Amish Controversies

Car drivers complain about the lack of visibility of Amish buggies, particularly those of the plainest (Swartzentruber) churches. This group of Amish is highly resistant to change. But do Swartzentruber Amish never bend when it comes to making changes to their buggies? We’ve now seen more than one example showing that, in fact, they do. […]

Continue Reading One Swartzentruber Community’s (Unique?) Buggy Visibility Improvement

This story caught my attention first for how the paper framed it with their headline: “Horses lead the way to a less peaceful coexistence in Amish country.” Is that meant to be a cute title? It sounds like it is strictly blaming the Amish for the conflicts, at the least. The article addresses two issues, […]

Continue Reading Washington Post: Horses “Lead The Way” To Less Peace In Amish Country

Some Amish people make a supplemental income – and sometimes a full living – through what might be termed “alternative animal breeding”. These are not your everyday cows, pigs, and chickens we’re talking about. The authors of Nature and the Environment in Amish Life explore this topic in chapter 6 of their book (“Tinkering with […]

Continue Reading 4 Types Of Alternative Animal Businesses Run By Amish

Amish father Jonas Stoltzfus recently filed a lawsuit challenging a new New York state law requiring students to be fully immunized against contagious disease. Stoltzfus says he was informed that his three children will be blocked from attending their Cranberry Marsh School, a traditional Amish school in this Seneca County settlement of six church districts. […]

Continue Reading NY Judge: No Religious Vaccination Exemption For Amish

Someone is swiping Amish buggy warning signs in Delta County, Michigan. After the latest round of thefts, the total of stolen signs is now four. And this is not just the sign the thief is taking – whoever is doing it, is actually uprooting the post as well – from three feet of concrete. Buggy […]

Continue Reading Someone Is Stealing Amish Buggy Signs (Delta County, Michigan)

An 11-year-old Amish boy was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon by his sibling in the Adams County, Indiana community. Details are vague at this time, but sources are describing it as “accidental“, and I’d assume that to be the case. Images by wpta21.com This is just one of numerous shootings involving Amish children and youth […]

Continue Reading Amish Boy Shot & Killed By Sibling – At Least The 12th Accidental Amish Child Shooting Since 2010

Amish residents near Berlin, Ohio have been complaining about the odors emanating from a local rendering plant for some time. They’ve now been given an outlet to do so formally – and have taken advantage of it. An “odor hotline” has received around 450 complaint calls since being set up in July. The complaints are […]

Continue Reading Amish Plea For Help In Face Of Rendering Plant Stench (Updated)

This is an odd story. A certain endangered orchid happens to grow in only one spot in vast Canada. That spot happens to be in a little area outside the community of Vita, Manitoba – where a new Amish settlement came to be last year. One of the settlement’s farmers is now in hot water for […]

Continue Reading Should A Rare Orchid Stop An Amish Farmer From Working His Land?

Two volunteer firefighters have been charged with arson in the burning of an Amish furniture shop in Pennsylvania. The community in question is Smicksburg (Indiana County), one of the larger settlements in the state. Byler’s Custom Built Aspen Log Furniture burned down in a fire back in January. This was one of four Amish business […]

Continue Reading Two Volunteer Firefighters Arrested For Burning Down Amish Furniture Shop

The person driving the abandoned stereo-equipped buggy is now known. The story in a nutshell – a deputy in Trumbull County, Ohio pulled over an Amish buggy which was going down the road with a twelve-pack of beer on its roof. The people inside jumped out and ran off into the woods, leaving behind their […]

Continue Reading “Stereo Buggy” Driver’s Father Comes Forward