News
Coronavirus threat closes Amish schools, but weddings, church go on
| March 18, 2020One-room Amish schoolhouses across Lancaster County are closed for the week, yet scores of Amish wedding goers Tuesday filled a big tent on a farm near New Holland.
Amish bishop Sam Mullet, who orchestrated beard-cutting attacks in Ohio, wants out of halfway house because of coronavirus
| March 18, 2020CLEVELAND, OH - Amish bishop Sam Mullet, one of more dozen people convicted in a series of nighttime raids and beard cuttings on his enemies in eastern Ohio, wants out of federal custody because of the coronavirus.
'We aren’t as spooked': How the Amish are responding to the coronavirus
| March 18, 2020Ruth Lapp said she always let her babies crawl on the floor when they were young. And when her children complain of a sore throat, she gives them a spoonful of vinegar, a remedy she says could cure any infection.
A Plan to Develop Farmland in Amish Country Meets Resistance
| March 17, 2020MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, PA — When Earl Hurst bought 100 acres of farmland in rural Lancaster County in 1952, he planned for the fertile fields to help sustain his family. And for a generation, they did just that.
Mennonite and Amish Farmers Struggle with Increasing Rain in Illinois
| March 16, 2020ARTHUR, IL — Mennonite farmer Willis Kuhns said 2019 was “as frustrating as it gets.”
Garbage truck collides with Amish buggy
| March 16, 2020NEW WILMINGTON, PA — One teenager is injured after a garbage truck collided with an Amish buggy in Pennsylvania.
Health officials working to provide Plain sect members with COVID-19 information
| March 13, 2020As the new coronavirus spreads throughout Pennsylvania, health officials are working to inform Plain communities in Lancaster County of the virus.
Softball and suspenders: Amish play ball in Florida
| February 27, 2020The procession of 3 wheel bicycles rolled down 17th Street before turning right into the 17th Street Softball complex.
Former Amish woman criticizes Columbia County's handling of sexual assault cases
| February 23, 2020Torah Bontrager can’t stop fighting for closure. She recently said she wouldn’t be able to say how it might feel to never receive judicial retribution for the multiple violations she had to experience as an adolescent at the hands of her uncle.
Protecting the Amish population in Ohio
| February 21, 2020Ohio has a substantial number of Amish residents. Some are in our own region. All too frequently, we have to report accidents in which motor vehicles have struck horse-draw buggies operated by the Amish.
Amish-run business burns down on first day of operation
| February 18, 2020LAGRANGE, IN - The first day turned into a disaster at a new local business after fire that destroyed the building and equipment on Tuesday.
New Ohio law seeks to make Amish buggies more visible, reduce collisions
| February 17, 2020The bill would require animal-drawn vehicles to display these two things on top of the vehicle at all times. Failure to do so could result in a fine.
The Amish use tech differently than you think. We should emulate them.
| February 17, 2020Technology promised to connect us but divided us instead. As people worry about smartphone addiction and vow to spend less time on their laptops, social media companies are scrambling to placate a world that has caught on to their products’ ability to turn us against one another, tip elections and even incite violence.
Proposed Ohio law seeks to prevent crashes by making Amish buggies more visible
| February 12, 2020COLUMBUS, OH - A new proposed Ohio law, backed by state lawmakers representing areas of the state with significant Amish populations, would toughen visibility requirements on buggies and other horse-drawn vehicles in an effort to reduce crashes.
Under the Radar: House bill aims to protect ‘vulnerable’ road travelers
| February 9, 2020HARRISBURG, PA – Legislation that passed the state House would call for stiffer penalties for careless driving that injures “vulnerable” highway users, like pedestrians, bicyclists and those riding in horse-and-buggies.
Pennsylvania man conned Amish, Mennonites in $60 million Ponzi scheme
| February 3, 2020FRANKLIN COUNTY, PA - A Pennsylvania accountant defrauded Amish and Mennonite community members out of $60 million after investing their money in a failing dairy he owned, investigators said.
'I knew something was very wrong about it': Ex-Amish woman shares community's dark secrets
| February 3, 2020PORTAGE, WI — Wisconsin is home to a number of Amish communities which are typically seen as quiet, quaint places.
Man sentenced for abuse in Ohio Amish community
| January 28, 2020WARREN, OH — For the second time in less than a week, members of an Amish community sat in a courtroom where one of their own was sentenced to prison for sexually molesting a minor from their community.
People stepping up to support Amish child abuse victims
| January 25, 2020LANCASTER, PA — When Miriam Esh learned of a devastating case of child sexual abuse emerging last year in a Lancaster County Amish community, she traveled here from her Lewisburg, Pa., home to offer support to the victims.
Pennsylvania Amish man sentenced to 38-76 years for sexually abusing 4 pre-teen girls
| January 24, 2020A judge imposed a 38- to 76-year prison sentence Friday on an elderly Amish man for years of sexually abusing four girls in a case that highlighted growing awareness of sexual abuse among Amish and related church groups.
18 Amish children died of rare genetic mutation, study finds
| January 23, 2020When an Amish child fainted after running around outside, the family’s physician was stumped. Results from an electrocardiogram and exercise stress test were normal, and no other cause was apparent.
Manure on Highways; Amish Spared from Putting Diapers on Their Horses
| January 22, 2020Township supervisors in Lycoming County have decided to not create an ordinance that deals with horse manure and Amish buggies. The supervisors were flirting with the idea of having the horses wear diapers or some other kind of collection device.
Michigan county threatens to bulldoze Amish homes in poop dispute
| January 15, 2020LENAWEE COUNTY, MI - As late afternoon sun streamed into the home’s spare living area, an Amish couple recalled the day this past August when a Lenawee County health official came to their door to post a notice.
The Amish Keep to Themselves. And They’re Hiding a Horrifying Secret!
| January 14, 2020As a child, Sadie* was carefully shielded from outside influences, never allowed to watch TV or listen to pop music or get her learner’s permit. Instead, she attended a one-room Amish schoolhouse and rode a horse and buggy to church—a life designed to be humble and disciplined and godly.
‘Large Amish party’ with 250 guests shut down by police
| January 13, 2020LAGRANGE COUNTY, IN - Noise and drinking complaints led the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department to arrest 38 people in connection to two separate weekend parties with suspected underage drinking.
Mayo Clinic research solves deadly Amish medical mystery
| January 12, 2020Research led by Mayo Clinic has solved a 2-decade-old mystery about why so many otherwise healthy children and young people in Amish communities have been dying from sudden unexplained cardiac deaths.
Sarasota Amish community auctions quilts to raise money for Haiti
| January 11, 2020The 23rd annual Florida Haiti Benefit Auction raised an estimated $300,000.
Amish communities flourish in Southern Colorado
| January 8, 2020Located two hours southwest of Denver, Westcliffe is one of two Colorado towns officially designated as ‘dark sky’ communities. These are communities that limit nighttime lights to minimize light pollution and preserves the purity of the night sky. But it wasn’t so much the night sky that brought Joel Troyer to Westcliffe as it was the sunny days, open space and the chance to start a whole new life.
Genetic testing provides insights to sudden unexplained deaths in Amish community
| January 8, 2020Using an exome molecular autopsy, Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., and his associates conducted genetic testing of four siblings who each died suddenly during exercise.
Will registration fee for horse-drawn buggies gain traction?
| January 8, 2020Should Wisconsin residents guiding horse-drawn buggies and farm equipment down rural byways be forced to pony up money used to upkeep those roads they share with motor vehicles?