I should put the (?) in bold in the headline. This person is described as wearing Amish woman’s clothing. And that looks to be the case (see below). But is she actually Amish? The “track record” of the Amish, who on the whole are not known to steal or rob, would suggest otherwise. But individuals are individuals. And the clothing and overall appearance do look…
I chipped in ideas for a recent USA Today article challenging some of the wilder health claims you see out there about the Amish. This is the social media post they were responding to: I’m not sure why this particular post was chosen, as these sorts of claims are pretty commonplace. I imagine because it manages to put so many of the more common misbeliefs…
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Amish in Ohio are suing over a law requiring flashing lights on buggies: The Swartzentruber Amish are suing to overturn Ohio’s new traffic law that requires animal-drawn buggies to have yellow flashing lights, saying the law conflicts with the First Amendment protecting their religious expression. The Swartzentruber order, which enlisted legal help from Harvard University Law School’s Religious Freedom Clinic,…
No, you’re not reading an old post from 2020 or 2021. I’m surprised to be sharing another COVID-related story with you, as we’re nearly into 2025. But this is a current story – and a big problem for Amish in one Ontario community. The root of the problem? The Amish in question didn’t use an obligatory Canadian smartphone app when crossing the border. From The…
With the election nearly upon us, we have gotten our fair share of the expected “Will the Amish vote?” articles. I’ve been seeing this coverage for months now. I have contributed to some of it as well (for some reason, mostly for French-language publications). Among the latest is this piece from Deseret News, which suggests two things of interest that could motivate more Amish to vote…
This is the second time the trial of Shawn C. Cranston, accused of killing 23-year-old pregnant Amish mother Rebekah Byler, has been moved. Cranston was originally meant to be tried in June, but the defense team got a continuance due to having to process “large amounts” of evidence. Cranston had a preliminary hearing in March, which revealed that he had driven for the Amish. Later,…
This story appeared several days ago with scant details attached. Now more has come out and (a bit to my surprise) it’s starting to get national attention. Besides getting a lot of local coverage, Newsweek has now picked it up. Amish in the neighborhood of LaValle, Wisconsin (Sauk County) had been getting harassed in their homes at night. Nine juveniles were cited for disorderly conduct….
The Petersen sisters, who you might remember from the buggy-car crash which killed two Amish schoolgirls in Minnesota, are trying to avoid a trial. Sarah and Samantha Petersen allegedly swapped identities so that one sister could take the blame instead of the other. Samantha was allegedly high on drugs when her vehicle hit the buggy and killed Irma (11) and Wilma (7) Miller last September….
There is no doubt that the media loves to report on crimes of all kinds, and experienced by all kinds of people. And none more readily make the news than crimes with Amish as the victims. Like all crime stories, it is the more heinous incidents that most likely make the front page. For several days, it was the murder of Rebekah Byler in late…
Is “Easterday” an Amish surname In Kentucky? Or anywhere else for that matter? I’m asking because of an unusual detail in a recent report which caught my eye. A 23-year-old man named Isreal Easterday was convicted and recently sentenced to two years in prison for a pepper spray attack on two Capitol police officers on January 6, 2021. He’s also said to have had a…