Note: At the top of this post are articles published within the past 12 months, either missed or unavailable at the time of their original publication. Please note the dates of publication of individual articles. Following these are the usual January posts.
Place: Albion, Michigan.
Group: Old Order Amish.
Amish community to preserve historic barns ahead of Ford EV Battery Park construction; by Anthony Sylvester | News Channel 3Fri, July 14th 2023
MARSHALL, Mich. — Members of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance announced Thursday, they are working with the Amish community in Albion and with the Calhoun County Fairgrounds, to repurpose and preserve barns currently located near the future site of the Ford BlueOval Battery Park.
Several buildings located on C Drive North are expected to be relocated, in order for further site preparation and construction to proceed. In June, MAEDA set up a committee to determine the best and most cost-effective plan to relocate and revitalize the barns and structures. The largest barn and associated structures located at 13024 C Drive North in Marshall, must be relocated in order for site preparation and construction to proceed on schedule. For More: https://wwmt.com/news/local/amish-community-calhoun-county-fairgrounds-marshall-area-economic-development-alliance-relocate-barns-future-ev-battery-plant
Place: Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Mennonite / Old Order Amish.
Pa’s plan to end Telefile proves to be a taxing problem for Amish and Mennonite communities.
Updated: Jun. 12, 2023, 11:48 a.m.|Published: Jun. 12, 2023, 5:30 a.m.
By DaniRae Renno | For PennLive.com
Around 40,000 Pennsylvania taxpayers will not be able to file taxes next year using a telephone-based system that’s been in place for three decades, presenting a problem for members of Plain Sect communities.
“We just want to pay our taxes,” said a male member of the old-order Mennonite community. “I’m not saying people won’t pay their taxes another way, but it’s going to be easier to skip it or do cash sales, or something not tracked, which is not our goal because we want to pay taxes.” The Mennonite man who spoke to PennLive remains hopeful a solution is found. “It’s just a challenge for us to stay in tune with all the new technology, but that’s just our way of life,” the Mennonite man said. “We appreciated TeleFile because it was so streamlined for us.” For more:
Place: Lancaster County, PA.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster Co., PA, churches.
Note: For background, see PPITN posts from 6/24, 4/25, and 3/31.
Federal Judge Rules Second Amendment Doesn’t Protect Commercial Gun Sales. Jake Fogleman.
August 1, 2023, 4:26 pm.
An Amish man’s conviction for selling firearms without a license does not run afoul of the Constitution and must be allowed to stand, a federal judge ruled Monday. U.S. District Judge Joseph Leeson, an Obama appointee, denied a motion to set aside the felony conviction of Reuben King. He rejected the arguments raised by King and his lawyers that the trial court improperly applied the Bruen test when he initially moved to have his charges dismissed on constitutional grounds. Leeson rejected these claims because King never attempted to apply for a license or request a religious exemption from the parts of the process that violated his religious beliefs. For more:
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
Investigating Amish attitudes toward farm safety and the well-being of their children.
By MICHAEL LONG | Staff Editor and Writer.
So far this year, LNP | LancasterOnline has reported three fatal farm accidents. All of the victims were children or teenagers, and all were buried in Amish cemeteries.Levi Stoltzfus, 4, died in West Hempfield Township after he was struck by a piece of farm equipment that was moving hay bales.Aaron Stoltzfus, 18, died after he was run over by a wagon at his home in Eden Township.Samuel Yoder, 5, died when he was hit in the head by a heavy pipe that fell from a mule-drawn wagon at a farm in Little Britain Township. For more:
By the numbers: Amish children are people most likely to die in farm accidents in Lancaster County.
By MICHAEL LONG | Staff Editor and Writer. From a purely statistical perspective, Amish children are the people most likely to be killed in farm accidents in Lancaster County. Unintentional injuries, on a farm or anywhere, are the No. 4 cause of death in America and the only cause not from a disease in the Top 10, killing about 225,000 people a year, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, most of the people on those farms are children, with Amish parents having, on average, six to eight children. So by the numbers, the people most likely to die on a farm in the county are Amish children. For more: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/by-the-numbers-amish-children-are-people-most-likely-to-die-in-farm-accidents-in/article_0fe6d8d2-a5d2-11ee-8832-a790d72c3d28.html
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
Destiney Lundy Asleep In Strike Of New Providence Amish: PSP.
Jillian Pikora. 12/13/2023 12:34 p.m. Daily Voice.
A 22-year-old woman fell asleep at the wheel before striking an Amish horse-and-buggy and fleeing, Pennsylvania State Police detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Following the crash, 20-year-old Simeon King and 18-year-old Barbara King of New Providence were left with a disabled buggy on Valley Road/PA Route 372, just east of May Post Office Road in Eden Township at 11:25 p.m. on December 3, state police detailed the affidavit of probable cause.
No court or hearing dates have been scheduled for Lundy's current case at this time.. For more: https://dailyvoice.com/pennsylvania/lancaster/quarryville-woman-strikes-new-providence-amish-buggy-flees/
Place: Latin America.
Group: Low German (a.k.a. Russian) Mennonites.
How Mennonites Learned to Thrive in Latin America.
A denomination known for its traditional way of life and pacifist convictions has spread out across the region. David Román | January 2, 2024 12:18 PM. Christianity Today. The well-kept lawns and exquisitely maintained houses in the town of Filadelfia could be part of any prosperous neighborhood in Europe or North America. They’re actually in rural Paraguay and most belong to conservative Mennonite communities. Known for their traditional way of life and pacifist convictions, in recent decades they have been settling across Latin America. Paraguay, a landlocked South American country, is home to one of Latin America’s largest Mennonite communities. In a country of just six million around the size of California, Paraguayan Mennonites are particularly prominent as some of the largest landholders, as well as dominant in dairy and agricultural industries.
“Today, Latin America remains a place of great importance and attraction for Mennonites of many different backgrounds and faith practices,” Goosen added. “And it is certain that the region will remain a center of thriving and expanding Mennonite life for the foreseeable future.” For more:
Place: Albany, New York.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber; others.
Amish Buggy Headlight, Taillight Bill Introduced In Legislature.
Jan 3, 2024. John Whittaker. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Saratoga Springs, is pictured speaking during a recent news conference. A rash of accidents involving Amish buggies has prompted a new bill that would require buggies to have additional safety features. The legislation (A.8419) is sponsored by Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Saratoga Springs, and could be taken up during the upcoming state legislative session. Woerner wants buggies to have headlights, a tail light and more reflective materials in order to be driven at night.
“Almost all of these accidents occurred at night or in early morning light or in other conditions of poor visibility,” Woerner wrote in her legislative justification. “There are no statewide requirements for lights on horse-drawn vehicles. This bill would require headlights, a taillight and reflective tape on any buggy driven from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. Although some Amish object to having lights on their buggies, they could avoid this requirement by restricting their driving to daylight hours.” Pennsylvania, Indiana and Wisconsin also require flashing lights on horse-drawn buggies. For more: https://www.post-journal.com/news/top-stories/2024/01/amish-buggy-headlight-taillight-bill-introduced-in-legislature/
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
State Police investigating after hit-and-run injures horse-and-buggy driver.
by: Lara Bonatesta. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a hit-and-run crash that left the operator of a horse-and-buggy injured in Lancaster County. According to police, the crash happened on Friday, December 8 in Strasburg Township on May Post Road at its intersection with Sides Mill Road.
Police say the pictured vehicle struck the horse-and-buggy causing injury to its operator. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact police at 717-299-7650. https://www.abc27.com/local-news/state-police-investigating-after-hit-and-run-injures-horse-and-buggy-driver/.
Place: Wayne County, Ohio.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber.
Re-Examining the Suspicious Death of Amish Woman, Ida Stutzman, 30 Years Later. Sara Kettler. A&E TV.
Billboard seeking information on the death of Ida Stutzman. Photo: Courtesy of Gregg Olsen.
In July 1977, 26-year-old Ida Stutzman, an Amish woman, died as a barn fire raged at her farm in Dalton, Ohio. According to her husband, Eli Stutzman, Ida woke him just after midnight because of the fire. He told multiple people that Ida, who was pregnant, had wanted to save some milking equipment before going to a neighbor’s house to call for help. I think there’s enough evidence in the book that the county should at least classify that death as suspicious or a potential homicide. They need to say, ‘This was a mistake in 1977.’
And I do hope that somebody out there who has another piece or two of the puzzle will come forward. Just because [Ida] was Amish doesn’t mean she didn’t deserve justice. For more:
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Mennonite (various) and Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
Pennsylvania courts adds its first group of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers to its interpreter roster.
Gabriela Martínez, WITF. January 5, 2024 | 1:11 PM.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts is piloting a program to get native PA Dutch speakers certified as court interpreters.
For the first time, Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking communities in the state will have access to interpreters in court.
The effort to recruit native speakers from Amish and Mennonite communities came out of a partnership between the court system’s Interpreters Certification Program and Safe Communities, a Lancaster-based nonprofit that works to prevent sexual abuse and help survivors. It was spurred, in part, by a need for culturally responsive language support for women and children who testify in cases that involve abuse. Fifteen native Pennsylvania Dutch speakers from Mennonite and Amish communities in Lancaster County took workshops aimed at preparing them to become court interpreters last fall. Ten passed the two required English proficiency exams. There are eight on the courts’ interpreter roster because two are waiting for background checks to clear. For more: https://www.witf.org/2024/01/05/pennsylvania-courts-adds-its-first-group-pennsylvania-dutch-speakers-to-its-interpreter-roster/
Place: Simpson County, Kentucky.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber, Abe Miller group (suspected).
Police investigating armed robbery at Amish produce stand.
Deputies say it happened Thursday Nov. 30 in the New Salem Road area.
By Allie Hennard.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The Simpson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred Thursday, Nov. 30.
According to a press release, two white males pulled up to an Amish produce stand and requested produce. The Amish man went to retrieve the requested items and when he returned, he was presented payment.
Police say, when the victim made change from his wallet, the passenger pulled a gun and demanded the victim’s wallet. The suspects fled toward Logan County.
The suspect vehicle is a dark, 2-door sports car with a spoiler and dark tinted windows with no registration plate. The Simpson County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone who sees a vehicle matching the description to contact Detective Duke at 270-586-7425.. https://www.wbko.com/2023/12/05/police-investigating-armed-robbery-amish-produce-stand/
Place: Hopkinton, Iowa.
Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.
LETTER: Amish lifestyle deserves our respect;
From Paul Adams, Manchester.
Back in 2011 when the Amish moved into Delaware County, I realized that they are much more than farmers. The Amish have many different occupations. In Delaware County, many of them are carpenters and roofers. The Amish are highly productive, industrial and skilled individuals. They are very innovative as they use battery-powered tools; the lighting and heating of the community center north of Hopkinton is an innovation. For more:
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Place: Sturgis, Michigan / Shipshewana, Indiana.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Elkhart-LaGrange churches.
Horse and Amish buggy stolen as owner shopped at Michigan Walmart.
Updated: Jan. 22, 2024, 11:42 a.m.|Published: Jan. 22, 2024, 10:38 a.m.
By Brad Devereaux.
MLive. STURGIS, MI -- A horse and buggy were stolen from outside a Walmart while the owner shopped inside, police said. About 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, Sturgis Police were called to 1500 S. Centerville Road for the report of a stolen Amish buggy and horse. The owners went shopping at Walmart and came out to find the horse and buggy missing. for more: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2024/01/horse-and-amish-buggy-stolen-as-owner-shopped-at-michigan-walmart.html
Alleged Walmart horse-and-buggy bandit found hiding under clothes in motel shower.
By Brad Devereaux.MLive.STURGIS, MI -- A woman accused of stealing an Amish family’s horse and buggy from outside Walmart was found hiding in a motel shower under a pile of clothes, according to Sturgis Police Department records.Sturgis, with a 2020 U.S. Census estimated population of about 11,000 people, is a city about 45 miles south of Kalamazoo.For more:https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2024/02/alleged-walmart-horse-and-buggy-bandit-found-hiding-under-clothes-in-motel-shower.html
Alleged Horse-And-Buggy Thief In Way More Trouble Than If She Had Just Stolen A Car.A buggy isn't legally a motor vehicle, which makes things much worse for the thief in court.By Steve DaSilva.Jalopnik.Published: January 26, 2024.A Michigan woman allegedly stole a horse and buggy from an Amish couple while they shopped at a Walmart last weekend. The appeal of the crime is obvious — no USB cables to mess with, no sensors to fool, just hop in and go. Yet, if you’re looking to follow in this woman’s footsteps, a word of caution: The penalties for stealing a horse and buggy are much, much worse than just stealing a car.So, for the enterprising thieves in the audience, stick to cars. Horse and buggies are slower, harder to hide in a garage, and much worse for you if you get caught. Plus, a car is a lot less likely to kick you.. For more:
Place: Elkhart-LaGrange Counties, Indiana.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Elkhart-LaGrange churches.
House bill seeks to loosen rules about when and how much teens can work.
By Samuel Maurer, TheStatehouseFile.com, Jan 18, 2024.
Hoosier teenagers could work more hours under House Bill 1093, which passed the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee 8-3 on Thursday.
Rep. Kendall Culp, R-Rensselaer, authored the bill, which would update Indiana state regulations to match federal restrictions for teenage workers.
Currently, the Indiana Code does not allow those between 14 and 16 to work past 7 p.m. on a school night. HB 1093 would reverse that and allow them to work later while also repealing restrictions on the hours 16- to 18-year-olds can work, including in farm labor. The bill removes the prohibition for working with hazardous materials for farm laborers.
Place: Spring Valley, Fillmore County, MN.
Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.
DEVELOPING STORY: Sheriff’s office concludes investigation on deadly Amish buggy crash.
Case referred to Fillmore County Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges.
By Brock Bergey. Published: Jan. 18, 2024 at 5:38 PM UTC.
PRESTON, Minn. (KTTC) – The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office has wrapped up its investigation into last fall’s deadly traffic crash that claimed the lives of two young Amish children. Sheriff John DeGeorge confirmed to KTTC, on Thursday afternoon, the case is now being reviewed by the Fillmore County Attorney’s Office. DeGeorge said it’s now up to the attorney’s office to decided if any criminal charges will be filed in connection with the September 25, 2023, crash in Sumner Township. Wilma Miller, 7, and Irma Miller, 11, were killed on their way to school that morning For more: https://www.kttc.com/2024/01/18/developing-story-sheriffs-office-concludes-investigation-deadly-amish-buggy-crash/
Place: Bear Lake / Brethren / Kaleva, Manistee County, Michigan.
Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss / Regarding Charles Rogers Sensing, I am unsure of his Mennonite connections, but there is a Nationwide Mennonite church in this area and a Pilgrim Mennonite and Northeast Mennonite church in Clare, where his formal residence is named. If anyone has more information about him, you are welcome to send it.
Clare man facing charges after Amish family reports intimidation in Manistee County.
Man also charged with brandishing gun in public.
Arielle Breen. Jan. 18, 2024.
A Clare man was arraigned this week on charges after allegedly waving a knife and intimidating Amish residents on Healy Lake Road in one case.
In a separate case, he was arraigned for brandishing a firearm in public.
Charles Rogers Sensing, 47, was arraigned in Manistee County’s 85th District Court on Wednesday for one count of ethnic intimidation and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Place: Wayne County, Ohio.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber / Ex-Amish.
How an Amish man got away with murder again and again: Book explores how culture of secrecy shielded killer.
By Social Links for Eric Spitznagel.
Published Jan. 17, 2024, 5:47 p.m. ET.
It’s been more than 40 years since Ida Stutzman died, but crime author and amateur sleuth Gregg Olsen is still seeking justice for her.
“I couldn’t get it out of my mind,” the author of the new book, “The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free” (Thomas & Mercer, out now), told the Post. “I do believe — I know — Ida was murdered.”
“This is about a conspiracy to cover up a crime and let a serial killer go free. That’s clear as day to me. I hope this book emboldens other people to come forward with information,” he said. “When or if that happens, the dominos are gonna start falling.” For more: https://nypost.com/2024/01/17/news/how-an-amish-man-got-away-with-murder-again-and-again/
Inside the secret world of Amish serial killer Eli Stutzman - who 'murdered his wife, gay lovers, and more over YEARS without being caught'. Crime author, Gregg Olsen has released an investigative book about the 1977 murder of a pregnant Ida Stutzman who died in a barn fire at her farm in Ohio. The book focuses on how her gay husband, Eli Stutzman kept evading justice despite being a prime suspect in the murders of his wife, son and gay lovers
Eli was convicted of his roommate's murder and of abandoning his son
By Ishita Srivastava For Dailymail.Com
Published: 13:43 EST, 18 January 2024 | Updated: 14:23 EST, 18 January 2024
A crime author has released an investigative book about the 1977 murder of a pregnant Amish woman and how her gay serial killer husband kept evading justice.Ida Stutzman, a 26-year-old Amish woman had died in a barn fire at her farm in Dalton, Ohio in July 1977. Her husband, Eli Stutzman had told people she had collapsed while trying to save milking equipment from a fire.The coroner ruled that Ida died of natural causes, specifically a weak heart.
Now, Gregg Olsen has released a book titled 'The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free' where he is deep-diving into Eli's criminal activity. for more:
Place: Ethridge, Tennessee.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber.
‘Amish wrecker service’: Horses pull SUV out of ditch during snowstorm.
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk.
January 16, 2024 at 7:25 pm EST.
ETHRIDGE, Tenn. — An Amish man in south-central Tennessee showed off his own version of horsepower. In a video shared by Facebook user Sandra Sam Newton, an Amish man pitched in to help dislodge an SUV trapped in a ditch during a snowstorm in the town of Ethridge, WSMV-TV reported. Newton told the television station that the man, who was not identified, decided to connect his horses to the SUV with a strap to help out. While the horses pulled, other people pushed the front end of the SUV as snow continued to fall. The horses were definitely the heroes of the day. “We’re gonna see if this horsepower works,” a woman can be heard saying on the video. “Amish wrecker service.” Finally, the combination of the horses and people power muscled the SUV out of a ditch. No tow truck was needed. “We got her done,” the woman said. For more: https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/amish-wrecker-service-horses-pull-suv-out-ditch-during-snowstorm/NBYOW4VEMJCCTJH75PZPBIFYSM/
Place: Alexandria / South Hammond, NY.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber, Weaver group.
Driver in fatal buggy crash pleads to criminally negligent homicide.
By 7 News StaffPublished: Jan. 16, 2024 at 1:56 PM UTC
WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a buggy - killing two Amish children - pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of criminally negligent homicide. Charlene Kring of LaFargeville entered the pleas in Jefferson County court. She was placed on interim probation for one year. Kring will be back in county court after her one-year probation term is up for final sentencing, but assuming she has no further issues with the law, Tuesday’s plea and interim sentence likely marks the end of the case. The crash happened on County Route 2 the town of Alexandria on September 20, 2023. Deputies said Kring drove her pickup into the back of the buggy, which was traveling in the same direction.Investigators say speed and distracted driving were contributing factors leading to the collision.The crash killed 1-year-old Ananias Slabaugh and 3-year-old Andy Slabaugh, according to the sheriff’s office. Four other members of the Slabaugh family were injured.Kring, 26 at the time of her arrest in November, 2023, was unhurt. For more:https://www.wwnytv.com/2024/01/16/driver-fatal-buggy-crash-pleads-criminally-negligent-homicide/
Place: Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ukraine.
Group: Low German Mennonites.
History of Mennonites, Ukraine ‘entangled’.
Welcomed by CMU, Ukrainian scholar continues work here on what has become ‘the subject of my life’.
By: John Longhurst Posted: 6:00 AM CST.
Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.Winnipeg Free Press.
For many Manitoba Mennonites, Ukraine is a place of historical connection. It was the country where their ancestors lived before fleeing for new lives in Canada.
For Nataliya Venger, the connection is more recent and personal.
Because of the Russian invasion, the 58-year-old academic fled that country as a refugee to live in Winnipeg in 2022. She left behind her husband, who is serving in the Ukrainian military. Her daughter lives in New York.
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
On the Amish and their children [letter].
In regard to the Dec. 29 LNP | LancasterOnline article “Firm on safety” by Michael Long, he and your editors are to be commended for a factual and interesting article.I have lived alongside the Amish for three generations, but I was neither born nor raised Amish. I attended a one-room public school with them, have frequently been in their homes, attended their weddings and funerals, can speak Pennsylvania Dutch, and have had many interactions with them through business and common interest pursuits.Everywhere we go, we see the very exemplary love Amish adults have for their children. Their love is genuine, strong and contagious. Their love of little ones and those of all ages is a witness to the overall contentment that is consistently seen in their contributing society, which our world needs as a stabilizing presence. For more:https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/on-the-amish-and-their-children-letter/article_7dcee6ee-b182-11ee-8c40-5f4d4e1ae7ae.html
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: [depicted] Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
How ‘Witness’ became a thrilling audio drama and a parable about America’s soul; A new podcast version of the Amish-based film is both a thriller filled with driveway moments and an insightful story of the nation’s crisis of faith.
By Bob Smietana | Religion News Service.
Jan. 9, 2024, 8:00 a.m. The Salt Lake Tribune.
The 1985 film “Witness” was a surprise hit — part cop thriller, part Amish romance, with a pair of stars in Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis at the top of their game, a crackerjack script and a brilliant director in Peter Weir.Despite a modest budget of $12 million and few expectations, the film earned more than $65 million at the box office and a host of Academy Award nominations (it won for best original screenplay and editing) and became a beloved classic, giving moviegoers worldwide a view into the life of the Amish. It was also a parable about America’s soul and what happens to true believers when the institutions and leaders they trusted fail them. Do they give up — or do they keep the faith?Those questions are at the heart of a new adaptation of “Witness” as an audio drama for Audible Studios, which debuted just before the new year. The adaptation from award-winning podcast maker Gideon Media is a modern miracle of sorts — both true to the original film and something that feels brand-new.“My sense is that people develop this sense of themselves based on certain ironclad principles about how they should live, but then they find lots of ways to kind of work around them,” he said. “Those little imperfections enrich the characters tremendously.”. For more:
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
Publisher's Pen - Amish farmers beware?
By Dan Wehmer.
Webster County Citizen.
January 10, 2024.
I suppose it would be negligent for me not to warn my many Amish readers that our federal government under the leadership of corrupt President Joe Biden now appears to have added them to the many groups under harassment.
Amos Miller isn't a hero fighting for 'food freedom.' He's a serial violator of essential food safety rules that other farmers follow. [editorial].
THE LNP | LANCASTERONLINE.
EDITORIAL BOARD. Jan 10, 2024.
THE ISSUE
“The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said it executed a search warrant Thursday at an Upper Leacock Township farm,” LNP | LancasterOnline’s Dan Nephin and Brett Sholtis reported in Friday’s edition. “The announcement came hours after two state police vehicles and vehicles belonging to the Agriculture Department were seen Thursday afternoon at property owned by an Amish farmer (Amos Miller) who has been involved in yearslong litigation with the federal government over food and meat inspection and health safety guidelines. ... The Agriculture Department’s statement said it was notified by public health officials in New York and Michigan about illnesses reported in individuals who consumed raw eggnog and other raw dairy products from Miller Organic Farm. Both states said tests were positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.”
Amos Miller is not a heroic David to the government’s Goliath. He is a serial violator of federal and state health and safety regulations.
Responsible farmers appreciate the need for food safety, because they care about their customers. They don’t see sensible regulation as harassment. Because it isn’t. For more:
Place: Elkhart County, Indiana.
Group: Old Order Mennonite-Indiana; Groffdale Conference.
Split COA affirms denial of PCR to woman with intellectual disabilities convicted of child molesting.
January 9, 2024 | Alexa Shrake.
The Indiana Lawyer. A woman with intellectual disabilities whose sentence for child molesting was already cut in half failed in her bid to convince the Court of Appeals of Indiana that she was entitled to post-conviction relief.
A dissenting judge, however, wrote that the woman’s trial counsel should have requested another competency exam before her second trial began.
“Accordingly, I conclude that Martin met her burden of establishing that, had (trial counsel) requested a competency hearing, there is a reasonable probability the outcome of her case would have been different,” Riley concluded. “(Trial counsel) was ineffective for failing to challenge Martin’s competency to stand trial in 2016, and the post-conviction court’s conclusion is clearly erroneous.”
The case is Esther Martin v. State of Indiana, 22A-PC-2574. For more:
Place: Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana.
Group: Lehrerleut Hutterite.
Hutterite-owned electric company comes to rescue in Browning water shortage. Nora Mabie. January 8, 2024.
The city of Browning had been without water for about five days when the specific part needed to fix the problem arrived broken.
That's when Dan Wipf, manager of Big Sky Colony Electric, got a call from the tribe asking for help. Located in Cut Bank, Big Sky Colony Electric sells all sorts of electrical parts to people around the world. Fortunately, Wipf said, he had the Variable Frequency Drive — the part the tribe needed — on his shelf. The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), which controls the speed of a motor, was retrofitted to the Stu Miller Water Treatment Plant on the Blackfeet Reservation, and the tribe later reported that water was operational. Wipf said he hopes the incident will help get the word out that Big Sky Colony Electric sells these kinds of parts. He said VFDs can weigh between 70 and 100 pounds, so shipping the product from an out-of-state vendor can be expensive, time consuming and risky, as the part can be easily damaged. He wants Montanans to know that Big Sky Colony Electric can be of service and may only be a car ride away. For more:
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
A tiny genetic tweak with big heart health implications.
By Nipuna Weerasinghe. ASBMBTODAY: The Member Magazine Of The American society for biochemistry and molecular biology. Jan. 2, 2024. Heart disease remains a leading cause of death globally. A gene mutation found among members of the Amish community could pave the way for new treatments, a research team recently reported. The scientists delved into plasma’s depths to understand how a specific mutation of a gene involved in posttranslational modification of proteins via covalently adding carbohydrates, a process known as glycosylation, can affect our plasma proteome, lipid levels and potentially heart health. In a study recently published in the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Yunlong Zhao and a team of scientists from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in New York and the University of Maryland focused on the B4GALT1 gene. This gene directs the synthesis of the enzyme beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1, or B4GALT1. This enzyme catalyzes the addition of ß-galactose sugar to core N-glycan structures during stepwise protein glycosylation in the Golgi apparatus.
The team used plasma for a couple of reasons. “Plasma is an ideal starting point for our research. It can be directly drawn from individuals with this naturally occurring mutation and readily linked to other clinical indices,” Zhao said. “But it’s not just about convenience. Plasma contains proteins that regulate circulating lipid levels, making it relevant for their study.”For more:
Place: Daviess County, Indiana.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline / Miscellaneous Mennonites.
Canning relief comes to Daviess County;
Mike Grant. Times Herald. Jan 1, 2024.
Volunteers work at the Dinky Center on canning meat as a part of the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Project. Times Herald file photo
MONTGOMERY — The Mennonite Central Committee meat canning will start tomorrow and continue through Thursday at the Dinky’s.
“This is an annual thing. The mobile meat cannery is based in Pennsylvania. They start out west in Missouri or Iowa and they stop at different communities and work their way east through the winter months. It is a large mobile cannery and everything is USDA approved,” said organizer Kris Wagler. “As a community, we gather donations and buy the meat and we can this and send it out to Pennsylvania and from there they distribute this to other countries.”
The meat canning project began around the time of the Depression. Over the years it has grown and changed. In the past, local organizations would slaughter and process their own meat. Now, it is purchased in bulk from poultry operations in Pennsylvania, but the finishing work is still done locally.
For more: “This is a place where you can donate and see where your help is going.”
Place: Milverton, Ontario.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Milverton churches.
Five things to know about horse-drawn buggies on Ontario roads;
Deadly collision involving buggy puts spotlight on horse-drawn carriages.
Brian Williams, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.
A deadly collision north of Stratford involving a horse-drawn buggy left one boy dead and another injured, training a spotlight on the use of horse-drawn carriages. For more on this topic:
Place: Fremont, Michigan.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Michigan churches.
Amish girl riding bicycle dies when hit by SUV, state police say.
Published: Jan. 05, 2024, 8:36 a.m.
By Bradley Massman.
OCEANA COUNTY, MI – A teen girl died, and her brother was seriously injured after the siblings were struck by a vehicle while out riding their bicycles, Michigan State Police said. The 15-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy are from the Amish Community, troopers said.
The crashed happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, along Skeels Road, just west of 192nd Avenue, in Oceana County.
Troopers said a 35-year-old woman was driving an SUV westbound on Skeels Road when she struck the two bicyclists who were also traveling westbound.
The teen girl was pronounced dead at the scene, and the teen boy was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
The investigation is ongoing. For more on this story: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/01/amish-girl-riding-bicycle-dies-when-hit-by-suv-state-police-say.html
Place: Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky.
Group: Old Order Mennonite- Groffdale Conference / Old Order Mennonite- Orthodox / Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
Amish, Mennonite communities thrive in Christian County, from business to volunteering;
By Daynnah Carmona.
January 6, 2024 9:03 pm.
HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Seeing a horse and buggy driving along the side of the road or parked at Walmart is a regular occurrence in Christian County. The Amish and Mennonite populations enrich the area and provide unique services that benefits the city.
“They are a very well organized, compassionate community,” said Carter Hendricks, former Hopkinsville mayor and current executive director of the Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council. Hendricks also mentioned their community’s compassion, especially when Christian County was in crisis following the tornadoes in 2021. They stepped up to the plate to help rebuild by repairing homes and clearing debris wherever they were needed.
The Hopkinsville area has the second largest Amish population in the state of Kentucky, and Kentucky has the eighth largest population in the country, according to stats from Amish America’s website. There are two Amish settlements in Christian County: one near Crofton that was founded in 1972, and a larger settlement in the Hopkinsville/Pembroke area that was founded in 1989. For more on this story:
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
State Police investigating after hit-and-run injures horse-and-buggy driver;
by: Lara Bonatesta.
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a hit-and-run crash that left the operator of a horse-and-buggy injured in Lancaster County.
According to police, the crash happened on Friday, December 8 in Strasburg Township on May Post Road at its intersection with Sides Mill Road.
Police say the pictured vehicle struck the horse-and-buggy causing injury to its operator. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact police at 717-299-7650. https://www.abc27.com/local-news/state-police-investigating-after-hit-and-run-injures-horse-and-buggy-driver/
Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
State Employees Search Amos Miller Farm, Seize Property.
by The Lancaster Patriot Staff.
January 4, 2024. State Employees Search Amos Miller Farm, Seize Property.
State agents carry off coolers full of Amos Miller's property on Jan. 4, 2024 in Upper Leacock Township, Pennsylvania.
Three Pennsylvania State Troopers and seven other individuals spent several hours inside a building on Amos Miller’s Lancaster County farm while conducting a search on Jan. 4, 2024, eventually leaving with multiple coolers containing Miller’s property. For more on this story:
Prompted by reports of foodborne illness, Pa. Agriculture Dept. conducted search at Amos Miller farm in Upper Leacock Township.
LANCASTERONLINE | Staff Jan 5, 2024.
DAN NEPHIN | Staff Writer.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said it executed a search warrant Thursday at an Upper Leacock Township farm as part of an investigation into two food-borne illness cases. That led to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service investigating and suing Miller over the meat and poultry issue in 2019, which led to the first agreement under which Miller was to follow federal food safety rules. For more on this story: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/state-agriculture-employees-conducting-a-search-warrant-at-amos-miller-farm-in-upper-leacock-township/article_2349fb14-ab33-11ee-a3fe-37f92d33e0a9.html
Donald Trump Jr. 'Sick' After Amish Farm Raided for Eggnog.
Jan 05, 2024 at 2:45 PM EST.
Newsweek. Donald Trump Jr. said on Friday that he was "sick" over a raid at a Pennsylvania Amish farm for issues relating to products that stemmed from the farm and resulted in food-borne illnesses.
"Instead, the state unlawfully obtained a search warrant, based on materially false statements in an affidavit by a high-ranking state official in an agency with a known grievance against independent farmers like Amos, and, after the raid and finding no evidence of wrongdoing, then illegally ordered detained every item of food in one of Amos Miller's coolers, including buffalo meat not even subject to federal regulation." Newsweek reached out to Barnes via email for comment. For more on this story:
Authorities search Lancaster farm after reports that tainted eggnog sickened children.
Published: Jan. 06, 2024, 9:03 a.m. PennLive.
A Lancaster County farm with a history of defying food safety guidelines was raided by authorities after reports of two cases of food-borne illness linked to the dairy. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture told LNP that it executed a search warrant at Miller Organic Farm, in Upper Leacock Township, on Thursday after being notified by public health officials in New York and Michigan about illnesses reported in children who consumed raw eggnog from the farm.
The states said tests were positive for Shiga toxin producing E.Coli.
The department said the search warrant “sought, among other things, illegal raw milk and raw milk products, including eggnog,” but would not comment further on an active investigation, according LNP. The farm’s owner, Amos Miller, has been involved in litigation over violations to federal health and safety regulations for years. During that time he became a cause celebre among proponents of raw milk products, that are illegal in many states but not Pennsylvania. Miller has a membership co-op and sells “traditional Amish foods” to customers around the country. Among those rushing to Miller’s defense Thursday was Donald Trump Jr. who posted on X: “Imagine what law enforcement could accomplish if they went after oh I don’t know, say, members of elite pedophile rings rather than farmers selling to their neighbors???” On Friday, a fundraising campaign had generated close to $70,000 to support Miller. The state’s action was first reported in The Lancaster Patriot, a conservative news website. Since then Miller has been sued by the Department of Justice and racked up hundreds of thousands in fines for non-compliance, even as he has entered into agreements with the federal government as recently as 2022 to comply with health and safety laws and avoid jail time. For more information:
Place: Belle Center, Ohio.
Group: New Order Amish.
Retired Ohio science teacher reveals why he joined the Amish at age 51 - but could YOU give it all up for the simple life?
Mark Curtis, now 71, was baptized into an Amish church in Belle Center, Ohio, in 2003, after their care for his cancer-stricken mother convinced him to join
Other converts, including a former top chef in Chicago, have cited spiritual awakenings as reasons for joining the Amish, while some have joined for love
Mark Curtis has bookshelves stuffed with tomes on China, World War Two, and slavery. By Miles Dilworth, in Logan County, OhioFor Dailymail.Com. Published: 01:13 EST, 25 December 2023 | Updated: 08:28 EST, 25 December 2023 His bedroom is adorned with a portrait of King George V, half a dozen pictures of English country homes, and a collection of Sherlock Holmes posters - a nod to his self-confessed 'Anglophilia'. He has traveled around Europe, including trips to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and has even been to China. Yet for the last 20 years of his life, Mark has lived as part of a traditional and isolated Amish community in Belle Center, a small village of around 800 people in Logan County, Ohio, of whom roughly 10 percent are Amish. For a man with a passion for global affairs and travel, joining an austere and inward-looking religious sect whose only means of transportation is a horse and cart might seem an odd choice. But Mark, now 71, says he has never been happier. His journey has been driven by disillusionment with modern society, punctuated by the loss of his mother, and shaped by the challenges of abandoning home comforts..... But Mark and his church in Belle Center are more pragmatic - they believe they can make common sense accommodations to modernity, while retaining their essential spirituality. As we slurp down our second helpings of chicken soup, Mark leaves us with this thought: 'You don't have to crap in a creek to prove you're Amish.'. For more on this story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12886257/amish-convert-ohio-teacher-cancer.html
Place: Celina, Mercer County, Ohio.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swiss Amish (Adams County, Indiana).
Mercer County Car-Amish Buggy Head-On Crash Claims The Life Of One Year Old Girl. Author: statelinesportsnetwork.
(12-22-23) Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey reports that his office is investigating a fatal traffic crash that occurred this evening, December 22nd, 2023. Mercer County Central Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call at 5:18 PM of a traffic crash on St Rte 49, north of Oregon Rd in Liberty Township. The preliminary investigation revealed that Trey Frech (24) of New Paris, OH was driving a 2016 white Chevy sedan northbound on St Rte 49. A John Schwartz (24) of Celina, OH was traveling with his family southbound in a horse driven buggy. Frech went in to the southbound lane to pass a northbound van and then struck the Schwartz buggy head-on. Frech was ejected from his vehicle. Frech was air lifted from the scene by Lutheran Air and transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. Schwartz was transported by Celina EMS, Squad 6, to Mercer Health in Coldwater and was treated and released. Elizabeth Schwartz (26) who is seven months pregnant, was transported by Squad 6 to Mercer Health and was later transferred to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. John Schwartz Jr, (3) was transported by Squad 6 to Mercer Health. John and Elizabeth Schwartz’s daughter, Roseanne (1) was pronounced deceased at the scene. The horse was seriously injured and later passed. Assisting at the scene were members of the Chatt Fire Department, Celina EMS, Rockford EMS and MCERV. The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team was called to the scene. This crash remains under investigation at this time and will be forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for review. For more on this story:
Place: Macomb/Heuvelton, New York.
Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber.
Amish home a total loss, woodstove to blame for blaze.
By 7 News Staff Published: TOWN OF MACOMB, New York (WWNY) - An Amish home in St. Lawrence County is a total loss following a Friday night fire.
Pictures shared by the Morristown Fire Department show their home on Mitchell Road in the Town of Macomb fully involved when crews arrived on scene.
Fire Chief Jay Moore says it only took firefighters 15 minutes to get the blaze under control.
There were no injuries to report. The cause of the fire was deemed to be a improperly installed woodstove and chimney.
Morristown was assisted on scene by crews from Heuvelton and Brier Hill Fire Departments as well as the Morristown Auxiliary. For more on this story:
Place: Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.
Group: Old Order Amish- Mainline; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, churches.
10-year-old killed in Christmas morning fire.
A 10-year-old girl died in a house fire Christmas morning in Elkton, Maryland.
By WJZ via CNN Newsource
Published: Dec. 26, 2023 at 12:17 PM UTC
ELKTON, Md. (WJZ) - It was a Christmas morning tragedy in Maryland when a 10-year-old girl died in a house fire.
When firefighters found the family standing outside their home, the family said a young girl was still inside.
Neighbors said the house was fully engulfed in flames.
It took 75 firefighters about an hour to get the fire under control.
When they were able to get inside, they found the 10-year-old, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five other family members reportedly lived in the home, including four adults and a 13-year-old boy.
It’s unclear what caused the fire. For more information: