The large organized searches for Linda Stoltzfoos have been stopped at this time according to the Facebook page dedicated to Linda’s search (“postponed until farther [sic] notice from authorities to resume directed searches in specific areas”). The latest significant news came from last Thursday’s press conference, in which new photos of Smoker’s car were released, and state police asked for surveillance footage and information from…
In today’s Slice of Amish Life, an Amishman approaches the End Of The Commons General Store in the Geauga County, Ohio community, with what looks like his daughter in tow. This is not an Amish business, and has more of a touristic feel. But I would suppose it’s one that Amish living nearby would visit as well. It is in fact the oldest general store…
A disturbing story reported yesterday out of upstate New York: TOWN OF DEKALB, N.Y. (WWNY) – State Police are investigating suspicious incidents just outside the St. Lawrence County village of Richville last Wednesday. Troopers said a man and woman reportedly pulled into the driveway of an Amish household on Welch Road, where a sign was posted about rabbits for sale. According to police, a 13…
Pennsylvania peach season is just getting into full swing. This is a nice simple video of an Amish family bringing in a haul of peaches, to be sold at their farm market.  In the video we see two children and presumably their father gathering peaches and moving them around in a horse-drawn wagon. The man uses a handy harness and box to collect the…
In February we posted about Philip E. Riehl, a now-excommunicated Mennonite man who defrauded Mennonite and Amish investors to the tune of $60 million, in one of the largest Ponzi schemes in state history. Riehl was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison. From the Allentown Morning Call: BERKS COUNTY — An accountant who promised safe investments for his Mennonite and Amish clients but…
Amish Cook columnist Gloria Yoder just had a baby boy and is off for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, editor Kevin Williams chose a nice old column of Gloria’s to run while she’s on break – on how she and her husband Daniel began dating. First, Gloria describes the dating norms in her Illinois New Order Amish community: I’ll first give you a…
Update 2: Scratch the below update, I should not have stated it so confidently. I have no idea how large this home is, but now on third look I would say it is larger than 1,840 square feet and maybe the first number was in fact correct. I’ll add something further I learned on basements as that was part of the discussion (source): Below grade…
I just watched a press conference on the Linda Stoltzfoos disappearance, which concluded less than an hour ago. Four people spoke – the Lancaster County DA, East Lampeter PD Chief, a PA State Trooper, and an FBI agent on the case. Lancaster County DA Karen Adams repeated that they still have reason to believe Linda was harmed. She emphasized that Justo Smoker’s car is distinct,…
From the Akron Beacon Journal: RIPLEY TWP. — Four children were seriously hurt Wednesday after a collision between an Amish pony cart and a vehicle. The crash occurred around 11:10 a.m. on County Road 329 at Township Road 524, according to a news release by Holmes County Sheriff Timothy Zimmerly. Sheriff’s deputies say a 56-year-old Shreve man was westbound on County Road 329 in a…
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has completed an extensive study – the Statewide Amish Travel Study – examining road safety in the Buckeye State. The study is presumably the precursor to safety improvement projects for the state’s 70,000+ residents who travel by horse-and-buggy. The study found that over 700 accidents occurred on Ohio’s state routes from 2009-2018. Of those accidents, about 350 resulted in…