Amish in the News

East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania - Police today announced charges have been filed against a Pennsylvania man in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting of a horse pulling an Amish buggy. Timothy Antonio Diggs, 22, is facing seven misdemeanor counts, including reckless endangerment, cruelty to animals, and firing into an occupied vehicle, according to the East Lampeter Township Police Department.

Parkman Township, Ohio - An Amish man was sentenced Thursday to the minimum three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Parkman Township after watching porn. Raymond F. Miller, 18, of Parkman Township, previously pleaded guilty in Geauga County Common Pleas Court to rape. The incident occurred June 7. Miller knew the victim from the neighborhood and the rape occurred in a shed in a wooded area. “I am sorry I broke the law,” Miller told Judge Forrest W. Burt. “I am going to try and be a better person; try and get some treatment.”

When was the last time you sat down with pen and paper and hand wrote a letter? The art of penmanship and scribbling down your thoughts in a journal or sending them on to someone is not as commonly practiced among "Englishers" (non-Amish) as it once was. Cell phones and the internet have made connecting with friends and family as easy as a click of a button. A person could be over a thousand miles away but it can be hard to tell when their response to your last text message was within the second. In a culture where technology is very minimal and the simplest forms of communication still exist, it is no surprise that letter writing is still a prominent form of communication among Amish communities. Amish families are often quite large and spread out. For the Old Order Amish, letters are one of the few ways in which Amish families can stay in touch with each other.

Middlebourne, Ohio - Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers with the Cambridge post made an odd discovery Thursday night while investigating a report of a wrong-way driver on Interstate 70 in eastern Guernsey County. Troopers discovered an Amish horse and buggy -- but no driver -- when they arrived at the scene near mile post 193. The horse and buggy were found unoccupied near the ramp to Route 513 approximately 15 minutes before the owner arrived at the scene.

Collegeville, Pennsylvania - Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, says she’s still a little Amish girl at heart. While speaking at Ursinus College’s Lenfest Theater Wednesday night, Beiler attributed her success in business and triumph over personal struggles to the values instilled in her while growing up in a Lancaster County Amish community, coupled with a drive to achieve her purpose.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — An Amish man who led state police on a chase that hit speeds of up to 120 mph through northern Dauphin County was sentenced to 2 years of probation after pleading guilty to multiple charges Wednesday. Sylvan M. Stoltzfus wasn't driving a buggy during the pursuit. And no, he didn't have a really fast horse, either. He was driving a car.

Medina, Ohio - An attorney representing a Homer Township Amish family said there are constitutional protections that should prevent the state from appointing a guardian to oversee 11-year-old Sarah Hershberger’s medical care. Maurice Thompson, an attorney for Anna and Andy Hershberger filed a brief on Friday arguing that judges overseeing their case, now before the 9th District Court of Appeals, should allow them to make the argument that their constitutional rights were violated.

Rochester, New York – A poignant and penetrating look at what it means to be cut off from faith and family, The Amish: Shunned follows seven people who have chosen to leave their closed and tightly knit communities for the outside world, knowing that they can never return. Each has paid deeply for this decision. Estranged from loved ones, these former Amish find themselves struggling to make their way in modern America. Interwoven with their stories are the voices of staunchly loyal Amish men and women who explain the importance of obedience, the strong ties and traditions that bind them, and the heartbreak they feel when a loved one falls away. Through its sympathetic portrayal of both sides, the film explores what is gained and what is lost when community and tradition are exchanged for individuality and freedom. Produced, directed and written by Callie T. Wiser, The Amish: Shunned, an American Experience presentation airs Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV. It encores Sunday, February 9 at 2 p.m.

Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania - Nearly three dozen residents from the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Penn., were in Newtown last Friday. The group spent about nine hours in town, offering support from an unfortunate point of view. These were people who were also affected by an act of violence that took the lives of five children while they were at school. The incident has forever put the name Nickel Mines into a category that Sandy Hook joined 13 months ago, that of communities rocked by gun violence.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - It was a different technological world when Lancaster County-based Esh Computer Center started 25 years ago. It's still a different world, culturally speaking, for the company's considerable roster of Amish clients. But through it all, the company has flourished, adding both people and divisions. In 2012, according to Business Journal records, it had revenues of $3 million.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The first time Beth Graybill saw Lizzie Zook, Zook was riding down a country road on a motorized scooter with a tall, orange safety flag. Zook was 70 at the time and had had a stroke. But that didn't stop her from running five businesses, rental properties and property holdings; going on regular buying trips to New York City; and helping out her friends. "She was one of the first Amish women in business," says Graybill, a member of Community Mennonite Church. "But all she wanted to talk about was giving all the glory to God."

Leon, New York - The man whose gun was allegedly involved in the accidental shooting of an 8-year-old Amish boy will stand trial on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. in Leon Court. Eli W. Wengerd, 20, of Leon, was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon after his unregistered .22-caliber gun discharged and wounded his younger brother in the chest on Dec. 12, police said.

Logan-Simpson County, Kentucky - Sixteen members of an Amish community living around the Logan-Simpson county line attended the Jan. 13 Auburn City Council meeting to voice opposition to an amendment of one of the city’s ordinances, requiring collection bags to be placed on all horses that ride through town. A first reading was held Dec. 9. The highly anticipated passing was tabled reluctantly, however, to allow the Amish one more chance to do the right thing and clean up their mess.

The Amish are an exceptional people. All sorts of exceptions apply to them. They don't participate in or receive the benefits of Social Security or Medicare. They set their own standards for education, which are not in sync with state standards. And — this may come as a surprise — they are not required to carry passports — with or without photos — when they travel to Canada and Mexico.

Rebersburg, Pennsylvania - A 12-year-old Amish boy died in a farming accident Friday at approximately 2:40 p.m., according to state police at Rockview. The boy and another Amish male were transporting silage in a horse-drawn wagon when a board on the wagon broke loose, causing one to fall from the wagon and leaving the boy hanging off the left side of the wagon as it went out of control, state police said.

Leon, New York - The man whose gun was involved in the accidental shooting of an 8-year-old Amish boy will appear in Leon Court on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eli W. Wengerd, 20, of Leon - the older brother of the victim - was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Columbus, Ohio — A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an Ohio Amish couple against a county children’s service agency that claims workers there are responsible for their adopted child being raped by her biological parents during a partially unsupervised visit.

Markesan, Wisconsin — Saturday would have been a perfect day to ice fish on Lake Mendota. I made it onto frozen water, but instead of chasing northern pike on the 9,781-acre Madison lake, I found myself among Amish families as they harvested 80-pound blocks of ice from a one-acre farm pond on Yunkers Road in southern Green Lake County.

Gouverneur, New York — Most of the North Country is losing population, and losing farms. But there's one group that keeps growing: Old Order Amish. They're drawn to the St. Lawrence Valley by the area's cheap, available farmland. They Amish live an agrarian lifestyle that's more 19th century than 21st century. But in order to support their communities and their culture, the Amish have had to find a place in the local economy, including the dairy industry and an unlikely partnership with Agri-Mark.

Eau Claire, Wisconsin — A judge is set to hear cases this week involving four Amish families who failed to obtain certain building permits, on the grounds that complying would require them to install electronic equipment that violates their religious beliefs.

Dunkirk, New York - An 8-year-old Amish boy suffered a gunshot wound to the chest this morning in Leon when one of his brothers accidentally shot a .22-caliber gun at him while they were playing, according to Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Capt. Robert Buchhardt.

Akron, Ohio - A court-appointed guardian is dropping her attempt to force an 11-year-old Amish girl with leukemia to resume chemotherapy after she and her parents fled their home to avoid treatment.

New Wilmington, Pennylvania - After two crashes involving Amish buggies in the past three days, safety on the roads is a top priority in Western Pennsylvania's Amish country. People living in those communities say too many times, drivers simply don't pay attention. Or they make risky moves and don't practice enough caution when passing buggies.

Jerusalem - Amish preacher Roy Yoder normally marks Thanksgiving the traditional way in his Montana home. But this year, he’s celebrating Hanulkah instead — in Israel. Instead of tucking in to a Turkey meal, he nourished himself on falafel, and instead of reflecting on the pilgrims, he spent the day learning about the story of the Maccabees.

Millersburg, Ohio - Drug addiction motivated them to break into two Amish homes while the residents were out at church, and now a local man and woman are looking at prison. Emanuel A. Miller, 31, of 9275 Township Road 657, Dundee, and Jolliene R. Sutton, 32, of 605 E. South St., Wooster, both pleaded guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to two counts of burglary.

Ronks, Pa. - Police say a horse pulling an Amish buggy in Ronks, Lancaster County was shot by someone in a passing vehicle. It later died. According to officials, an Amish buggy carrying five passengers was traveling north in the 100 block of North Ronks Road at around 9 p.m.

DEKALB — The sweet smell of cooked apples fills the air of Verna Hershberger’s tidy Amish kitchen. Atop a wood-fired stove, apple chunks simmer inside large metal pots, making the kitchen warm and cozy on this cool fall day. Nearby, Mrs. Hershberger’s daughter, Fannie, 16, uses a hand-cranked metal sieve to separate seeds and peels from the mushy apple mixture. Several quart-sized canning jars line the counter behind her, ready to be filled with freshly made applesauce.

A group of filmmakers have teamed together to create a film that tells the chilling story of an armed gunman who walked into the one-room West Nickel Mines Amish School in 2006 killing five young schoolgirls and injuring five more before taking his own life.

The Amish and others who drive horse-drawn buggies on Allen County roads could soon be paying more for the privilege. Hoping to recover some of the expense of maintaining and repairing roads damaged by the hooves and buggies, the County Commissioners on Friday are expected to consider increasing licensing fees for the first time in several years.

A local man accused of viciously beating a star of television series "Amish Mafia" was arrested Wednesday morning. Imir R. Williams had been a fugitive since Sunday, when Strasburg police charged him with felony aggravated assault for beating Esther Schmucker on Oct. 31.