Amish in the News
Amish Community Bucks National Population Trends
| October 27, 2023Despite falling populations in other parts of the U.S., the Amish population is growing.
After two killed in buggy accident, ‘We are heartbroken’
| September 22, 2023Alexandria, New York - After a rear-end collision this week killed two young Amish boys, there is fear on the road in the Amish community.
Railroad spikes, rocks thrown into Amish homes; Authorities investigating as possible hate crimes
| September 7, 2023MEDINA, OH The Medina County Sheriffs Office is investigating a string of crimes committed against Amish people.
Over a year after implementation, controversy surrounds Ohio's Amish buggy light law amidst questions of effectiveness and reli
| August 31, 2023It has been a year since a law requiring flashing electric lights to be installed on Amish buggies.
In Amish Country, Buggy Lanes Will Flank Some Rural Roads
| August 31, 2023In Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, shoppers are nearly as likely to see buggies parked outside the grocery store or the doctor’s office as they are to see vehicles.
A counseling center in Dundee offers mental health services to Amish and other Plain people
| August 15, 2023If you treat a Plain community person, youre treating a community. This phrase resonated with Dennis Keim after he heard it during a cultural competency training on treating Plain people...
New Buggy Lights Displayed at Amish Safety Day
| August 3, 2023The Amish buggy with flashing lights may not have been center stage during Amish Safety Day July 29, but it received plenty of recognition from various Geauga County leaders during the event.
Ohio Amish, Mennonite among groups allegedly scammed out of $32M
| August 2, 2023CLEVELAND, OH -The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is on the hunt for a former Georgia man accused of scamming religious groups out of more than $33 million, telling them he was spreading Christian literature and bibles in China.
5-year-old dies after farming accident Monday in Little Britain Township
| July 24, 2023A 5-year-old boy died Monday after he was hit in the head by a heavy pipe that fell from a mule-drawn wagon at a farm in Little Britain Township.
Court ruling that Amish families don't need septic tanks
| July 13, 2023FILLMORE COUNTY, MN - 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...
Amish vs. Mennonite: Understanding the Differences and Similarities
| June 6, 2023The Amish and Mennonite communities have subtle differences. The former emphasizes traditionalism, while the latter is open to modernity. Pacifism, simplicity, and modesty are important to both communities.
Amish embrace solar power
| May 23, 2023An Amish homestead can be identified at a glance by buggies in the driveway or distinctive garments on a clothesline. Solar panels have joined the list of visual cues, bringing a host of benefits and concerns...
The Amish and electric bikes: How some groups make the transportation method fit into their faith
| May 19, 2023Some Amish communities are adopting electric bicycles (e-bikes) for quick and efficient travel.
Is light requirement proof Ohio Amish are being targeted for religious reasons?
| May 7, 2023Members of several strict Amish denominations throughout Ohio religiously object to battery-powered flashing lights. That fact did not stop Ohio House Bill 30, legislation requiring that they be mounted on buggies, to be signed into law June 1, 2022.
Is light requirement proof Ohio Amish are being targeted for religious reasons?
| May 4, 2023Members of several strict Amish denominations throughout Ohio religiously object to battery-powered flashing lights. That fact did not stop Ohio House Bill 30, legislation requiring that they be mounted on buggies, to be signed into law June 1, 2022.
In Wake of Accident That Killed 2 Amish Children, Local Couple Makes Signs to Raise Awareness
| May 1, 2023A Northern Michigan mom who witnessed a deadly buggy crash that killed two young Amish children is trying to raise awareness so nothing like that happens again.
Amish communities are using a surprising new kind of vehicle to travel long distances: ‘It’s a lot quicker’
| April 24, 2023Electric bikes, as many have discovered in recent years, are a highly convenient mode of transportation. Theyre much cheaper than electric vehicles, faster than walking, and less physically arduous than riding a regular bike.
Do the Amish pay taxes?
| April 21, 2023Ashland County Amish community members appear in court to answer for buggy violations
| April 14, 2023More than 20 members of the Amish community were in court on Friday in Ashland County after refusing to comply with a new state law that makes flashing yellow lights on their horse-drawn buggies mandatory.
Minnesota Amish seek OK from appeals court to ditch septic systems
| April 11, 2023The Minnesota Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday in a long-running dispute between members of a southern Minnesota Amish community and state and county regulators who say the community cannot refuse to install septic tanks.
Amish at work rebuilding barn in northeast Allen County
| April 3, 2023HARLAN, IN - It didnt take long for the rebuilding to begin in areas hit by powerful storms and tornadoes that raked parts of the Midwest, including northeast Indiana and Allen County.
Crash that killed two Amish children raises questions about buggy safety
| March 24, 2023MANTON, MI — A wagon bearing two small caskets covered in tarp rounded the corner, leading a funeral procession for two young Amish children just outside the small town of Manton, north of Cadillac.
Believe it or not, the Amish are loving electric bikes
| March 12, 2023Electric bicycles have been finding favor in a growing number of communities. From hunters to surfers and even soldiers, e-bikes and their low-cost, far-reaching transportation options have permeated a surprising number of different groups.
Amish neighbors credited with saving 4 lives
| February 22, 2023TOWN OF ROSSIE, NY - Amish neighbors are getting the credit for saving the lives of 4 people in the town of Rossie.
4 teens, 1 adult charged in crime string targeting Amish
| February 6, 2023MERCER COUNTY, PA – Four juveniles and one adult were charged last Thursday after a string of burglaries, thefts and criminal mischief incidents that targeted Amish communities, according to a report.
Are the Amish Planning a Mass Exodus From New York?
| January 25, 2023A family member who lives in an Upstate New York community where there are several Amish families recently asked me if I knew that many of the Amish in New York are planning a mass exodus as soon as this spring.
'I'd rather take the jail:' Amish refuse to pay buggy fines in court hearing
| January 12, 2023ASHLAND, OH — A group of eight Amish people refused to pay their fines for their violations of Ohio's new buggy law in a fines and costs hearing in Ashland Municipal Court on Thursday.
Six fire departments battled blaze in Laurel Co. Amish community
| January 11, 2023LAUREL COUNTY, KY - Crews responded to a fire along Callahan Road in Laurel County on Tuesday.
Weather radios eyed for Amish communities
| January 4, 2023In the wake of flash floods and tornadoes that have devastated Kentucky over the last few years, several meteorologists and emergency management directors are working to make sure communities that shun some forms of technology for religious purposes
2022 in Review: Leaving the Amish was like 'going to another country'
| December 27, 2022ROCHESTER It is perhaps not surprising the fascination that exists for Eddie Swartzentrubers story, a one-time Amish youth who fled his Harmony-based religious community to live a new life in the modern world.
