Pickup Truck Attempts To Pass Buggy…And Fails. Amish Driver Ejected & Horse Injured (Maine)

Pickup Truck Attempts To Pass Buggy…And Fails. Amish Driver Ejected & Horse Injured (Maine)

ByErik Wesner

That buggy and debris trail look pretty bad. Fortunately, the Amish victim’s injuries are called “non-life-threatening”. Hopefully the same can be said for the horse, but that’s less clear (more on that below). This happened yesterday (Friday, September 12) in a community in Aroostook County, Maine. This massive county is home to no less than four separate Amish settlements. This happened in the Amish settlement…

Amish Funeral: An Outsider’s Observations

Amish Funeral: An Outsider’s Observations

ByErik Wesner
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In an article for Ashland County Pictures, Joe Lyons gives a poignant look at an Amish funeral from an outside observer’s eyes. That’s paired with some beautiful photos of the procession to the cemetery. This procession happened on State Route 96 in Ashland County. The area outside the city of Ashland is home to a sizable Amish settlement. The procession of buggies, vans, and people…

Yes – Amish Buggies DO Have To Stop At Stop Signs…

Yes – Amish Buggies DO Have To Stop At Stop Signs…

ByErik Wesner

Maybe you’ve seen it as well – an Amish buggy blowing through a stop sign. A woman named Katrina recently noticed just that – in fact, she witnessed two Amish buggies running stop signs in her Missouri community. So she submitted a simple question to a local news station: “Are Amish buggies required to follow the laws of the road?” Here’s the reporting from station…

“Ultra-Rare” Genetic Disorder Discovered To Be 4,500 Times More Common Among Amish

“Ultra-Rare” Genetic Disorder Discovered To Be 4,500 Times More Common Among Amish

ByErik Wesner

Due to the unusual nature of the Amish population, they frequently serve as a source for medical discoveries, especially related to genetic research. These can be discoveries on the “positive” side – such as the gene mutation in one Amish community which accounts for an over 10% longer lifespan, or one linked to lower levels of heart disease. They can also be about negative health…

Amish Resident Cares For Lost One-Eyed Pony – As Deputies Seek Owner (Kentucky)

Amish Resident Cares For Lost One-Eyed Pony – As Deputies Seek Owner (Kentucky)

ByErik Wesner
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Not your everyday story here, but one that hopefully will have a happy ending soon. This story comes to us from Christian County, Kentucky – a county with a significant presence of both Amish and Mennonites. A lost pony – which happens to have only one eye – is currently waiting in temporary digs for its owner to come forward and claim it. From Christian…

Middlefield Original Amish Cheese Recall Expanded: Listeria Possible In More Products & States

Middlefield Original Amish Cheese Recall Expanded: Listeria Possible In More Products & States

ByErik Wesner
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Back in August, we learned that over 5,000 lbs of cheese produced by Middlefield Original – a Geauga County, Ohio co-op comprised almost entirely of Amish farmers – were potentially contaminated with listeria. That announcement covered a total of five cheese products which were produced in June and July, and distributed in Ohio in July and August. Now comes news that the recall has been…

Amish & Mennonite Investors Lose Big Yet Again – This Time, In Alleged $770 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme

Amish & Mennonite Investors Lose Big Yet Again – This Time, In Alleged $770 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme

ByErik Wesner
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It’s looking like Amish and Mennonite investors are once again victims in a big investment fraud case. It was reported last week that Lancaster County, PA businessman Daryl Heller is being charged by the US Department of Justice with multiple counts of fraud – for his role in an ATM investment operation being described as a Ponzi scheme. From the report at Reuters: A Pennsylvania man…

Amish Mother Ruth Miller Pleads Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity (UPDATE: Attorney Speaks, Citing “Mental Defect”)

Amish Mother Ruth Miller Pleads Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity (UPDATE: Attorney Speaks, Citing “Mental Defect”)

ByErik Wesner
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Holmes County, Ohio Amish mother Ruth Miller had her arraignment this afternoon in Tuscarawas Common Pleas Court. Miller is charged with aggravated murder, among other charges, in the death of her four-year-old son Vincen Miller at Atwood Lake. There are a couple of pieces of news emerging from the events of the day – the main one being that, as expected, Miller has pleaded not…

22 States Back The Amish In School Vaccine Fight – But Will Supreme Court Hear Their Case?

22 States Back The Amish In School Vaccine Fight – But Will Supreme Court Hear Their Case?

ByErik Wesner
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We’ve been following the story of the Amish schools who faced fines reaching six figures for failing to adhere to New York’s vaccine requirement for school age children. The children in question were Amish, and the schools in question were Amish-run schools. Previously, New York provided a religious exemption, but that ended in 2019. The Amish in turn rejected the requirement to make sure their…

Amish Lake Deaths: Body Cam Footage Shows Ruth Miller’s Strange Statements, Behavior; Lawyer Suggests Insanity Defense. UPDATE: Miller Indicted On Seven Charges

Amish Lake Deaths: Body Cam Footage Shows Ruth Miller’s Strange Statements, Behavior; Lawyer Suggests Insanity Defense. UPDATE: Miller Indicted On Seven Charges

ByErik Wesner
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Amish mother Ruth Miller was booked into jail Monday, charged with aggravated murder in the death of her young son Vincen, among other charges. This followed a weeklong stay at a mental health facility. Today, it appears news outlets were able to acquire body cam footage from August 23, when authorities were called to Atwood Lake after Miller allegedly intentionally drove a golf cart carrying…