News
This New Republican Super PAC Wants to Get the Amish to Vote for Trump
| May 13, 2016From Donald Trump's Twitter feed, to the nonstop cable news coverage, the 2016 election has been nothing if not digital. For most of the country this has made politics inFrom Donald Trump's Twitter feed, to the nonstop cable news coverage, the 2016 election has been nothing if not digital. For most of the country this has made politics inescapable, but not for the technology-averse Amish community, who are at a considerable remove from the election. But now, a brand new super PAC is trying change that. The aptly named Amish PAC calls itself "the first Super PAC dedicated to getting plain voters [using a common term referencing the Amish lifestyle] to the polls."
Healing Ministry in ‘Battle Zone’ of Abuse
| May 9, 2016Physical and sexual abuse in the Amish-Mennonite community weighs heavily on Larry and Kendra Kaufman, pastoral couple at Grace Mennonite Church.
Just this year in their community, the issue has been thrust into the public eye through the conviction and imprisonment of an Amish preacher who is a sex offender.
Amish Basics: New Order Amish
| May 9, 2016New Order Amish are often seen as one of the most progressive of Amish groups. Less traditional dress, neatly groomed beards and hair, and homes with telephones are just a few things that set them apart from their Old Order counterparts. They also allow rubber tires and sliding doors on their buggies and air-filled “balloon” tires on farm equipment. Although they don’t own vehicles, the New Order are allowed to travel by airplane unlike other Amish.
2 Amish Men Charged with Confronting Homeowner
| April 27, 2016Fairview Township, Pennsylvania – Two Amish men were arraigned Tuesday on charges that they damaged and tried to enter a home during a confrontation with the homeowner.
Joseph and Nathan Hochstetler, both 18 and of 59 Poole Road, Jackson Township, were among a group of Amish who congregated March 28 outside a home in the 100 block of Runkle Road, Fairview Township, state police said.
Amish Pretzels Chain Finds Sweet Spot in Meijer Stores
| April 21, 2016Grand Rapids, Michigan - Ben's Soft Pretzels is finding its sweet spot in Meijer stores.
In the last few years, the fastest-growing soft pretzel franchise in the United States has opened a dozen locations in Meijer stores across the Michigan-based retailer's Midwest footprint.
Inside a Modern Amish Wedding
| April 15, 2016Amish couples usually keep a wedding announcement secret until it’s revealed or “published” in church.
Still, there’s plenty of speculation over who will be married as the curious search for telltale signs.
“Folks watch to see whether families with marriage-eligible girls might be painting their homes,” said Karen M. Johnson-Weiner. “And whether those girls might be sewing new dark blue dresses.”
Jefferson County Man Arrested for Sexually Abusing Children
| April 14, 2016Jefferson County, Illinois -- A Jefferson County man is facing sex abuse charges.
Rudy Byler, 38, of Belle Rive was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 9.
First Amish Couple Arrives on P.E.I.
| March 28, 2016Motorists in eastern P.E.I. are being asked to watch for a different kind of vehicle on the roads as the first Amish couple has arrived in the area, and with them, a horse and buggy.
Brad Oliver, a local realtor, helped the pair move in to their new home in Summerville last week. All four parents of the couple are expected to arrive Tuesday.
Oliver said another group also plans to set up in Dundas.
Sexual Abuse Among Plain Groups’ Concerns
| March 28, 2016Millersburg, Ohio - If plain communities don’t deal with sexual abuse among them, the state will step in to deal with the problem, and some freedoms may be lost.
That was Chester Weaver’s sober message to attendees of the 11th Anabaptist Identity Conference March 10-12.
Amish Child Killed in Farm Accident
| March 26, 2016Hammond, New York - A 9 year old Amish boy was killed Saturday morning in a farm accident off Route 37, near Hammond.
7 News reporter John Moore, on scene, spoke with the boy's father, Henry Mast, who identified the child as David Mast.
Two Amish Houses Shot Sunday
| March 22, 2016Larue, Ohio - A "large caliber," high-powered firearm was used in the shooting of two houses in western Marion County between 1:30 and 1:45 a.m. Sunday, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Office statement released Tuesday.
The residents of both homes are Amish, and no one was hit, Sheriff Tim Bailey said.
What Americans Can Learn From the Startling Success of Amish Entrepreneurs
| March 21, 2016Who is likely to be a more successful entrepreneur – a Harvard Business School graduate or an Amish man who quit school in eighth grade? According to new research, the answer may surprise you.
Amish scholar Don Kraybill says the failure rate of Amish start-ups is less than 10%, while the failure rate for non-Amish businesses is 65%. Although it is tempting to say that their businesses target different consumers, the reality is that Amish businesses are competitive with mainstream businesses, with many Amish even offering online ordering and shipping.
Man Charged with Exposing Himself to Amish Women, Girls
| March 21, 2016Lancaster, Pennsylvania – A Lancaster County man has been charged with exposing himself to Amish women and girls.
Benjamin R. Grafius, 39, of New Holland, admitted he targeted Amish and Mennonites for three months last summer. He told investigators the women and children were “easy targets” who wouldn’t call police, according to the district attorney’s office.
Amish Family Thanks their 'English' Friends
| March 21, 2016Canton, Ohio - Gifts of money, food, building materials and other support from the entire community have been a godsend to an Amish family who are finishing a new home out of the ashes of a house where a father and son died Jan. 11.
The family of Jost Y. Hershberger, 58, and his son, Benjamin Y. Hershberger, 18, who died in the fire, want to say thank you, said Eli Hershberger, a neighbor.
Sarah Gingerich
| March 3, 2016It was a lot of fun to grow up on an old-order Amish farm! Feeding livestock and watching things grow was exciting, and being outdoors was something I enjoyed a lot. Going to church was something I also looked forward to; I always enjoyed seeing friends and having a good time.
Growing up in a family of fourteen had its challenges, and I never really felt a strong connection between myself and my parents. Even though attention was often divided, I still had heart to heart talks with my parents sometimes.
Former Classmates Save Choking Amish Baby's Life
| March 3, 2016Two former classmates who bumped into each other while shopping Friday believe they were there for a reason that day.
Both women, who were trained in First Aid, were in the same aisle at the right time when an Amish baby was choking on a lollipop.
Leslie Austin of downtown New Castle and Cheryl Paolini of Neshannock Township graduated together from New Castle High School.
More than 1,800 Volunteers Clean up after Lancaster County Tornado
| March 1, 2016Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Days after a tornado hit the Eby family's Lancaster County farm, the extent of the devastation finally sunk in.
"At first we were just so happy with all of the support we had from the community," said Corrie Eby, 32, who was in her basement holding her 2-year-old daughter, Gloria, when a tornado hit the home at 334 Millwood Road in Salisbury Township Wednesday.
Letter to my Dad
| March 1, 2016Dear Dad and Mom,
Greetings of love and cheer from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This leaves us on Tuesday morning; the next morning after we left your house!
You know, Dad, it hurts me to see you so confused and so full of hurt, and in your heart you just don’t understand how your oldest son (me) can do what he does. I hate that you bottle all those things inside yourself. If you go for answers to man or yourself, you’ll never find it; you simply have to go to God for what you’re looking for.
Letter to my Son
| March 1, 2016Jesus says in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” You have done just that in your letter to me. You are not welcome here anymore until things are made right, and you repent. Every time you come, I end up getting a letter full of lies, which you know are not true.
Amish Hard Hit when Confirmed Tornado Rips through Community
| February 25, 2016Gap, Pennsylvania - More than 100 Amish were gathered in a barn on Seldomridge Road here Wednesday when the winds suddenly and violently kicked up.
Beth Engel, pastor of the nearby Pequea Presbyterian Church, also in Gap, said attendees would later say it felt like the "barn was breathing," as what is now aconfirmed tornado passed over them and cut a path through surrounding Salisbury Township.
What Makes a Quilt Amish?
| February 24, 2016What makes a quilt Amish? Does it have to be “quilted by a group of Amish women sitting around the frame in their sitting room?” Or does it have to have an Amish pattern, like the Amish Wedding pattern created and popularized by Rachel Pellman of the Old Country Store in Lancaster, Pa? Is appliqué or pieced the appropriate technique?
Samuel Borntreger could Face Additional Charges of Child Abuse and Sexual Misconduct
| February 24, 2016Testimony in a bond hearing Wednesday revealed an ongoing criminal investigation against an Amish man charged with poisoning his own wife.
Samuel Borntreger appeared in a Harrison County courtroom Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Anna Yoder Borntreger, in 2006. Authorities raised the possibility of additional charges while arguing that Borntreger's bond shouldn't be lowered from its current level of $250,000.
Amish Community in Shock after Family Horse Shot
| February 18, 2016LaGrange, Indiana - One Amish family in LaGrange County is still in shock after their horse was shot in a drive-by shooting Wednesday morning.
So far, neither the police nor the family knows who did this. Now, they're just hoping to find answers.
The owner’s grandson heard the shots. He wants to warn others about the incident.
Mennonite, Amish Neighborhood Gets Special Treatment
| February 18, 2016Sarasota, Florida - Sarasota County commissioners on Wednesday approved a master plan to preserve and protect the Pinecraft neighborhood, a historic Amish and Mennonite community struggling to maintain its lifestyle amid the steady encroachment of the modern world.
Genetic Disease is Ravaging Lancaster County's Amish, and Helping to Change Medicine for All of Us
| February 18, 2016Strasburg, Pennsylvania - Soon after birth, Daniel and Rebecca Stoltzfus's first child fell ill.
Fearing pneumonia, her parents rushed her to a hospital where she later died.
Testing revealed Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a rare genetic disease, as the cause of death.
Escaping the Amish for a Connected World
| February 17, 2016When Emma Gingerich left her Amish community in Eagleville, Missouri, she was 18 and had an eighth-grade education. She barely spoke English.
The life that awaited most Amish women—one of cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing—never appealed to her. She wanted an education and the freedom to choose her own path.
Nora Garrett
| February 12, 2016My name is Nora Garrett, and I have kind of a unique story because I was only Amish for the first four years of my life. Even though I was really little when we left, I still remember loving visiting my grandparents every Saturday night and taking rides in my grandma’s buggy. My best friend at school was Amish, and we also had many fun conversations in Dutch at school and church.
Lancaster County Republican Chet Beiler Seeks Nomination for 16th District Seat in Congress
| February 8, 2016Chet Beiler is worried about the direction of the country.
The Lancaster County Republican is concerned that leaders in Washington are bankrupting America by shrinking the economic opportunity of its people and failing to keep the nation secure from threats abroad.
Beiler thinks he can do better.
6 Off-Grid Lessons From Amish Life We All Should Learn
| February 8, 2016Visitors to my neighborhood in central Maine are often startled by the presence of Amish people. Locals, though, are accustomed to the yellow road signs with black silhouettes of horse-drawn buggies, tracks of bicycle tires and horse hooves in the snow on the shoulder, and the sight of women in bonnets and long dresses in line at the local grocery store. The handful of families that arrived eight years ago have grown into a sizeable and thriving group which coexists well within the greater community.
Sheriff: Man Admits to Robbing Amish Bakery for Money for Drugs
| February 8, 2016Gallia County, Ohio - A man is behind bars, accused of robbing an Amish bakery and store.
The robbery happened about 11:45 a.m. Friday at Hillside Variety Store on Deckard Road in Raccoon Township in Gallia County.
Investigators say Steven S. Davis, 41, of Gallipolis, walked into the store and had what appeared to be a handgun tucked into this pants.