This past week brought news that a decades-long dispute over sewer grid connections in northwest Pennsylvania is ending – with a victory for the Amish. The US Department of Justice has intervened to prevent Sugar Grove Township from forcing Amish families to use electricity to connect to the local sewer grid. It’s being seen as a win for religious freedom. Via the Warren, PA Times-Observer:…
Back in December of 2023, that’s how I described the fledgling community being founded at the time in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. Why “Middle of Nowhere”? This is why: Amish who appear to be a part of the Michigan Circle (that group has been showing up a good bit here lately) have started up a new settlement in the area of a town called Valentine. Though in fact the…
From the Minnesota Star-Tribune: A 36-year-old woman is pleading guilty to concocting an identity-swapping scheme with her twin sister to deceive law enforcement about who was actually driving an SUV that hit an Amish buggy in southeastern Minnesota, killing two of the four children aboard. Sarah Beth Petersen, 36, of Kellogg, Minn., pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon in Fillmore County District Court to two counts of…
This home is a “cousin” of the “austere” Amish home that we viewed back in December. It’s in the same Michigan community – in fact, on the very same road. Perhaps that means that there is a general out-migration happening here in this settlement. Or, perhaps more likely, given their closeness, these two families are related – and they are simply moving out together. This…
It’s been awhile since we’ve had news on the Rebekah Byler homicide case. We last got an update in early October, when the trial of the accused, Shawn C. Cranston of Corry, PA, was moved for the second time. At that time a continuance was granted to the defense, as more time was needed to process the “large amounts” of evidence. Now, word that a…
Last week, a “historic fire” left a “massive trail of damage” in the upstate New York village of Ovid (Seneca County). These photos from a variety of sources show the size of the blaze and extent of the damage. When I saw the name Ovid, I immediately recognized it as the location of a long-standing Amish settlement. Amish people have lived in this area of…
Right after I got caught up this week with a post on their cover of Dolly Parton’s “Circle of Love”, Amish country music couple Ben & Rose have released another video. The song is “Little Mountain Church House”, and we immediately see (or rather, hear) a couple of differences in this one. For one, Ben has the more prominent singing voice in this one, with…
Amos Miller will be permitted to continue selling his raw milk products beyond Pennsylvania’s borders, according to a recent ruling. From Lancaster Online: A state appeals court ruling earlier this month affirmed farmer Amos Miller can continue selling his raw milk outside of Pennsylvania while a state agriculture department’s lawsuit against him proceeds. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court agreed with Miller’s attorneys that he would face…
I should put the (?) in bold in the headline. This person is described as wearing Amish woman’s clothing. And that looks to be the case (see below). But is she actually Amish? The “track record” of the Amish, who on the whole are not known to steal or rob, would suggest otherwise. But individuals are individuals. And the clothing and overall appearance do look…
Ben and Rose, the “Amish Country Music Couple”, put out another video a few weeks after their cover of country classic “Slowly But Surely”. This tune is called “Circle of Love”, and it is a Christmas song written by Dolly Parton. I missed it at the time of release a week before Christmas. But since I am sure at least a few of you still…