Amish in the News

GOSHEN, IN — Dale Raber sees a range of mental health needs as a therapist at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center, but his clients all have one thing in common: They’re all Amish.

PRESTON, MN — For the last week, four members of the Swartzentruber Amish community have listened to arguments on whether their religious beliefs would allow them to not comply with state wastewater regulations.

When Walid Abdul-Wahab met the Amish and Mennonite farmers he now works with, they didn't suspect he was a Muslim from Saudi Arabia. "They assumed I was Amish because of my beard," he says.

MIDDLEFIELD TWP, OH - A fire swept through an Ohio home on Wednesday night, killing a two-year-old and injuring 10 members of an Amish family, officials said.

PAINT TOWNSHIP, OH - Authorities are searching for a driver who struck an Amish buggy and then drove off following a crash in Holmes County on Tuesday afternoon.

ORWELL, OH - Grand Valley Superintendent William Nye said Orwell is getting close to being the next Middlefield when it comes to the size of Amish settlements.

An Amish farmer in Kentucky is asking President Donald Trump for a pardon after he was sentenced to six years in federal prison for mislabeling homemade herbal products.

WATERLOO – Gene Raffensperger stood next to the big yellow school bus in front of a country school and watched as Amish schoolchildren came out of the school. They were crying as their mothers embraced them, and then someone yelled “Run.”

LANCASTER, PA - I live in Lancaster County, Pa., home to one of the largest Old Order Amish communities in the world. My work brings me into regular contact with the Amish.

A campaign rally with Vice President Mike Pence in central Ohio on Wednesday included two unlikely voters, farmers Levi Miller and Ben Hostetler, who are part of a determined effort by Trump supporters and the Republican Party to get members of the conservative Amish and Mennonite communities to the polls.

LAWRENCEBURG, TN - A surge in crashes with Amish buggies in Lawrence County has the Tennessee Highway Patrol sending out a serious warning for drivers.

One of the highlights of the recent 2018 Annual Council was Andy Weaver’s incredible testimony shared with World Church delegates on Monday, October 15

VERMONT - Vermont Digger reports that 10 Amish families have moved to Vermont’s quaint and pastoral Northeast Kingdom over the last two years. The paper says the families are “loosely related” and have come from Ohio and Pennsylvania.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker is hustling down a dizzying spiral staircase in the United States Capitol. He’s cutting through the cavernous basement hallways and around security guards, up more stairs and down others.

SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP, OH - A West Salem man has been charged with a felony count of aggravated vehicular assault in connection with an Amish buggy crash that injured seven people, the Ashland County prosecutor announced Wednesday.

GLADWIN, MI - An Amish man will spend more than a decade in prison for sexually assaulting three girls over a several years.

The day after wrapping up the Amish Heritage Foundation’s inaugural conference, executive director Torah Bontrager posted a letter of gratitude on Facebook.

"I want off the system," Gregory announced, turning to Bethany. "Let's sell the business, let's sell the house and go to Tasmania and buy a little farm. We'll turn the electricity off, sell the car. Let's not do this anymore." And that's precisely what the McCallums did. They turned Amish.

HARRISONBURG, VA — “The Mennonite game” — tracing the genealogy of a new acquaintance to find a common ancestor — might be a fun pastime for people with Mennonite backgrounds, but such a relatively shallow gene pool is also helpful for understanding the neurobiology behind bipolar disorder.

MONTGOMERY, KY - Parking is at a premium at Dinky’s Auction Barn in eastern Daviess County. Cars and trucks from across the country mingle with horse trailers and buggies filling the lot. The annual Daviess County Amish Horse Auction is underway and thousands are making their way to the event.

BRANCH COUNTY, MI - The Branch County Farm Bureau wants its state organization to get involved in helping with a local issue that has found no help in Lansing – regulation of Amish buggies and horses.

The topic for today’s and next week’s program is the Amish and their religious beliefs. Our guest for this two-part series is Joe Keim, who grew up Amish and now is a leader in MAP, which is Mission to Amish People. Joe, welcome to Search the Scriptures 24/7.

MIDDLEFIELD, OH -  Powerful storms and a possible tornado caused widespread damage across Middlefield Township in Geauga County Thursday.

HEUVELTON, NY - After hearing about a fatal accident involving an Amish wagon, St. Lawrence County legislators are once again trying to figure out if they should force Amish to improve the visibility of their horse-drawn wagons and buggies.

HOLMES COUNTY, OH - It started as a comment between friends while sitting in the stands during the 2017 Holmes County Fair. After 11 months and over 700 man hours, Thunder Buggy is a reality thanks to the hard work of Chad Clark and Mike Monter.

MIDDLEFIELD, OH - Firefighters from Middlefield and surrounding communities responded to a blaze at an Amish home on Kinsman Road.

MIDDLEBURY, IN - Jolene Weaver, 9, was only a few feet away from her school when she was hit by a vehicle.

SHIPSHEWANA, IN - People who come to northern Indiana with curiosity about the Amish and Mennonites often find their way to an Amish-country attraction that teaches them about Anabaptism.

HOUSTON - An author who wrote of her liberation from the Amish community has filed a civil lawsuit against a Seabrook man, whom she accuses of sexually assaulting her, court documents show.According to the lawsuit, the alleged assault took place Feb. 9 following a business meeting. After the meeting, Emma Gingerich, author of the book 'Runaway Amish Girl,' went with a group of people to a Kemah bar for drinks and a game of darts, court records show. 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN –  An Amish couple with 13 children sued the federal government on Wednesday, accusing officials of violating their constitutional rights by insisting that they provide photographs of themselves before the Canadian wife's request to become a permanent U.S. resident can be approved.