An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 8): The Cost of Saying Yes

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 8): The Cost of Saying Yes

Author Haley Straw returns today with the final part – 8 of 8 – of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here, and part 5 here, part 6 here, and part 7 here if you missed them. A special thanks to Haley for sharing this story with…

Horse Killed After Amish Buggy Crash Sends It Into Traffic

Horse Killed After Amish Buggy Crash Sends It Into Traffic

Very sad for this horse, though fortunately the Amish woman driving the buggy was not injured. This happened Monday in the New Wilmington, Pennsylvania Amish community. From NCNewsonline: A New Wilmington man has been cited for his involvement in a three-vehicle accident that involved an Amish horse and buggy in Wilmington Township on Monday. The collision reportedly occurred around 6:50 a.m. on Route 208 near…

Amish Instagram Influencer “Melanskia” Isn’t Real — But 300,000 People Follow Her Health Advice

Amish Instagram Influencer “Melanskia” Isn’t Real — But 300,000 People Follow Her Health Advice

The Amish woman you see in the above Instagram screen-grab is not real. But you’d be forgiven for thinking that she is. That’s how effective AI video-generation has gotten in a relatively fast time. Some profitable businesses have been created around AI personas. “Melanskia” is one of them. An article in the New York Times sheds some light on who is behind Melanskia. From the…

After Fire Destroys Idaho Amish Family’s Market, Dozens Show Up The Next Morning To Help

After Fire Destroys Idaho Amish Family’s Market, Dozens Show Up The Next Morning To Help

Two weeks after a devastating fire that wiped out a beloved Idaho Amish market, there is some good news. As expected, the community has rallied behind the Amish owners, the Paul Miller family. East Idaho News reports on the cleanup efforts, and shares some words from Paul and the Baker Country Market in Lemhi County. Cleanup began the very next day: Paul Miller owned the…

10 Bedrooms, No Bathrooms: Inside A $1.5 Million Amish Farmstead (47 Photos)

10 Bedrooms, No Bathrooms: Inside A $1.5 Million Amish Farmstead (47 Photos)

We recently looked at an eight-bedroom Amish home with just one bathroom – which I imagine many found to be an extreme bedroom-to-bathroom ratio. But this Owingsville, Kentucky Amish property one-ups that one – having a whopping 10 bedrooms – but no bathroom whatsoever (outhouse is what they’d use). There are one or two caveats here – the bedroom count includes the main house, as…

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 7): Small Mercies

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 7): Small Mercies

Author Haley Straw returns today with part 7 (of 8 parts) of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here, and part 5 here, and part 6 here if you missed them. Everyone’s hard work and patience paid off. The families were safe and warm in their relatives’…

Amish Man, 30, Killed Riding E-Bike in Chain-Reaction Crash

Amish Man, 30, Killed Riding E-Bike in Chain-Reaction Crash

On my last visit to Holmes County, Ohio – December – I saw more e-bikes on the road than I did buggies, reflecting how popular they’ve become in America’s second-largest Amish community. These are very handy for getting around in this hilly area. But safety is an issue with a vehicle that can reach speeds of 20 mph or more, and which has become so…

I Taught in an Amish School at Age 16 — Here’s How We Managed 8 Grades in One Room

I Taught in an Amish School at Age 16 — Here’s How We Managed 8 Grades in One Room

In past posts we’ve seen the layout and details of Amish schools. In today’s post we focus not so much of the rooms or the buildings, but upon life in and around the schoolhouse. To help us navigate through this we have Laura Graber, who has been featured here as the bride in the “Amish-ish” Wedding  posts. Laura was kind enough to sit down for an interview…

This State Could Seize Homeowners’ Land to Build An Amish Buggy Lane – and Residents Say They’re Being Ignored

This State Could Seize Homeowners’ Land to Build An Amish Buggy Lane – and Residents Say They’re Being Ignored

There is a plan to build a buggy lane on U.S. 6, a highway in the Nappanee, Indiana settlement. But residents of Bremen, a town in the community, say their concerns are being ignored as the plan moves forward, seemingly full speed ahead. The Indiana Department of Transportation apparently promised residents “open houses” to discuss the topic – which reportedly never happened. It’s described as…

Judge Rules Amish Mother Ruth Miller Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity In Son’s Drowning Death

Judge Rules Amish Mother Ruth Miller Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity In Son’s Drowning Death

Judge Michael Ernest delivered his verdict this morning in Tuscarawas County, Ohio Common Pleas Court in the case of Ruth Miller, charged with aggravated murder in the drowning death of her 4-year-old son, Vincen. Judge Ernest found Miller not guilty by reason of insanity, following her waiving of a jury trial last week. From WKYC: NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — Ruth Miller, the Amish mother accused…