Amish Controversies

An Amish boy in Highland County, Ohio was diagnosed with Hepatitis A on March 21. Due to the close-knit nature of Amish communities, and their overall lower vaccination rates, this posed a particular threat. But swift action by health department officials, and cooperation by the Amish community seems to have stopped a potential outbreak. From […]

Continue Reading Nearly 300 Amish Vaccinated Against Hepatitis A Outbreak

From time to time runaway Amish buggies make news, though it’s not something you come across often. However the past several days saw two such incidents reported. Luckily, no one was hurt in either case. But runaway horses have caused severe accidents in the past. The second incident in particular seems like it could have […]

Continue Reading Two Runaway Buggies In The Past 3 Days

What if you couldn’t buy medicine, ship packages, or even give blood – all because you lacked acceptable identification? Amish and Mennonites in Virginia who have been dealing with issues like this will have an alternative moving forward. The state has approved photo-free cards for those who object to conventional IDs. This will resolve issues […]

Continue Reading Virginia To Offer Amish & Mennonites Non-Photo IDs

The year 2015 brought news of an investment scam targeting Amish in multiple states. Amish-born Earl D. Miller promised investors double-digit returns, and many Amish people gave Miller their money. Miller eventually gathered over $50 million. Some of this was used to pay back earlier investors promised returns, in typical Ponzi fashion, before the scheme imploded. […]

Continue Reading Amish & Mennonites Victims of 4 Major Financial Schemes Since 2008

Four Swartzentruber Amishmen took the unusual step of filing a lawsuit in 2017 against a Minnesota agency, over objections to wastewater requirements. Their trial began last week: PRESTON — 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 […]

Continue Reading Why Are Four Swartzentruber Amishmen Suing Minnesota?

From mlive.com: GLADWIN, MI — An Amish man will spend more than a decade in prison for sexually assaulting three girls over a several years. Gladwin County Circuit Judge Thomas R. Evans on Monday, Oct. 15, sentenced 53-year-old Ora F. Troyer to one term of 15 to 25 years in prison and two terms of […]

Continue Reading Michigan Amishman Gets 15-25 Years For Sexual Assault

If measuring by sheer numbers of Amish, Branch County, Michigan is well behind Lagrange County, Indiana just to the southwest. Yet in another way Branch County is quite the “Amish County” – home to 5 separate Amish settlements, some of whom are very plain. The oldest, lying in California Township, has been around nearly six decades. […]

Continue Reading Michigan County Pushes State For Mandatory Buggy Licensing, Reflectors, Rubber Horseshoes

Will Amish vote in 2018? You might recall the Amish PAC which was created in 2016 to promote voting among Amish in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Lancaster Online reports that the Amish PAC has returned in 2018 to promote Amish getting to the polls for the midterm elections in November: Two years after it aimed to […]

Continue Reading Amish PAC Returns For 2018; Study Suggests Minimal Impact In Last Election

From the Associated Press: INDIANAPOLIS — 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. The Indiana couple won’t allow themselves to be […]

Continue Reading Amish Couple Sues Federal Goverment Over Photo Citizenship Requirement

Indiana Amish midwives Sylvia C. Eicher and Lydiann S. Schwartz avoided jail time at their sentencing Friday. The women were instead given 2 years’ probation and ordered to stop practicing midwifery and medicine. The prosecutor had asked for 6 months’ imprisonment. From WANE: In court Friday, Prosecutor Jeremy Brown asked for 6 months in jail […]

Continue Reading Amish Midwives Given Probation, Must Stop Practicing