Amish In The News

Horrible Buggy Crash

A New York Sheriff said the car-buggy crash that killed two young Amish children as the worst he had ever seen. Read about the tragedy here.

Interpreters Needed

The Amish and Mennonites are some of the few western cultures/religions that have a high birthrate, which is keeping their population growing briskly. And the odds are as a population gets larger, more people end up in the court system, even for the rule-following Amish. But often courts lack people who speak Pennsylvania Dutch, the native Amish tongue. Pennsylvania is trying to change that. Read more here.

Amish Courtship

Read one ex-Amish woman's account of what dating and courtship were like in her conservative Amish sect. Click here.

Update on Amish Hate Crimes

Railroad spikes being tossed into Amish homes. Rocks thrown. These are vandalism acts that seem to be targeting Amish homes. Articles report: Vandals are allegedly targeting Amish homes and businesses at night, with one residence in Homerville getting hit three times.

This is dangerous and let's hope the perpetrators are caught! Read the latest on the investigation here.

Mennonites May Leave Maine

Mennonites in Maine are protesting the state's auto insurance mandate. Some Mennonites are selling their farms and leaving the state, and others are threatening to do so. The Amish and Mennonites view insurance as a form of gambling. They'd rather take care of their own (although going without insurance is a gamble too, a gamble that nothing will happen!). Click here to read more.

Hate Crimes?

Amish people seem to be targeted in a quiet Ohio community with attacks and vandalism. I mean, having a railroad spike thrown through the window of your house, as some have experienced, that could be deadly. So, naturally, the community is on edge. Read about the attacks here.

Amish Romance Steams Up

Have any of you read Linda Byler's books? She is a rarity: an actual Amish author. Most Amish romance novels are written by non-Amish, but Linda Byler is actually Amish and writes romance novels. That doesn't sit well with all community members. Read about Byler's success here.

Mennonites Plant Roots in Idaho

Often what happens is these churches grow large and then a smaller group of people split off to "plant" a new congregation elsewhere. That is what happened in Idaho. Read more about it here.

Does excommunication equal intimidation?

A fascinating legal and cultural saga unfolding in northern Indiana, where the courts have stepped into what would typically be considered a church matter. The courts decided some Amish elders went too far when threatening an Amish woman with shunning. Read the whole story here.

Cutting Edge Science in Amish Country

Some of the brightest medical minds in the world can be found in a tiny Amish country clinic outside of Cleveland as researchers work tirelessly to protect members of the insular culture from rare genetic disorders. Read this inspiring story here.

They Finally Get Their Barn!

An Amish couple in Pennsylvania battling red tape and bloated bureaucracy and finally got their barn! Read more here.

Scammed!

Unfortunately, some people will prey upon the trusting and forgiving nature of the Amish and Mennonites. A non-Amish man is facing criminal charges for preying upon and scamming the Plain people out of millions. This is not the first time this type of thing has happened. Read more here.

Amish Public Safety Day

I love this, this is an annual event held in the nation's fourth largest Amish community (Geauga County, Ohio), and it is a day of outreach and education so the Amish can get information on everything from combatting substance abuse to buggy safety. Read all about it here.

Amish Caught in Red Tape

Geez, all this couple wants to do is build a barn and have a spot for their horses. I can't imagine they envisioned encountering the buzzsaw of bureaucracy! Read more here.

The Amish have come up with many creative ways to avoid automobile ownership while still adapting to a faster-paced world. Such "workarounds" include bikes, scooters, Amish taxis, and tractors to name a few. But now some Amish communities have embraced e-bikes as way to cover longer distances than old-fashioned bikes.

Read about how ebikes are changing Amish country in Ohio.

I had been studying and experiencing Amish culture for years before I had even heard of the Hutterites while on a visit to North Dakota. The Hutterites dress plainly, like the Amish, but live communally and embrace technology.

Learn more about the Hutterites here.

Amish and conservative Mennonite life has its inherent dangers, whether it is farm life, buggy traveling, or their use of use of candles and lanterns. Something went horribly wrong when this family did the relatively routine task of refilling a lantern.

Read more about this terrible tragedy.

Have you ever wondered whether it is legal to pass a horse-drawn buggy. I mean, I always have. I've never heard that it is illegal. You just have to be careful, make sure the line of sight is clear and go.

But this article explores more.

Buggy Crash Kills Missouri Woman

Unfortunately, such crashes are a weekly occurrence. This particular accident involved an Old Order Mennonite woman in a buggy. Different religion than the Amish in many respects, but the end result is the same when a car hits a buggy, the buggy occupant almost always comes up short.

Read more about the tragic crash here.

Another Fatal Buggy Wreck in Wisconsin

Every week there are crashes like this, sometimes many times a week. In this one, the police account describes the buggy as being "demolished." Not only do you have a smashed buggy, but also you often have an injured horse that has to be put down. Several things stand out about this wreck: 1) a 19-year-old Amish woman lost her life. So young, so sad. 2) A semi crashing into a buggy is relatively rare. And the semi also sustained damage which shows you that buggies are sturdy contraptions that can withstand a hit, but not from a semi. 3) I am amazed anyone survived the wreck, but her 30-year-old sibling did.

Read more here.

Why a court sided with Amish families over the disposal of ‘gray water’

A long-running religious freedom case has come full circle, with a court ruling this week that a deeply conservative Amish community in Minnesota cannot be threatened with the loss of homes if its members don’t install septic systems to dispose of their bath, laundry and dishwater.

Read more about the case in the Independent.

Amish family needs permission to keep 2 horses on property

 An Amish family will need permission from Pulaski Township, Pennsylvania officials to keep two horses at their home. Abraham Yoder and his wife, Sally Ann, in April bought a home on four acres at 987 N. Valley View Road. The home lies in an area zoned for single-family homes, where horses are prohibited on properties less than 10 acres. But they use them for transportation. It's a very interesting case...

Read more about the case in The Herald.

Registration open for Sept. 9 Amish Country Bike Tour

The 37th Annual Amish Country Bike Tour is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, starting and ending at Legislative Mall in downtown Dover, Deleware. With routes of 16, 25, 50, 62 and 100 miles, there are options for cyclists of all ages and abilities. A staggered send-off with set start times for each distance will be in place. Riders should plan accordingly.

Read more about the case in Cape Gazette.

Maine Mennonites Look for Greener Pastures

The Amish and Mennonites have very squeamish views about insurance. It's a topic I'll cover more on Amish365.com soon. But, for the most part, the Amish and Mennonites eschew insurance. They'd rather take care of their own. Some liken insurance to gambling (taboo among the Amish), others view as a hand-out (even though they are paying into it). Most Amish don't have to deal with mandatory auto insurance rules because they don't own cars. But all but the most ultra-conservative Mennonites drive cars and some conservative Mennonites in Maine are chafing under the state's mandatory auto insurance rules. Other states have "carve outs" for religious groups. But not Maine. So some Mennonites say they may choose to move to another state with friendlier laws.

Read more about the Mainewire.com

The Maine Amish

 I love that the Amish population has taken root in Maine. Thirty years ago there were no Amish in the state, but now the population there keeps growing, I've been to Fort Fairfield, Unity, Patton, and Smyrna Amish settlements, but there are also communities at Whitefield and Wales. Along with the Amish, there have been hometown Amish markets springing up. I love visiting these places with their simple style, bulk foods, and bakeries.

Read more about this market and the Wales Amish in the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Amish Sawmill Burns in Michigan

An Amish sawmill in the large Amish settlement near Quincy burned down in a massive fire. Sounds like the business was a total loss. However, I can guarantee you that the Amish community there will band together to make this Amish sawmill owner whole. It really is inspiring how the Amish band together to take care of their own. The Amish don't need formal insurance, their assurance is insurance.

Read more about the sawmill fire in the Daily Reporter.