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Emma Gingerich said the past nine years have been the happiest she's been in her entire life. That's all because, she said, she's committed to her dream of abandoning her Amish community, where she felt she didn't belong, to pursue a college degree. "I didn’t fit in," Gingerich of Texas told ABC News. "Other girls my age were a lot happier than me. For Amish women, they're very secluded and always kept in the dark." Gingerich, now 27, grew up one of 14 children in the small town of Eagleville, Missouri, where her parents sold produce and handmade woven baskets to passerby.

Four 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.

Auburn, Kentucky - Amos Mast and his son Dan Mast are scheduled to appear in court Thursday, June 25 to pay fines they owe to the City of Auburn, as well as court costs they owe to the county after being found guilty in April of violating an animal ordinance. Amos Mast owes the court $386 and Dan Mast owes $193. Since the trial Amos has been cited again for the same violation.

By 8 a.m. on a June day, the stables clustered around The Meadows racetrack, 25 miles south of Pittsburgh, are buzzing with activity. Standardbred horses pulling jogging carts — two-wheeled chariot-like contraptions with a seat for the driver — clip-clop back and forth between the stables and the track for their morning workouts. Veterinarians make their rounds, stable hands muck out stalls. Dozens of horses, vehicles and people are heading in every direction, with right-of-way always going to the horses, the stars of the show.

In case you missed it, The First Lady took over London earlier this week and she did not arrive empty handed! While having tea with none other than Prince Harry at Kensington Palace on Tuesday, Mrs Obama brought gifts for him to give to his royal nephew and niece. The Prince was said to be very pleased to host Michelle at the palace after the pair bonded back in 2013 over their joint work to honour veterans and support their families.

Carroll County, Missouri - Two Amish men accused of sex crimes in Carroll County entered pleas of guilty this afternoon. KMZU’s Kim Nuelle was in the court room when Melvin Gingerich, 29, pleaded guilty to one felony count of first degree child molestation. He was given a 5-15 year sentence, which is suspended while he is placed in a 120 day sex offender assessment program in Farmington, Missouri to decide if he will be a repeat offender.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - A man rode a bicycle past a group of young Amish children several times in Lancaster County before police say he stopped and assaulted one in the group. Police responded to the reported indecent assault around 5:30 p.m. on May 25 in the first block of west Center Square Road, according to a news release from East Lampeter Township police.

Auburn, Kentucky - Clara Mast, an Amish woman who was cited recently in the city of Auburn for violating an animal ordinance, will not be heading to court since someone came into City Hall and paid her $50 fine. Ms. Mast looked as if she would be following in the footsteps of two other Amish individuals, who also violated the ordinance, but so far have refused to pay the fine and court costs associated with taking it through the judicial system.

Fonda, New York - A St. Johnsville man was sentenced today to 40 years in state prision after being convicted of sexually abusing six Amish boys at his farm. Robert Madsen, 48, of 1489 Kringsbush Road, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court by Judge Felix J. Catena.

Augusta, Maine - Emergency legislation was submitted Tuesday to allow Amish hunters to wear red items of clothing instead of the standard orange during hunting season. The Amish faith prohibits the use of bright colors, but Amish hunters are forced to use the bright, fluorescent hunter orange to comply with safety regulations, Maine Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, said in a prepared statement issued Tuesday afternoon.

St. Lawrence County, New York - State Senator Patty Ritchie says she feels confident a compromise can be reached that will allow members of the Amish community to avoid using orange safety triangles on their buggies. Several Amish bishops met with the senator, St. Lawrence County Legislative Chair Joe Lightfoot, Sheriff Kevin Wells and State Police Lieutenant Kevin Boyea for more than an hour at the Heuvelton fire station Thursday.

Auburn, Kentucky - Clara Mast, an Amish woman, was cited recently in the city of Auburn for violating the animal ordinance. Mast will be joining two other Amish individuals who were recently found guilty by a jury in Logan County District Court for the same infraction. She is scheduled to appear in court May 27 at 1 p.m. unless she pays the $50 fine associated with the violation.

The McJenkin family has a special connection to the Jewish holiday Shavuot. On the eve of the holiday last year, they became part of the Jewish people, and on Wednesday, days before this year's holiday, they immigrated to Israel with their 11 children. Meet the family: father Chad-Shalom, 38, mother Jennifer-Nehama, 35, and children Ashley, 17, Madison, 16, Clara, 15, Chad Jr., 13, Madeline, 12, Ryan, 10, Ethan, 8, Journey, 6, Nathan, 3, Nava, 2, and baby Yosef who is less than a year old.

Warrnen, Ohio - The father of an Amish girl who was sexually assaulted by Norman Mullet, also of the Amish community, asked prosecutors not to send Mullet to jail. The father also would have asked Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for a nonprison penalty, but Judge Logan declined to let him speak during Mullet’s sentencing hearing Tuesday.

Orleans, New York - State police have released the name of the Amish boy killed in Tuesday's accident on a farm in the town of Orleans. The child is identified as 9 year old Andy Swartzentruber. State police were called to 31623 Dog Hill Road at approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Warren, Ohio - The father of an Amish girl who was sexually assaulted by fellow Amish man Norman Mullet asked prosecutors not to send Mullet to jail. The father also would have asked Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for a non-prison penalty, but Judge Logan declined to let him speak during Mullet’s sentencing hearing Tuesday.

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania - A woman has been charged in a deadly crash months after it happened. Police arrested Roberta Bolden Wednesday on several charges including homicide by vehicle. They say the 31-year-old was driving the car that hit a buggy back on August 30th 2014, killing Daniel Swarey and his wife, Mary. The horse also died. No word on what lead to the crash, but at the time Bolden did not have a valid license.

Hazleton, Iowa – The iconic photo of Amish children fleeing into Iowa cornfields to escape school and law enforcement officers who were there to enforce compulsory public education laws turns 50 this fall. Taken by Des Moines Register photographer Thomas DeFeo, the image was picked up in Life magazine and other publications, and historians credit it with rallying a national public outcry. It resulted in a religious liberties movement that substantially shifted Iowa's public education requirements, granting wide exemptions that remain in place today.

Hazleton, Iowa – The iconic photo of Amish children fleeing into Iowa cornfields to escape school and law enforcement officers who were there to enforce compulsory public education laws turns 50 this fall. Taken by Des Moines Register photographer Thomas DeFeo, the image was picked up in Life magazine and other publications, and historians credit it with rallying a national public outcry. It resulted in a religious liberties movement that substantially shifted Iowa's public education requirements, granting wide exemptions that remain in place today. The Register in the past month returned to the site as part of its yearlong "Lost Schools" project and spoke with some of the key players in the 1965 incident.

Kosciusko County, Indiana - Law enforcement officers visited an Amish school in Kosciusko County on Tuesday to talk primarily about bike safety. The school asked Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine and the department’s public information officer Sgt. Chad Hill to talk to the children about bicycle safety as well as the functions of the sheriff’s department.

St. Lawrence, New York - Monday night the St. Lawrence County Legislature voted to table a resolution that would ask the state to require Amish buggies to display orange, reflective triangles. People on both sides of the buggy debate spoke at the meeting. Mark Matthews, a member of the Kendrew Grange in DeKalb, the group that brought the buggy issue to legislator Larry Denesha, said his group is focused on safety.

Middlebury, Indiana - On hearing that confession is good for the soul, Chuck Mather stood up at an Old Timers’ meeting, a free event held once a year in Middlebury for young and old alike, and he told the audience about a buggy prank that he and some of his friends pulled when they were young men many decades ago. During the 1930s through the early 1980s, before video games and cell phones gave idle young men something to do with their hands, they would get into mischief, especially on Halloween.

Russellville, Kentucky - An Amish father and son were found by a jury to have violated a local ordinance concerning the collection of large animal waste. Amos Mast and his son, Dan Mast, both of Auburn, were found guilty today in Logan District Court of violating the Auburn city ordinance on three separate occasions in January.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The folks at the Culture Trip recently released their guide to the 10 most beautiful towns in Pennsylvania, and two of their choices are located here in Lancaster County. Lancaster city was lauded for its “unique shops and boutiques, a plethora of outstanding restaurants and a beautiful countryside.” Strasburg was recognized for its railroad attractions and its countryside, which was described as “rich in history and beauty.”

Washington Township, Pennsylvania - A 48-year-old Amish man was sentenced to eight to 16 years in state prison and 10 years of state probation Tuesday for sexually molesting several children on a regular basis between 1997 and 2012 in Washington Township. Though John Stoltzfus Beiler, of Allenwood, initially faced nearly 30 charges last year related to molesting five girls and three boys, he pleaded guilty to only some of the charges, all felonies, as part of a plea agreement in January.

I was born and raised in an Old Order Amish community in Ohio. I loved growing up Amish and valued and learned much from the closeness of community, the importance of a good work ethic, and the value of family. My Dad passed away when I was sixteen. I never really had a very close relationship with him because I always thought that he was too strict. My Mom was a huge part of my life, but I never had a close relationship with her, either. Unfortunately, I could never really express my inner feelings to my parents.

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Geauga County, Ohio - Geauga County Common Pleas Judge David L. Fuhry had a message for Gerald Wise. “You have an opportunity here to redeem yourself,” Fuhry cautioned. “Don’t blow it.” Wise, 19, of Cleveland, was the last of three men to learn his fate for a series of attacks on the Amish.

Pulaski Township, Michigan – A sharp, intuitive 2-year-old, Jonathan Miller had just realized his boots were not interchangeable. As he put the proper foot into one of them he smiled mischievously at his mother as if to say, "Is this right?" Soon, he was out the door, looking back to see if his dad was following.

It has been my privilege in recent years to become friends with several members of the Amish community in the southeastern corner of our state. One afternoon earlier this month, I visited three Amish friends. At each home, I was told about a buggy accident that occurred in March, which resulted in the deaths of a young father and his 6-month-old daughter. Each person told the story with deep, heartfelt sadness. Although the accident took place near Gilman, Wis., everyone reacted as if they were neighbors, reflecting a deep-rooted belonging to a larger community.

In the first half of the 20th century, there were only a few thousand Amish in North America, and scholars were predicting their demise, Professor Donald Kraybill told his audience Monday evening. Fast forward to 2015. There are about 300,000 Amish, and the population is doubling every 18 to 20 years. "This rapid growth is what motivated me to explore this question ... how do the Amish flourish in the midst of modernity?" Kraybill said.