Amish Woman’s Murder: Samuel Hochstetler Makes First Court Appearance; Victim’s Father Speaks

Amish Woman’s Murder: Samuel Hochstetler Makes First Court Appearance; Victim’s Father Speaks

Samuel L. Hochstetler, charged with murder in Amish woman Rosanna Kinsinger’s death, made his first court appearance yesterday. From WCHS: POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A Pomeroy courtroom was packed with members of Amish community as an unusually disturbing murder case advanced though Ohio’s court system. Samuel Hochstetler, 18, is accused of killing 28-year-old Rosanna Kinsinger, of Pomeroy. Hochstetler was dressed in an orange jail uniform…

Inside A Cheery 7-Bedroom Amish Home (24 Photos)

Inside A Cheery 7-Bedroom Amish Home (24 Photos)

This is a pleasant Amish home in upstate New York. It’s got seven bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Right off the bat that tells you it’s not the plainest Amish group. And while that bedroom-to-bathroom ratio may seem high for a non-Amish home, for the Amish it’s about par for the course. The home address is Fillmore, NY. The Amish have lived here since the 1980s…

New Song From Amish Couple Ben & Rose: “Here Today”

New Song From Amish Couple Ben & Rose: “Here Today”

Ben and Rose are back with a lovely new song just released a couple of hours ago as I post this. “Here Today” is described as “an old Gospel song”. It’s a song with a weighty message – but Ben and Rose’s rendition has an upbeat feel. “Here today – and we’ll be gone tomorrow.” And they chose the perfect setting to record the video,…

Amish Teen Charged With Murder Of Amish Woman (Ohio)

Amish Teen Charged With Murder Of Amish Woman (Ohio)

I believe “shocking” is appropriate to describe this case. A young Amish man has been charged with the murder of an Amish woman in Ohio. And according to police, he has made a confession – of a sort (more on that below). This is out of Meigs County, Ohio, home to a tiny Amish community. From WSAZ: MEIGS COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – A man has…

Amish Country Through The Seasons (12 Photos)

Amish Country Through The Seasons (12 Photos)

Not long before he passed away in 2021, Don Shenk shared with me a wonderful collection of his Amish Country images. Don took some beautiful photos over the years (mostly in Lancaster County, PA), compiling them in photo books. We had a look at one selection of his images in this 2021 post. I recently have been looking back through what Don shared with me,…

Two Amish Girls in Critical Condition After Another Michigan Buggy Crash

Two Amish Girls in Critical Condition After Another Michigan Buggy Crash

The Amish girls’ ages are 1 and 10 years old. From upnorthlive.com: GLADWIN COUNTY, Mich.— Several people were injured in a buggy crash on Friday. According to the Gladwin County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday, May 2nd at approximately 8:25 p.m., deputies investigated a crash near the intersection of Bard Road and Calhoun Road involving a motor vehicle and Amish Buggy. Deputies say that the buggy…

(Another) Hit-and-Run Leaves Seven Amish Injured

(Another) Hit-and-Run Leaves Seven Amish Injured

This one happened in upstate New York. From news10.com: JACKSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that happened on Tuesday between a car and an Amish buggy. The crash was on State Route 22 in the town of Jackson, officials said. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash around 4:20 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office. At the time of…

Police: Buggy Robber Also Targeted Amish With Bad Checks – Helped By His Wife

Police: Buggy Robber Also Targeted Amish With Bad Checks – Helped By His Wife

Following the suspect’s arrest earlier this month, I wasn’t expecting another piece to the Amish buggy robbery story, but here it is. According to police, the man accused of armed buggy robbery had also been targeting the Amish in less-violent ways. Namely, writing bad checks to Amish stores in which he and an accomplice would acquire goods and attempt to get cash back from the…

Wisconsin Police: “Kiddos” Need to Stop Spooking Amish Horses

Wisconsin Police: “Kiddos” Need to Stop Spooking Amish Horses

Apparently “kiddos” in one Wisconsin community have made a game of trying to scare Amish buggy horses. “Kiddos” is the word the police department uses; “juveniles” is from the report at wearegreenbay.com: FREDERIC, Wis. (WFRV) – Authorities in northwestern Wisconsin are urging parents to speak with their children after receiving multiple reports of juveniles jumping in front of Amish horses and riding dirt bikes close…

Teenage Burglar Gets 8 Days in Jail For Amish Break-Ins

Teenage Burglar Gets 8 Days in Jail For Amish Break-Ins

There are a couple of things that grab your attention about this latest story of crime against the Amish (more below).  From wearegreenbay.com: WAUSHARA COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A 17-year-old boy from Wisconsin has reached a plea agreement after allegedly burglarizing two Amish-owned businesses, including one location that was targeted twice. According to the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office, the first incident occurred on November 6,…

Someone Stole Five Amish Puppies Worth Thousands of Dollars (Lancaster County)

Someone Stole Five Amish Puppies Worth Thousands of Dollars (Lancaster County)

I’m calling them “Amish puppies” in the title as shorthand. But you know what I mean here. Amish-owned puppies. Five of them have gone missing from a Lancaster County farm. This report is from WHTM: LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a suspect who stole five Labradoodle puppies from an Amish farm in Lancaster County. According to State Police, on Tuesday,…

“Our heart just felt drawn to come help” ~ The Amish Rebuild in NC (11 Images & Video)

“Our heart just felt drawn to come help” ~ The Amish Rebuild in NC (11 Images & Video)

Last month we learned how the Amish were helping rebuild in the wonderfully-named town of Bat Cave, NC. Today it’s a report on how Amish have been helping with Hurricane Helene relief efforts in a nearby town. And we even have some on-camera comments from some of the Amish young people involved. Chimney Rock is a name I was familiar with growing up, as a…

Ben & Rose Release New GOSPEL Song: “But For The Blood”

Ben & Rose Release New GOSPEL Song: “But For The Blood”

Two weeks have gone by, and it’s time for another Ben & Rose song. They seem to be putting them out at a bit faster pace now – and I’ve got no complaints here 🙂 This time around – something a bit different. While they’ve mostly done Country tunes, this time around it’s a Gospel genre song – “just in time for Easter.” Checking around,…

Amish Forgiveness Explained: Two Different Types of Forgiving

Amish Forgiveness Explained: Two Different Types of Forgiving

This is a timely and helpful follow-up to the story of Amish parents forgiving the teenage driver in the accident which killed their three young children. People often wonder – how can the Amish forgive so quickly? Well, it’s maybe not so simple. The Young Center’s Steven Nolt – co-author of the book Amish Grace, on the Amish forgiveness response in the aftermath of the…

After Losing 3 Children, Amish Family Forgives Teen Driver in Fatal Accident

After Losing 3 Children, Amish Family Forgives Teen Driver in Fatal Accident

There’s an important update to the tragic story of three Amish siblings killed in a crash in northern Indiana. It turns out the driver of the vehicle was a 17-year-old girl named Sienna O’Connor. There’s always a lot of speculation when these accidents happen. Was the person speeding? Were they texting? Were drugs or alcohol involved? According to a statement made on Facebook by the…

Inside A “Plainly” Beautiful Amish Home (31 Photos)

Inside A “Plainly” Beautiful Amish Home (31 Photos)

Here we have a neat Amish home in west-central Pennsylvania (Luthersburg). There are some really nice photos here – and interesting features to check out in this large-family home. I’m calling this home “plainly” beautiful because it provides a striking visual contrast. As you’ll see below, it has an almost fancy-looking, beautiful space downstairs – and very plain upstairs rooms. This is part of a…

2025 Amish Mud Sale Schedule (Lancaster County & More)

2025 Amish Mud Sale Schedule (Lancaster County & More)

The Ultimate Mud Sale Guide | Jump to full 2025 Mud Sale Schedule OR scroll down 2025 Mud Sale Guide (22 Sales) When are the mud sales in Lancaster County? The Lancaster County mud sale schedule for 2025 is now available, with the first event happening soon (February 21 & 22 at Strasburg Fire Company). What is a “Mud Sale”? How did it get the…