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“I’ve Always Wanted to Pay That Back”: How Nebraska Ranchers Helped the Amish After A Major Wildfire
ByErik Wesner March 30, 2026
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Following the wildfire which hit the Amish in the “middle of nowhere”, a non-Amish father and son found they could relate to the community’s loss. And that motivated them to donate their time, energy and resources to helping out one particularly hard-hit Amish family in Cherry County, Nebraska. From News Channel Nebraska: KILGORE, Neb. – Wildfires across Nebraska’s Sandhills are leaving many ranchers scrambling to…

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Amish Life

Official Cause & Victim Ages Released in Amish School Explosion That Burned Three Girls in Pennsylvania
ByErik Wesner March 30, 2026
3 Comments

A new report at the Erie Times-News confirms the official cause of Friday’s fire and explosion at an Amish school in Crawford County, PA, which left three young girls with serious burns. The ages of the victims have also been released. The cause of the fire was as reported earlier as the wrong sort of fuel being used – but in a woodburning stove (to…

Read More Official Cause & Victim Ages Released in Amish School Explosion That Burned Three Girls in Pennsylvania
The Amish & Crime

Amish Man Who Led “Mercy & Truth Retreat” in Missouri Arrested on Trafficking and Sodomy Charges
ByErik Wesner March 28, 2026
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A very disturbing story out of Missouri. An Amish man named Sam Shetler, leader of a Plain community “retreat”, has been arrested following a multi-year investigation. Accounts describe appalling behaviors — including extreme control over the young people entrusted to his care, to the level of physical and even sexual abuse. Shetler is now in custody and faces several felony charges. From the report at…

Read More Amish Man Who Led “Mercy & Truth Retreat” in Missouri Arrested on Trafficking and Sodomy Charges
Amish Life

Three Amish Girls Airlifted After School Explosion and Fire
ByErik Wesner March 27, 2026
3 Comments

A tragedy has struck an Amish community in northwestern Pennsylvania as an explosion at a schoolhouse set the building on fire this morning – leaving three Amish girls badly burned. (Story updated below) The Amish school is located in the Spartansburg, Pennsylvania community, and appears to have burned to the ground. The girls were believed to have “filled a lantern with the wrong fuel”. From…

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Amish Homes

A Solar-Powered Amish Barndominium? Here’s What It Looks Like Inside (19 Photos)
ByErik Wesner March 26, 2026
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Jim Halverson sends along this week’s Amish home – and it’s quite a contrast to what we looked at last week. Where that Maine Amish home without plumbing epitomized a plain Amish way of living, this week’s solar-powered barndominium in Millersburg, Indiana showcases an Amish lifestyle strikingly different – and you could certainly say more modern. Now, these are still considered Old Order Amish –…

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Amish Beliefs

What Is The “Church Builders” Conference? Over 700 Amish People Just Attended In Shipshewana
ByErik Wesner March 25, 2026March 25, 2026
1 Comment

In today’s guest post, Timothy L. Price (who previously gave us a look at the Amish in the “middle of nowhere”) shares his account of a recent Amish conference in northern Indiana, and his main takeaways from the event. The 2nd Church Builders Conference in Shipshewana, Indiana was put on by Old Order Amish from Shipshewana, mostly, on March 20th and 21st. As to the…

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Buggy Accidents

26-Year-Old Amish Man Dead After SUV Rear-Ends Buggy on Missouri Highway
ByErik Wesner March 24, 2026
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A tragic Amish buggy wreck in Randolph County, Missouri happened yesterday. The victims were 20, 26 and 75 years old. The 26 year-old-man was killed, and the 20-year-old woman had to be airlifted with serious injuries. A 75-year-old woman in the buggy had only minor injuries. As reported at KTTN: A Randolph County crash involving a sport utility vehicle and a horse-drawn buggy left one…

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Amish Business

Why This Amish Bakery In Jamesport, Missouri Is A Must-Stop — Fresh Pies, Breads & A Behind-the-Scenes Look (25 Photos)
ByDon Burke March 23, 2026
6 Comments

For those who have kept track of my posts over the years you have likely noticed my particular fondness for the Jamesport, Missouri Amish community. I suppose many elements have factored into that. While not quite close enough for a day trip from my home, it is close enough for a good visit even if I am limited to a single over-night stay. Additionally, being…

Read More Why This Amish Bakery In Jamesport, Missouri Is A Must-Stop — Fresh Pies, Breads & A Behind-the-Scenes Look (25 Photos)
Amish Culture

Ben & Rose Short: “This World Is Not My Home”
ByErik Wesner March 23, 2026
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“I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” It’s a sentiment that resonates with a lot of us, at times stronger than at others, I suspect. That is one of the best-known lines from “This World Is Not My Home”. And Ben and Rose are back to tease another upcoming (I assume) production, with this little demo sample of the well-known hymn. This song…

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The Amish & Crime

Zoloft, Holistic Treatments, A Possible Genetic Disorder: Experts Piece Together What Drove Amish Mother’s Deadly Breakdown
ByErik Wesner March 22, 2026
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News came out a little over a week ago that Ruth Miller would be committed to a psychiatric hospital following a not guilty by insanity verdict in the death of her 4-year-old son Vincen. A follow-up report at Farm and Dairy draws attention to the expert testimony provided leading up to Judge Michael Ernest’s decision to send the Amish mother to a secure mental healthcare…

Read More Zoloft, Holistic Treatments, A Possible Genetic Disorder: Experts Piece Together What Drove Amish Mother’s Deadly Breakdown

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