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking newcomers hated the government, didn't pay taxes, wouldn't fight in a war....
Police: Woman supplied Amish with beer
NEW CASTLE — Police found six Amish teens drinking beer and playing loud music last month in a New Wilmington woman’s garage. Now the woman is being charged with six counts of furnishing liquor or malt or brewed beverages to minors, as well as four counts of corruption of minors...
