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 (article no longer online): 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 with state wastewater regulations. Four men,…
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. So this is a community where non-Amish people have long…
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 “unlock the Amish vote” for Donald Trump, the Washington-based Amish…
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 photographed “for any reason,” in keeping with their Old Order…
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 due to the severity of the cases. Brown argued the…
The Amish of Kent County, Delaware have been dealing with a whooping cough outbreak, for the second time in the past five years. It’s also at least the fourth occurrence there in the past several decades. As of August 18th, a total of 97 cases had been identified in the community. From the Delaware News Journal: “This is an extremely serious situation,” said Dr. Karyl…
Each year over 100,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules are marked for slaughter, according to an article in Tampa Bay’s 83 Degrees online magazine – among them saddlebreds. Saddlebred horses are valued by Amish for their roadworthiness, but as with any physical asset, they have a limited useful life: Because they are often trained to harness before they are ridden, saddlebreds are prized in Amish…
From wane.com: ADAMS COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – Two Amish women who were arrested earlier this year after police learned they were serving as midwives without any certifications or formal training have pleaded guilty. Sylvia C. Eicher, 74, and Lydiann S. Schwartz, 73, both pleaded guilty in Adams County Court to Level 6 felony Practicing Midwifery without a License. Plea agreements call for both to serve…
According to a report by WWNYTV (unavailable), towns in the North Country region of New York are pushing for a state law requiring more visible markings on Amish buggies. The main town featured in the video below is Dekalb. “We want to protect both the Amish and our own citizens,” said town supervisor John Frary, who has handed out a resolution to other towns to…
An update on a group of Amish we covered in “Should Amish Buggies Have Car Safety Features – Like Seat Belts?” Amish in Wood County, WI have agreed to add amber lights to their buggies to improve visibility. Wood County officials previously considered an ordinance requiring seat belts, child car seats, and other enhancements, along with drivers needing to get licenses and insurance. This met…