Amish in the News
Man Says He May Have Shot Amish Teen
| September 22, 2015Wayne County, Ohio - A man has come forward saying he may have shot an Amish teen. The 17-year-old was plowing a field in Wayne County when he was hit in the head with a bullet. The teen underwent surgery and has since been released. Sheriff's officials tell WEWS-TV a man told them he was shooting at pigeons in the area, and thinks the bullet may have come from his gun.
IL Community Shocked After Vandals Target Amish
| September 18, 2015Ava, Illinois - In Ava, Illinois, words were written targeting the Amish to move out, words that have neighbors in the area angry, frustrated and shocked.
It was reported on Saturday, September 12 to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department that graffiti was spray-painted along Sharp Rock Road in Ava, Illinois.
Amish Boy Shot in Head by Stray Bullet while Plowing Field in Wayne County
| September 17, 2015Kidron, Ohio - A 17-year-old Amish boy was shot in the head while plowing a field Thursday morning in Kidron.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Department reports John Hershberger was struck with a .22 caliber bullet just after 9 a.m.
Investigators said it's possible the stray bullet was fired by someone hunting squirrels and it just happened to come down on top of John's head.
Damage Found on Amish Properties
| September 9, 2015Eau Claire, Wisconsin - According to the Eau Claire County sheriff's office:
A deputy was called to a home in the 13000 block of Highway M at 12:18 p.m. Saturday, and the 54-year-old resident reported finding a bullet hole on his house. There was a hole in the screen, along with a hole the size of a half dollar in the window. Later that day, another deputy was called to the same home, where the resident reported finding a bullet hole in another window.
Amish Boy, 4, Dies in House Fire
| September 8, 2015Glasgow, Kentucky – The Barren County Sheriff’s Office responded to 4766 Nobob Road at 10:43 p.m. Monday night to assist several volunteer fire departments at the scene of a house fire.
The fire claimed the life of a 4-year-old Amish male child, according to a press release from Sheriff Kent Keen.
Preliminary investigation indicates the fire started from a coal oil lantern in the kitchen area of the home.
Chesco Boy, 6, Dies in Farm Accident
| August 27, 2015Honey Brook, Pennsylvania - A 6-year-old Amish boy died after he got pinned between two horse-drawn hay carts in Honey Brook on Wednesday, police said Thursday.
The boy, whom police did not identify, was between the two carts and became pinned as they passed each other along North Birdell Road on Wednesday around 9 a.m, police said.
Fines Paid for Two Amish
| August 27, 2015Aubury, Kentucky - Fines have been paid for a second time around recently for two Amish individuals who were in violation of an ordinance in the City of Auburn. The citations were given for not having collection devices on horses to catch manure. Fines are $50 per violation.
Amos Mast and Wilbur Mast both received pre-payable citations for being caught in the City of Auburn without collection devices on their horses. This was the third time for Amos, who has been jailed already, along with his son Dan, for refusing to pay the fines and court costs for past violations. This is the first for Wilbur. Wilbur still has a pre-payable citation for not having proper slow moving vehicle tape on a piece of equipment.
Coroner Says Amish Logger Killed When Tree Limb Falls on Him
| August 24, 2015Patton, Pennsylvania - The funeral was set for an Old Order Amish logger killed by a falling tree limb in western Pennsylvania.
Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski says 20-year-old Benuel Swarey, of Allensville, was killed on state game lands in Clearfield Township on Friday morning.
YOU SHOULD KNOW: Matthew Schwartz
| August 23, 2015Lagrange, Indiana - At a young age, Matthew Schwartz would hurry down the long driveway at his home when he heard sirens.
Any emergency vehicle fascinated the Amish boy.
Schwartz says his parents decided to leave the Amish community when he turned 13.
Amish Frustrating Drivers in Kentucky as New Ruling Allows them to Ride Bikes
| August 16, 2015Kentucky - A new ruling allowing Amish people to ride bikes is creating chaos for motorists in Kentucky, according to local officials.
While motorists have long been frustrated by horse drawn carriages on the roadways, now the community is taking to bikes as well.
Recent Crashes Involving Horse-drawn Vehicles Highlight the Need for Increased Awareness
| August 10, 2015Nappanee, Indiana - Six-month-old Noah Troyer smiled as his brown eyes twinkled between the straps of the brown helmet covering his skull.
On July 22, the infant was ejected from the buggy he was riding in with four members of his Amish family during a crash at Ind. 19, south of C.R. 50 near Nappanee.
Coroner: 21-year-old Amish Man Accidentally Shot by Cousin
| August 7, 2015Smicksburg, Pennsylvania - A coroner says a 21-year-old man was accidentally shot by his 12-year-old cousin in an Amish community in western Pennsylvania.
Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman Jr. says the victim is Allen Troyer, of Smicksburg.
Lawmakers Move Closer To Amish Buggy Agreement
| August 4, 2015St. Lawrence County, New York - St. Lawrence County legislators are one step closer to finalizing an agreement concerning Amish buggy safety.
Members of the Amish community agreed to increase the amount of gray reflective tape along with other measures to help motorists see buggies at night.
Police Identify Two Amish Teens who Drowned in Wilmington Twp. Creek
| August 2, 2015Wilmington Township, Pennsylvania - Police in Pennsylvania have identified the two teenagers whose bodies were found in a creek along the county lines of Mercer and Lawrence Counties.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police 15 -year-old John Mast, of Mercer, Pa., and 16-year-old Seth Byler, of New Wilmington, accidentally drowned around 3:30 this afternoon in the Little Neshannock Creek in Wilmington Township.
Buggy Crash Lawsuit Prompts Reminder for Safety on Roads
| July 30, 2015Elkhart, Indiana - An Amish family did something out of the ordinary by filing a lawsuit after a 2012 crash killed their infant son.
In a statement made to the Elkhart Truth, Steve Nolt, a Goshen College history professor who studies Amish Culture says filling lawsuits is "highly unusual" because it's contrary to their religious belief in "nonresistance and defenselessness." However, fatal buggy crashes are not out of the ordinary in Michiana.
What the Amish Can Teach Us About Health and Happiness
| July 29, 2015Often viewed as outcasts by mainstream society, the Amish may seem downright bizarre to the average American. Foregoing technological advancements that many of us would be lost without, the Amish have created a way of life that fosters a connection with the land and environment, while also cultivating an impressive sense of community. And they are healthy -- exceedingly so. The Amish rarely experience disorders like cancer or cardiovascular disease, seemingly able to bypass illness altogether. What's their secret?
Authorities Probe Amish Drinking Party
| July 29, 2015A large group of minors is being investigated after an alcohol-fueled, underage party was held in rural Livingston County, Mo., this past weekend.
Around 100 underage minors reportedly gathered on a portion of secluded property without the landowner’s consent late Saturday night, said Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox. Amish leaders contacted law enforcement on Monday after the location of the party was known and a group of Amish youth were allegedly involved in the soiree.
Aggressive Vaccine Prevented Amish Measles from Spreading
| July 27, 2015An aggressive vaccination effort in response to the 2014 measles outbreak among North American Amish communities in Ohio significantly reduced the transmission of measles and the expected number of cases, according to a new study, even though under-vaccination among the North American Amish and in other communities around the United States led to the highest national annual number of reported cases in 2014 in the last 20 years.
In their new study--Modeling measles transmission in the North America Amish and options for outbreak response--Dr. Kimberly Thompson and her colleague at Kid Risk, Inc. (www.kidrisk.org), Kasper H. Kisjes, explored the impact of the 2014 outbreak response compared to no or only partial response. They concluded that "aggressive outbreak response efforts in Ohio probably prevented widespread transmission of measles within the entire North American Amish."
Teen who Attacked, Robbed Amish Victims Loses Appeal
| July 16, 2015A 19-year-old Geauga County man who targeted Amish people in several robberies had his eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence affirmed this week in the 11th District Court of Appeals. Chase Kontur appealed from the judgment of the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas where he pled guilty to a consolidated indictment that included two second-degree felonious assaults, a lesser-included offense of third-degree robbery, one count of fourth-degree safecracking and six counts of fifth-degree breaking and entering.
Increasing Tension over some Amish Beliefs as Communities Grow
| July 7, 2015Auburn, Kentucky - In this rural outpost near the border with Tennessee, Amish women park their horse-drawn buggies at the edge of town and walk in dragging wooden wagons behind them, returning with good stacked high. Some avoid town altogether. They fear ending up like Amos Mast and Dan Mast, an Amish father and son who face the possibility of jail for refusing to pay fines for not attaching a bag behind their horse to catch manure. The Masts say the bags spook the horses and that paying the town’s fines would set an unwelcome precedent.
Man Faces Charges in New Auburn Buggy Crash
| July 7, 2015New Auburn, Wisconsin - Richard A. Atkinson had a theory on why the green 2001 Ford Windstar he was driving ran into the back of a horse-drawn buggy, injuring two people on May 24 in New Auburn.
A criminal complaint detailed that Atkinson, 49, of 2723 3 ½ Ave., New Auburn, transports the Amish and felt terrible about hitting the buggy. It read: “Richard Atkinson thought that the reason he did not see the buggy was because the front lights on the buggy were not activated because, ‘They sometimes like to save batteries.’”
Amish Woman Mistakenly Committed to Mental Hospital
| July 6, 2015Lancaster, Pennsylvania - It took three days, but Elma Byler, 66, was finally released from the Lancaster County Mental Health Facility after being mistakenly committed a few days earlier. Byler spent the last month telling her friends and family that she was “retahren.” When she revealed this news to her physician, Dr. Mark Barenger, during a routine check-up, he immediately contacted the LCMHF.
“She told me she was…in poor mental health,” said Barenger. “Just outright told me.”
Amish Schools Find Ways to Serve Special-needs Children
| July 6, 2015Clark, Missouri - Maryann Yoder, 5, will join her sister Edna, 7, and other Amish children in a local one-room schoolhouse in a few years. But until then, speech therapist Anna Crusha provides a different education for the girls, just for the two of them, in their tidy home every Thursday.
Crusha, working for the Sturgeon R-V School District, uses board games and other activities to improve their speech. The sisters are both partially deaf.
Lightning Strike Leads to Amish Man's Death
| July 1, 2015Seymour, Missouri - A 30-year-old Amish man died Friday morning after a lightning strike hit his horses as he plowed a garden at his farm on Smith Road, about six miles northeast of Seymour. Samuel H.K. Beechy was leading his two-horse team, pulling a cultivator, when lightning struck the horses at about 11:30 a.m., Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said Monday morning.
“The question still remains, as of today, whether his death is the result of the lightning strike or the result of a secondary injury, such as injuries sustained in the impact after the strike,” Cole explained. “Regardless, it is safe to say that the lightning strike did lead to his death.”
What can you learn from Amish parenting? Multitasking Moms and Dads
| June 29, 2015I’ve been fascinated by the Amish since my first trip to Holmes County, where my sister and I donned bonnets to play in a buggy, and my brother got a wooden rubber band gun.
Every year we went, stopping first at the Shearer’s outlet store in Brewster to stock up on sustenance for our day of exploring. We’d stop at the wooden toy store outside Wilmot and the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock in Winesburg, and whatever else looked enchanting.
Man, 2 Horses Die after Lightning Strike in Missouri
| June 27, 2015Seymour, Missouri - A man has died after being struck by lightning in a southwest Missouri farm field.
KYTV reports the 30-year-old Amish man died Friday morning along with two horses he was using to cultivate the field near Seymour.
Amish Avoid Jail Time for Now
| June 26, 2015Russellville, Kentucky - Jail time was averted, at least for now, by an Amish father and son who refuse to pay fines for violating an Auburn city ordinance requiring owners to prevent waste from horses from falling on city streets.
Logan District Court Judge Ken Williams deferred a show cause hearing for two weeks in the cases of Amos and Dan Mast.
Amish Community Growing in Blanchard
| June 26, 2015Blanchard, Michigan - Horse drawn buggies clatter across the streets of Blanchard in increasing frequency.
Shops are often patronized by customers dressed in homemade garments, reminiscent of the 1800s.
As the Amish community continues to flourish in the small Michigan farming town, residents work to adjust to their hardworking but softspoken new neighbors.
Update: One Killed in Car-Amish Buggy Crash
| June 24, 2015Jefferson County, Ohio - A child was killed after a pickup truck crashed into her horse and buggy on Tuesday afternoon along County Road 58 in Bergholz.
Officials say an 86-year-old who lives nearby was heading westbound behind the 11-year-old child, who was operating the horse-drawn buggy.
Road Master: Carl Cisney has Spent 40 Years Driving the Amish
| June 22, 2015Four decades ago, Carl Cisney’s life changed when he gave an Amish neighbor a lift to a welding shop.
The neighbor introduced him to an Amish man named Steve Esh.
The Amish population is growing and needs drivers, Esh told Cisney. If you get a van, I’ll make sure you’re busy, he promised.