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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.

Geauga County, Ohio - An Amish man has admitted sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Parkman Township. Raymond F. Miller, 18, of Parkman Township, pleaded guilty Monday in Geauga County Common Pleas Court to rape. He now faces between three and 11 years in prison when he is sentenced in six to eight weeks by Judge Forrest W. Burt.

Cleveland, Ohio - A 71-year-old man found guilty of harassing Amish women has been sentenced to three years probation which requires him to stay away from local members of the religion and out of the area they live in south of Owen Sound.

Growing Up Amish is a moving memoir of a life and lifestyle that is foreign to most of us: the Amish. Ira was born and raised in the Amish tradition, leaving and coming back several times before leaving for good when he was twenty-six. Years later, Wagler writes this heartwarming memoir that gives us a vivid picture of Amish life.

Ohio — The alarming saga of Andy and Anna Hershberger and their 10 year old daughter Sarah, who is now in complete remission from lymphoblastic lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has taken yet another dramatic turn. A heated court battle has been ongoing for months since Andy and Anna decided to forgo a second round of chemotherapy treatments for Sarah at Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio after witnessing her terrible suffering and her continual pleading for the treatments to stop. Andy and Anna opted instead for the guidance of another physician at a wellness center along with the use of natural medicines. At that point, Akron Children's Hospital sued for medical guardianship of Sarah to force the chemo to continue, guardianship that was granted by an appeals court earlier this month.

Many people have misconceptions about the Amish and their way of life. While many people know that Amish are frugal, one of the biggest misconceptions due to this is that they maintain a way of life that’s reminiscent of “the good old days” and that doesn’t rely on money. However, many of the beliefs people hold about Amish culture are nothing more than myths. Here are a few different money related myths about the Amish:

Pennsylvania's laws governing non-nurse midwives are so "murky and disjointed" that the safety of mothers and their newborn babies is at risk, a Lancaster County investigative grand jury is contending. In a report issued this week, that jury and District Attorney Craig W. Stedman are urging Gov. Tom Corbett, the state Health Department and the Legislature to tighten the regulation of such midwives, who now operate without licensing or hardly any government oversight.

COLUMBUS––The nationally covered trial of a group of Amish involved in a forced beard-cutting against other Amish members made an impression across the county, but some Ohio judges recently learned about complicated realities behind the community. Highland County Magistrate Cynthia Williams was one of around 50 Ohio judges and magistrates who learned about the Amish community during an Ohio Supreme Court Judicial College course. The group traveled to the heart of Amish country to Berlin in Holmes County where about 45 percent of the county’s population, or 30,000 people, are Amish. “I’m overwhelmed with their knowledge of our culture and how little we know about them,” Williams said.

SPENCERVILLE, IN - The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) has handed down more than $4,000 in fines toward the Amish pallet factory Timberline Crating, located near Spencerville. This comes several months after a 15-year-old girl’s arm was cut off by a woodworking machine and the state cited the factory for a dozen child labor violations.

A couple with Mennonite beliefs has filed a countersuit against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission after a complaint was filed against them for refusing to host a same-sex marriage at their wedding venue. Dick and Betty Odgaard's lawyer says the Civil Rights Commission is seeking to force the couple to host same-sex ceremonies at Görtz Haus Gallery, which 'violates' their beliefs and is in breach of their civil rights. In August, the Odgaards turned Lee Stafford and his partner Jared away from the Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa after discovering they hoped to hold a gay wedding.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — Among the flowers and plants in Marie Monville’s sunny yard sits a rosebush, a gift from her first husband, Charlie. A few years ago, Monville painstakingly unearthed the roots and transplanted the bush from her old house 10 miles away - a house that Charlie had thrown into tumult and grief. The bush’s prickles recall the pain she and her family have endured, Monville said, and its peach-colored blossoms offer a yearly reminder that God creates new life from old. After years of silence, Monville is now telling a story herself. It’s the story of how a milkman’s daughter became a murderer’s wife, and how she found a divine calling after a devastating tragedy.