Holmes County, Ohio, is not just the heart of Amish Country — it’s a baked goods lover’s dream. Here, generations of Amish families have passed down simple, made-from-scratch recipes that turn everyday ingredients into extraordinary treats. Many baked goods popular in Amish homes are also available to buy – either from Amish sources or from Amish-style bakeries and restaurants throughout the community. Whether you’re a…
Some Amish settlements have a reputation for wild youth behavior. One of the more prominent examples has been the large northern Indiana community (the Elkhart County – LaGrange County settlement, including Shipshewana and other areas). This has been the case for decades, though apparently things ebb and flow (and of course, this does not concern all the Amish youth in the community). But to take…
We’ve been seeing a fair share of Amish barn moves lately. This one, from Clymer, New York (Chautauqua County), stands out – because it was filmed entirely from above, using a drone (full video at bottom). You get a great bird’s eye view of the whole process, which looks like it involved at least 100 men. The move happened just a couple of weeks ago…
Shawn C. Cranston has been found guilty: Meadville, Pa (WJET/WFXP)– Guilty on all charges — That’s the verdict in the trial of Shawn Cranston, the man accused of murdering a pregnant Amish woman last year in Sparta Township. It took the jury less than three hours to find Shawn Cranston guilty on all charges in the murder of Rebekah Byler and her unborn child. Rebekah…
The plea agreement for Samantha Jo Petersen, facing 17 charges (including six counts of vehicular homicide) will have her pleading guilty to just two counts – one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation. The rest of the charges will be dismissed. Samantha has admitted consuming methamphetamine and then hitting a buggy in a September 2023 crash in Fillmore County,…
The biggest news of Day Three of the Shawn Cranston trial came from the testimony of a fellow inmate. An inmate named Joseph Burch claimed that Cranston confessed to killing pregnant Amish mother Rebekah Byler to him while the two were at the Crawford County, PA Correctional Facility. If you missed them, here are the recaps of Trial Day One and Day Two. Some of…
From CNY Central: CLAYTON, N.Y. — The New York State Police are investigating an amish buggy crash in Jefferson County which sent two young children to the hospital. On June 11, 2025, at 3:46 p.m. State Police responded to County Route 3 in the town of Clayton for a vehicle collision. Investigation revealed that a 2023 Dodge Challenger was traveling westbound on County Route 3…
A township in Ogenaw County, Michigan is welcoming a new Amish settlement. And by the sound of the report at the Ogemaw County Herald, they are getting quite a warm welcome indeed. Edwards Township Treasurer Ellen Fournier had this to say: “The township would like to welcome them and we want to make everyone aware that there are a lot of new families out here,”…
Yesterday (June 10th) was Day Two of the trial of Shawn C. Cranston for the killing of Rebekah Byler and her unborn child, ongoing in the Crawford County, Pennsylvania Judicial Center (here’s Day One if you missed it). Testimony focused on a red Jeep seen at the Byler’s residence on the morning she was killed, his DNA which was found on part of a glove…
The trial of Shawn C. Cranston began yesterday at 1pm, following jury selection. I’ve pulled from reporting from several sources to provide a rundown of the first day of trial. The judge expects the trial to take several days. Rebekah Byler’s husband Andy Byler testified yesterday, as did the first officer on the scene of her murder as well as a forensic state trooper. First,…