A sad story out of northwest PA. An 11-year-old Amish boy was lethally shot on Saturday while hunting for chipmunks. From the Erie Times-News: MEADVILLE — Three young members of a Crawford County Amish community were hunting chipmunks over the weekend when a shot fired from a .22-caliber rifle struck an 11-year-old boy in the head, causing his death, according to the Pennsylvania State Police….
The one-year-old baby was thrown from the buggy along with her mother. The baby survived with minor injuries…while her mother lost her life. From the New York State Police: On October 28, 2024, at about 4:15 p.m., State Police in Herkimer responded to Butler Road in the town of Newport for a crash involving a motor vehicle and an Amish Buggy. A preliminary investigation revealed…
Jim Halverson gives us a look inside a plain and simple Amish country store in Gladwin County, Michigan. Gladwin County is home to a pair of Amish communities. Last autumn, we had a nice look at a Swartzentruber Amish barn-raising from this area. And we’ve also seen inside a Gladwin County Amish home, from a group similar to the conservative Kenton, Ohio Amish. An Amish…
With the election nearly upon us, we have gotten our fair share of the expected “Will the Amish vote?” articles. I’ve been seeing this coverage for months now. I have contributed to some of it as well (for some reason, mostly for French-language publications). Among the latest is this piece from Deseret News, which suggests two things of interest that could motivate more Amish to vote…
It’s wild mushroom season and one Amish family learned the hard way that eating the wrong mushroom can have consequences. This happened last week in Peach Bottom Township in York County, PA. From CBS 21 News: YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Eleven people, including children, were hospitalized Friday night after eating wild mushrooms in Peach Bottom Township, according to Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company. Emergency dispatchers received…
A reader in central Minnesota shares some photos of an Amish community phone. In many Amish settlements, families share a common phone. So that aspect is not uncommon. But there’s one thing about this phone setup that I’ve never seen before. But before we take a look, it’s worth mentioning that Amish use the telephone in many different ways. Here are three options (though these…
This is the second time the trial of Shawn C. Cranston, accused of killing 23-year-old pregnant Amish mother Rebekah Byler, has been moved. Cranston was originally meant to be tried in June, but the defense team got a continuance due to having to process “large amounts” of evidence. Cranston had a preliminary hearing in March, which revealed that he had driven for the Amish. Later,…
Marlene Lehman and I sat down this week (virtually, that is) for a talk about a wide range of topics. Here is the first part of it. In this 22-minute vid, we discuss Amish artists, signs of autumn in her Shipshewana-area Amish community, fall craft shows & festivals, “male” and “female” jobs on the farm, and more.  Amish & Mennonite Autumn Festivals If you’re…
A non-Amish man sees a tragedy waiting to unfold in his Wisconsin community – and is trying to prevent it. As reported at WKOW, Jim Kostohrys says this “blind curve” & hill – right before drivers reach an Amish school – are a potentially deadly combo. Have a look. Just past it, dozens of Amish children walk to, or get dropped off at school each…
I’m calling this Minnesota Amish home “picture-perfect” because the photographer did a great job, but also because the place is very neat and well-kept. Often the Swartzentruber Amish homes are not that way. Yards are untidy and the homes themselves have a very rough and unfinished appearance. But this place, inside and out, gives the impression of a very clean, cozy, and well-taken-care-of home. The…