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Plain People in the News: September 2024

Place: Central Pennsylvania (Northumberland County, surrounding area).

Group: Likely Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches.

‘We leave it in God’s hands’: Republicans court a skeptical Amish community in Pennsylvania. Republicans are trying to convince the Amish community to vote for Trump — but at the Bloomsburg Fair in Pennsylvania, Richard Hall discovers they face a difficult task

The Independent. Daniel is a small business owner, he is deeply religious, and he lives in rural Pennsylvania. All of these things make him a prime target for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. There is one problem, however. Daniel is Amish, and the Amish do not tend to vote. “My kingdom is not of this world,” he tells The Independent, using words attributed to Jesus in the Bible, when asked if he could ever be tempted to cast a ballot for either party. “That’s pretty much how we feel about it.” “People talk to us about it in social settings. Some of us get the newspaper now and then,” he says. He believes the election ads being pumped into Pennsylvania are “biased on one side or the other — you can’t believe anything you read.” Daniel’s opinion is shared by another Amish man working on a neighboring stall,  selling caramel-covered pretzels, and who did not want to share his name. “We Amish, we don’t really vote,” he says. “We leave it in God’s hands.” For more on this story:  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/amish-trump-republicans-vote-b2622222.html

 

Place: Spartansburg, Pennsylvania.

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

Trial date moved for Corry man accused of killing Amish woman, unborn child in Crawford.

MEADVILLE — A Corry man accused of killing a young Amish woman and her unborn child in Crawford County in February won't face trial until early 2025. The trial for 52-year-old Shawn C. Cranston, which had been scheduled for November, was moved to March, Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo said Friday. The trial was moved after Cranston's Pittsburgh lawyer, Louis Emmi, requested a continuance this week. Crawford County Judge Francis J. Schultz granted the continuance in an order issued on Thursday, according to court records. For more on this story:  https://www.goerie.com/story/news/courts/2024/10/04/pregnant-amish-woman-rebekah-byler-death-trial-date-moved-corry-man-accused-crawford/75510595007/

 

Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; elsewhere across state.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches; others.

GOP Makes A Play For The Amish In Key Battleground State.

"The Amish, if they are mobilized, could literally save Western civilization.”

By  Amanda Prestigiacomo. Sep 24, 2024   DailyWire.com. Conservatives are making a play for the Amish vote in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state both former President Donald Trump and VP Kamala Harris are desperately trying to capture. Amish Americans generally stay out of mainstream politics despite recent efforts from Republicans, who see the conservative and religious residents as allies and an untapped voting bloc. When Amish people do vote, they overwhelmingly register as Republicans. “I want you to know, we are courting the Amish vote,” conservative activist Scott Presler said at a political conference. “The Amish, if they are mobilized, could literally save Western civilization.” For more on this story:  https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-makes-a-play-for-the-amish-in-key-battleground-state

Crisscrossing PA to register voters, Scott Presler says he's 'moving the needle' as key counties flip red. Conservative activist doing monthslong registration drive in rural Pennsylvania. By Charles Creitz. Fox News. Published September 24, 2024 3:39pm EDT. A Republican activist who leads the group Early Vote Action has been crisscrossing Pennsylvania since January, working to register new Republican voters and meeting others to encourage them to cast their ballots early. Fox News Digital followed Scott Presler as he made his near-weekly stop at the massive Green Dragon flea market in Ephrata, outside Lancaster. The Friday-only market is a popular stop for tourists and locals alike, including the area’s Mennonite and Amish population. Amish, Mennonites and Brethren make up a large portion of the county population, and when they come out to vote, they typically also lean Republican. Both Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump courted the Anabaptist community during their administrations. For more on this story:  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/criss-crossing-pa-register-voters-scott-presler-key-counties-flip-red 

Mail-in voting may lead Amish to become deciding force in the 2024 election: GOP activist.

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, September 28, 2024. A get-out-the-vote strategist is suggesting that Amish voters could influence the 2024 presidential election, saying they “could literally save western civilization in November.” Scott Pressler, who leads the political action committee Early Vote Action, which aims to “elect Republicans by mobilizing a nationwide grassroots effort for voter registration and increasing absentee and early voting,” posted on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday, urging former President Donald Trump to reach out to Amish voters in Pennsylvania. “I spoke to an Amish man last night that really wants you to come to Lancaster, PA. He said more Amish people would be able to attend your rally if it’s on a Saturday,” Pressler wrote. “He also suggested to advertise in the local newspaper, so the Amish will be able to read about it,” For more on this story: https://www.christianpost.com/news/amish-may-be-deciding-force-in-the-2024-election-gop-activist.html

 

Place: Lancaster County, PA

Group: Amish-Mennonite / Mennonite.

Sale beginning of largest collection of artwork by Amish born artists Abner and Aaron Zook. CHAD UMBLE | Staff Writer Sep 17, 2024. Lancaster Online.

The most prolific collectors of 3D folk art by Abner and Aaron Zook are about to begin selling off their pictures, beginning with an auction of works by the late twin brothers that could easily draw $250,000. Since 2000, Jim and Nancy Binsberger have assembled a veritable museum in their Perkasie home of more than 70 pieces of Zook brothers’ art depicting barn raisings, farm work, sleigh rides, grain mills and other scenes of Amish life in Lancaster County. For more on this story: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/sale-beginning-of-largest-collection-of-artwork-by-amish-born-artists-abner-and-aaron-zook/article_e5622840-7516-11ef-a6c4-f3400fa30686.html

 

 

3D picture of Lancaster Central Market attracts bid of $37,000 at sale of works by Amish-born twins Abner and Aaron Zook.  CHAD UMBLE | Staff Writer Sep 28, 2024.

An auction Saturday of more than two dozen 3D pictures and pencil sketches by Amish-born artists Abner and Aaron Zook yielded a high bid of $37,000 for one picture and attracted nearly $200,000 in total bids for the brothers’ work. The top bid was for an Aaron Zook picture from 1978, “Central Market,” which depicts the downtown Lancaster market where the Zooks’ mother, Annie, once operated a stand that sold candies. The 3-by-5-foot picture was originally commissioned for the People’s Place, a former Amish heritage museum in Intercourse. For more on this story: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/3d-picture-of-lancaster-central-market-attracts-bid-of-37-000-at-sale-of-works/article_6c59766c-7e01-11ef-bb7b-7b556b11de90.html

 

Place: New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

Westminster Students to Conduct Feasibility Study for Amish Shop.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College has been selected as one of 16 Appalachian colleges and universities to participate in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative this fall. With a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, Westminster students will conduct a feasibility study for the development of a shop featuring Amish goods and works by local artists and artisans. “This impactful project exemplifies the variety of deep experiential educational opportunities available to students and supports the college’s commitment to supporting the economic vitality of our region,” Westminster College President Kathy Brittain Richardson said. For more on this story: https://businessjournaldaily.com/westminster-students-to-conduct-feasibility-study-for-amish-shop/

 

 

Place: Wellsville, Allegany County, New York.

Group: Old Order Amish- Stutzman-Troyer.

Amish-owned horse runs wild at Wellsville Country Club causes substantial damage to tees, greens. The horse was finally caught with help from village mechanic.

September 26, 2024 By Andrew Harris.

Wellsville Sun. A runaway horse decided to play a round at the Wellsville Country Club today. The horse got away from his owner and took off across the green, green grass of the Wellsville Country Club. A horse, running through a golf course doesn’t seem like a big deal until you consider the value of the tees and greens of a quality course. In order to create the perfect layers of bent or blue grasses a golf tee, or especially the greens, are constructed with careful layers of turf, sod, sand, and gravel. The turf component has to be grown specifically to allow for a very fine mowing, sometimes down to one-eighth of an inch. Tees are constructed in a similar way, to create an optimal place to start each hole. For more on this story: https://wellsvillesun.com/blog/2024/09/26/video-amish-owned-horse-runs-wild-at-wellsville-country-club-causes-substantial-damage-to-tees-greens/

 

 

Place: Lafayette County, Wisconsin.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches.

Man advocates for, Amish community supports call for school zone safety signs near Amish school. WKOW 27 NEWS. For more on this story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O1Pn-MaFO4

 

 

Place: LaGrange County, Indiana.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Northern Indiana churches.

LaGrange County residents cleaning up, rebuilding after tornado.

By Mark Peterson and WNDU.com. Published: Sep. 25, 2024 at 5:42 PM EDT.

LAGRANGE COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - It’s been 24 hours since severe weather hit Michiana, but cleanup and rebuilding is already underway in Amish country. An initial damage assessment of the confirmed EF-1 tornado found that two people suffered minor injuries when their horse-drawn buggy flipped over in the wind. The worst of the damage came at a commercial chicken barn. The roof collapsed, killing some of the 28,000 birds inside. It’s not known exactly how many. The chicken barn was said to be one of a half dozen Amish-owned barns and sheds that were damaged by the storms. There were also two homes that were damaged, although that damage was described as minor, involving shingles and gutters. For more on this story:

 

Place: Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

 Court case update, one year after fatal crash between vehicle and Amish buggy.

Chandler Jackson V KAALTV. September 20, 2024 - 7:24 PM.  (ABC 6 News) – Barely a year after a devastating crash involving an SUV and an Amish buggy in which two children were killed, the court case continues with omnibus hearings for the twin sisters charged in the subsequent investigation. At the time of the crash, the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver was Sarah Beth Petersen. However, the investigation that followed revealed details the made the case even more shocking. Warrants from the sheriff’s office suggested it was Sarah’s twin sister, Samantha Jo Petersen, who had actually been behind the wheel when it collided with the buggy. For more on this story:  https://www.kaaltv.com/news/court-case-update-one-year-after-fatal-crash-between-vehicle-and-amish-buggy/

 

Place: Nappanee, Indiana.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Nappanee churches.

Amish woman, horse dead following Sunday night crash.

THE GOSHEN NEWS. Sep 23, 2024. Kosciusko County fatal buggy crash.

NAPPANEE — Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office’s Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is investigating a crash south of Nappanee that left one passenger in a buggy dead. Police responded at 8:26 p.m. Sunday to a crash between a 2014 Ford Flex and a horse and buggy on Ind. 19 south of C.R. 1050 North. On scene, police learned that the driver of the Ford Flex, Matthew Jourdan, 44, of Warsaw, was traveling south on Ind. 19 and struck the rear of a horse and buggy heading the same direction. The buggy had five passengers in it. Four were injured and one died.. For more on this story: https://www.goshennews.com/amish-woman-horse-dead-following-sunday-night-crash/article_abb443bc-79ad-11ef-a58f-576beca04d8d.html

 

Indiana roads becoming dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and buggies.

by Cicily Porter, WSBT 22 Reporter. Tue, September 24th 2024 at 6:36 PM.

NAPPANEE, Ind. (WSBT) — Michiana roads are becoming increasingly dangerous for those most at risk such as pedestrians, cyclists, and buggies. That alarming rate has a concerned Amish resident speaking out. So, what can be done to make the roads safer for all? More than 300 crashes involving Vulnerable Road Users in Michiana since 2023 are sounding the alarm. “You know I'm thankful it hasn't been my family, but it could've been my family because we travel those roads. So, I am alarmed, you just don’t ever know when it's going to be our turn or my turn to you know lose a loved one,” said Lavon Miller, a concerned Amish citizen.  Vulnerable Road Users receive the name due to the higher rate of serious injury or death when involved in an accident. For more on this story:

 

 

Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania / New York City.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches.

Researchers: Haredim visit Amish Country to prove they are ‘more moderate and rational than the Amish’.

Haredi tourism to Lancaster, Pennsylvania has increased in recent years.

By Lauren Hakimi. Shetl: Haredi Free Press. Sep 25, 2024 12:19 PM

In 2009, when a group of Amish people visited Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the confusion was palpable. “Are you from Uzbekistan?” a Jewish man asked the visitors, according to NBC News. An Amish man — equally befuddled by geography — responded: "Afghanistan?" The group was from neither Uzbekistan nor Afghanistan, nor Tajikistan, nor Kazakhstan. They were from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and while this may have once caused confusion, Haredi New Yorkers have since grown more familiar with their Amish compatriots. According to a new study of Haredi tourism to Amish Country, written by scholars Rachel Feldman and Ayala Fader and published this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the visits began in the late 1990s and have grown at an especially fast rate in the last decade. For more on this story:

 

Place: Holmes County, Ohio.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Isaac churches / New Order.

Amish Takeover? How the Amish Quietly Transformed an Entire Public School District.

Sep 22, 2024.

By “akhivae”. Medium. The Amish have embraced public education and are remaking it in their own image. In Holmes County, Ohio several public elementary schools now cater exclusively to the community. The Pledge of Allegiance has been ditched in favor of morning prayers while the school’s administration works with an Amish Advisory Board to ensure the curriculum aligns with the community’s needs. Lesson plans must align with Amish beliefs which means there’s no mention of evolution during science class. Homework is never assigned unless absolutely necessary to avoid conflicting with the chores and farm work many Amish children carry out after school. It’s a far cry from the one-room schoolhouses that have served as a defining pillar of Amish society and their steadfast rejection of modernity. For more on this story: https://medium.com/@akhivae/amish-takeover-how-the-amish-quietly-transformed-an-entire-public-school-district-7d6779703b44

 

 

Place: Bertha, Minnesata / Oak Grove, Missouri (east of Kansas City).

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

Lawsuit: Former Amish woman claims Kansas City-area chiropractor sexually abused her.

Posted 3:00 PM, Sep 18, 2024

and last updated 10:16 AM, Sep 19, 2024 By: Cameron Taylor. KSHB Kansas City. Editor's note: Readers/viewers may find some portions of this story disturbing due to the nature of sexual assault. — A former Amish woman claims a Kansas City-area chiropractor sexually abused her when she was a teenager. Nearly 20 years later, Fannie Hershberger is sharing her story with the KSHB 41 I-Team in hopes of others speaking up, too. “I was scared. I was terrified, but they’re not alone,” Hershberger said. The FBI investigated Dr. David Clark and raided his Oak Grove office more than two years ago. Court records show the FBI believed Clark had sexually abused dozens of victims, mainly within the Amish community, over the course of decades. Federal prosecutors didn’t file charges, but Jackson County prosecutors charged Clark "in connection with sexual assaults of juveniles and adult women" last September. For more on this story: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/investigations/lawsuit-former-amish-woman-claims-kansas-city-area-chiropractor-sexually-abused-her

 

 

Place: n/a

Group: Amish.

The Amish Are Better Than You.

By Marc Dion. Creators. September 20, 2024. The Amish are better than you. They're better than me, too. This is because the Amish make furniture. For the last couple years, every time I turn the television on, there's a commercial from a local retailer telling me they sell "Amish furniture." "Experience the craftsmanship of the Amish," the announcer's deep voice says. Then the ad shows a picture of a dining room table with six chairs. Commercials are always asking me to "experience" something. I'm supposed to experience fine German engineering when I drive, and I'm supposed to experience creaminess when I eat yogurt. For more on this story:

 

 

Place: Central New York.

Group: Old Order Amish.

Police look to prevent more horse-drawn buggy crashes on New York roads.

By Brian Dwyer, Central NY. Spectrum Local News. PUBLISHED 9:27 PM ET Sep. 20, 2024. While they are not as common as regular vehicle crashes, when a horse-drawn buggy is hit by car, or when the horse is just spooked by one, the results are likely to be deadly. They are tragedies we are starting to see more, and a solution will need all sides working together. “Sometimes, you know, if a vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed, it can be sometimes hard because you approach such a slow moving object so fast,” New York State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Jennifer Jiron said. For more on this story: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/09/21/police-look-to-prevent-more-horse-drawn-buggy-crashes-on-new-york-roads

 

Place: Opdyke, Jefferson County, Illinois.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Dover, Delaware churches.

Jefferson County residents warns Illinois Route 142 can be dangerous following crash involving horse buggy.

Waylin Walls Parker Sep 18, 2024 Updated Sep 18, 2024. Some Jefferson County residents are speaking out about a stretch of highway near Belle Rive, Illinois that can be dangerous. This warning comes after a crash involving a horse and buggy from a nearby Amish Community leaves one family mourning the loss of an 18-year-old Elma Mast. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ill. (WSIL)-- Some Jefferson County residents are speaking out about a stretch of highway near Belle Rive, Illinois that can be dangerous. This warning comes after a crash involving a horse and buggy from a nearby Amish Community leaves one family mourning the loss of an 18-year-old Elma Mast. Mike Johnson drives from McLeansboro to Mt. Vernon daily on Illinois Route 142. He says every day he sees the possibility of dangerous accidents between horse buggies and cars on the road. “We may have a stack of 15 to 20 cars in a row, and then you come down this curve or that curve, and then you have an Amish family or some Amish kids coming from school. Everybody needs to be aware of it,” Johnson said. For more on this story: https://www.wsiltv.com/news/top-stories/jefferson-county-residents-warns-illinois-route-142-can-be-dangerous-following-crash-involving-horse-buggy/article_e3a6e874-7624-11ef-ace5-bb0dfa031e3b.html

 

PlacePlace: Chatsworth, Ontario.

Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber.

TDF steps in to support Amish community against unfair COVID-19 fines.

The Democracy Fund lawyers are filing applications to reopen convictions for an Amish community hit with COVID-19 fines. Written by TDF’s Legal Team. September 18, 2024. TORONTO: The Democracy Fund (TDF) has recently discovered that members of the Amish community in Grey County, Ontario, were convicted for various offences during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Seventy-four community members were fined nearly $300,000 for failing to complete the ArriveCan app, among other violations. Many of these individuals were not properly notified about the tickets or trial dates, leading to convictions made in their absence. Consequently, liens have been placed on their properties, posing a severe threat to their community and livelihoods should the government force the sale of their lands. As noted by TDF senior litigation counsel Adam Blake-Gallipeau, "These are people who, due to their faith, do not use modern technology. They travel by horse and buggy and are unfamiliar with operating a telephone, let alone an app on a present-day cell phone." In response, TDF lawyers will be filing applications to reopen these convictions. If granted, TDF will challenge these fines in court. We anticipate that this legal process may be lengthy, but with your support, TDF is committed to addressing and correcting this pandemic-related injustice. If you'd like to support the Amish community in their fight, please consider making a tax-deductible donation on this page. About The Democracy Fund: Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education and supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic. For more on this story:

 

20 Sep 2024 - Standing up for the Amish community

Alex Ruff, Conservative Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

“In April 2021, I first asked this Liberal government how they were communicating border restrictions and requirements to Canadians like the Amish. I followed this up in Feb, Sep & Nov 2022 both here in the House and in a written questions as I started getting reports that the community was facing fines in excess of $250,000.00 for failure to use the ArriveCAN app, get the right COVID test, or failure to quarantine. The government finally responded in Jan 2023 that they didn’t inform the Amish of the rules before they arrived at the border. Now the community is facing approx. $300,000 in fines; and, collection agencies have now taken out liens against many of these Amish properties. Was this the Liberal government’s intent to discriminate against this community? If not, will they now rectify the situation and give the Amish their farms and lives back?” For more on this story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwGYnCG-xlw

 

Democracy Fund defending Ontario Amish community against quarter million dollars in COVID fines.

Todayville. By Clare Marie Merkowsky. The Democracy Fund (TDF) announced that it would represent members of the Amish community in Grey County, Ontario, to fight fines incurred for failing to follow COVID regulations, including using the once-mandated, scandal-ridden ArriveCAN app. A pro-freedom legal group is defending an Amish community against COVID fines for allegedly breaking travel regulations. For more on this story: https://www.todayville.com/calgary/democracy-fund-defending-ontario-amish-community-against-quarter-million-dollars-in-covid-fines/

 

 

Place: Region around Union/Snyder/Northumberland/Montour Counties, Pennsylvania.

Group: Amish, others.

Thousands of Valley students attend nonpublic schools.

By Anna Wiest. August 31, 2024. Updated Sep 6, 2024.

The Daily Item. More than 2,700 students in the area did not return to public schools in the districts where they live at the end of summer break, opting instead to attend a growing number of outside cyber schools, parochial schools, other private schools, special programs or home schools, according to data provided by local school districts. At a time when more focus is being put on public education as more taxpayer money leaves local schools, students are taking advantage of a growing number of options available, including separate cyber options for public schools and a wide swath of Amish schools. For more on this story: https://www.dailyitem.com/news/thousands-of-valley-students-attend-nonpublic-schools/article_cea7a11c-6647-11ef-9f7b-6318301aaade.html

 

Place: Caneyville / Tilford, Kentucky.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Dover, DE churches.

1 man airlifted after sun blinds driver, truck crashes into rear of Amish buggy near Caneyville. September 18, 2024. By Ken Howlett. K105, Local News. One person was airlifted and another hospitalized after the sun blinded a driver who then struck the rear of an Amish buggy. For more on this story: https://www.k105.com/2024/09/18/1-man-airlifted-after-sun-blinds-driver-truck-crashes-into-rear-of-amish-buggy-near-caneyville/

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Place: Wayne, Holmes, and neighboring counties, Ohio.

Group: Old Order Amish- Isaac churches; others.

Safely sharing the road in Ohio Amish Country is top priority. Kevin Lynch. Wooster Daily Record. September 13, 2024. A second fatality in Ohio this week stemming from crashes involving horse-drawn buggies and vehicles refocuses the need for drivers to be aware on roadways at all times. A 16-year-old girl died Wednesday after a Tuesday night crash in Huron County. On Monday, a 31-year-old man died when the buggy he was driving was struck from behind in Ashland County. For more on this story:https://www.the-review.com/story/news/2024/09/13/stay-safe-on-the-roads-in-ohio-amish-country/75189872007/

 

Place: Study: Ohio

Group: Study: Amish.

Update on the Amish Approach to Covid.

By Sharyl Attkisson | September 15, 2024. Journal issues corrections based on my challenges to a government funded study. My effort to obtain corrections to a badly-flawed government-funded scientific study about the Amish approach to Covid has, at last, reaped results. I’ve been notified by the Associate Publisher of Behavior and Health Sciences Journals that based on my challenges, the journal has issued multiple corrections to the original study. Unfortunately, the review process took about a year. And we all know that those who read and reported on the original article are unlikely to go back and look for corrections. The initial misimpressions will likely linger on indefinitely. The study was entitled “Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” It appeared in the Journal of Religion and Health on June 11, 2021. For more on this story: https://sharylattkisson.com/2024/09/update-on-the-amish-approach-to-covid/

 

Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches.

How Republican or Democratic is your name?

If you keep scrolling, you can look up the rightward or leftward lean of your first name and surname. Column by Andrew Van Dam and Lenny Bronner.

Washington Post. September 13, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT.

As far as we can tell, the No. 1 perk of writing for The Washington Post isn’t the parties you’re invited to or the celebrities you meet — though this may be because invitations addressed to the resident data dork seem to get lost in the mail. No, the top perquisite in our view is access to the voter file, a compendium of 212 million registered voters. The Post’s voter file is compiled by L2, a data firm founded by its two eponymous L’s, Lourene and Lindy Criddle, in the mid-1970s. Within L2, dozens of engineers hammer away on secure servers to update, clean and standardize public voter records bought from the states. Such voter rolls, constructed under the auspices of the 1993 Motor Voter Act and the 2002 Help America Vote Act, aim to increase voter participation and prevent voter fraud. For more on this story:

 

 

Place: Westover, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

Amish man accused of sexually assaulting four girls waives hearing.

By Jeff Corcino. The Progress News. Sep 11, 2024 Updated Sep 12, 2024 CLEARFIELD — Simon M. Lee, 34, of Westover, who is accused of sexually assaulting four young girls over a period of approximately two years, waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday before Magisterial District Judge James Glass yesterday at Centralized Court. Lee is charged by the state police with 30 charges related to the sexual assault of a child and 16 counts of aggravated indecent assault/victim less than 13 years old. All the charges are graded as felonies of the first degree. For more on this story: https://www.theprogressnews.com/news/amish-man-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-four-girls-waives-hearing/article_7cf7eda8-705c-11ef-8f4c-eb8d65684770.html

 

Place: Paoli, Indiana.

Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber, Joe Troyer group.

3 % Amish.

By Bob Turner. McDonald County Press. Sep 12, 2024. I realize I have an opportunity few people have. I visit a bunch of Amish farms picking up produce destined for the Lost River Co-op and Café and its not-for-profit arm Orange County Food Trust. I’ve been doing this for nearly a decade. I think I know the Amish in our area well enough not to romanticize them. They are stewards of the land because they are very aware that how they treat the soil determines how the soil treats them come harvest times. There is a lot about the Old Order Amish I admire. I never count what I buy because I trust them. I enjoy watching small children romp with an easy freedom around the yard making enjoyable use of what’s at hand. A strong stick is never a rifle or sword but a play pony or a drawing tool for scoring loose dirt. I watched a school yard of free range white bonnets and straw hats play kick ball. I admire that everyone I talk with is bilingual. For more on this story:  https://mdcp.nwaonline.com/news/2024/sep/12/rocky-comfort-amish-community-hosts-benefit/

 

Place: Shiloh, Ohio.

Group: Old Order Mennonite- Groffdale Conference.

Ohio Amish [Old Order Mennonite] teen, woman seriously injured when pickup truck hits buggy. Updated: Sep. 11, 2024, 3:40 a.m.|Published: Sep. 10, 2024, 11:32 p.m.

By Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com. RIPLEY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — An Amish teen girl and an Amish woman were seriously injured Tuesday evening when a pickup truck crashed into the back of her horse-drawn buggy in Huron County, the State Highway Patrol says. The patrol says the Barbara Rissler, 16, was thrown from the buggy during impact. She was flown by helicopter to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus. Dorcas Rissler, 21, a passenger in the buggy, also was ejected and seriously injured. She was taken by ambulance to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. For more on this story: https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2024/09/ohio-amish-teen-woman-seriously-injured-when-pickup-truck-hits-buggy.html

 

Place: Lime Springs, Iowa; Caneyville, Kentucky; Holmes County, Ohio.

Group: Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Holdeman) / Christian Communities / Beachy Amish-Mennonite.

Woman opens up about the horrific abuse she suffered after first selling her body age 12 - revealing she was 'trafficked' among Amish and Mennonite settlements.

By Emily Lefroy For Dailymail.Com. Published: 15:20 EDT, 10 September 2024 | Updated: 11:19 EDT, 17 September 2024 A woman has detailed her horrific experience of abuse which started at a young age, and forced her to sell herself for money to survive. Rachel Carter, 32, shared her story of seeking refuge in the Mennonite church - only to be abused and exploited further which later resulted in her being 'trafficked' between 15 Amish and Mennonite settlements - even suffering a life-endangering miscarriage. 'I feel like my whole life I was a sexual object to be played with from childhood until into my adulthood,' Rachel told Cults to Consciousness podcast host Shelise Ann Sola. For more on this story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13831243/woman-abuse-selling-body-age-12-trafficked-amish-mennonite-settlements.html

 

Place: Opdyke, Jefferson County, Illinois.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Dover, Deleware churches.

 One sister killed, two others injured when Amish buggy hit by car in Jefferson County.

By WJBD Staff. Sep 10, 2024 | 8:28 AM. Jefferson County Coroner Roger Hayse says one sister was killed and two others airlifted to a St. Louis Hospital after the Amish buggy they were riding collided early Monday evening with a car on Log Cabin Lane north of Goshen Road in rural Opdyke. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies say yesterday at approximately 4:49pm on Log Cabin Lane and Goshen Road in Jefferson County, IL, they  responded to a report of a vehicle and horse drawn buggy crash on Log Cabin Lane and Goshen Road in Jefferson County, IL. Deputies arrived on scene and were assisted by Jefferson County Fire Protection District and Litton Ambulance. It was learned a white Dodge van, driven by 32-year-old Katlyn M. Catron of Ina, IL struck the horse drawn buggy, driven by 20-year-old Dena M. Mast of Belle Rive, IL, from behind, causing major damage and seriously injuring Dena and her two passengers, 18-year-old Elma Mast and 21-year-old Mary M. Mast of Belle Rive, IL. For more on this story:  https://southernillinoisnow.com/2024/09/10/one-sister-killed-two-others-injured-when-amish-buggy-hit-by-car-in-jefferson-county/

 

Polk man killed after Ram truck collides with Amish buggy in Ashland County.

by Ohio State Highway Patrol, special to Ashland Source.

September 9, 2024. JACKSON TOWNSHIP – A 31-year-old Polk man was killed after the Amish buggy he was driving was struck from behind in Ashland County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The operator of the Amish buggy, William E. Miller, 31, of Polk, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Ram truck, Tyler R. Loughrie, 28, also of Polk, was not injured. For more on this story:  https://www.ashlandsource.com/2024/09/09/polk-man-killed-after-ram-truck-collides-with-amish-buggy-in-ashland-county/

 

Place: Chatsworth, Ontario.

Group: Old Order Amish- Swartzentruber.

Will not comply: Amish farmers get hammered with COVID fines. on: September 09, 2024. John Schwartzentruber. Farmers Forum. DESBORO, GREY COUNTY – Nestled in the narrowing neck of land between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, the peaceful beauty of the rolling, fertile farmland belies a hideous, ongoing struggle. Seldom do we witness a greater clash between virtue and vice, victimization and villainy, than the nightmarish scenario that has gripped a quiet, Amish farming community near Desboro, Ontario. The conflict is rooted in the bizarre, inconsistent application of rules that Ottawa-driven officials served up in response to the engineered COVID-19 panic of 2021-2022. The antagonists are governments and over-zealous bureaucrats who ran roughshod over state and international laws, health policies and established scientific knowledge. Beyond losing their freedoms, Canadians were robbed of hundreds of millions of tax dollars which lined the pockets of the well-connected who profiteered from the COVID-19 scandals while exacting a heartless, unconscionable price from people who posed no threat to society. They call this justice? Was one observer correct when he said, “The government is a bunch of thugs”? For more on this story: https://farmersforum.com/will-not-comply-amish-farmers-get-hammered-with-covid-fines/

 

Place: Westover, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss.

Amish man charged with rape.

September 6, 2024. Julie Rae Rickard. Altoona Mirror. HOUTZDALE — An Amish man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting four young girls in Clearfield County. Simon M. Lee, 34, Westover, was charged by state police on Tuesday with nine counts of rape forcible compulsion, 13 counts of rape of child, eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and 16 counts of aggravated indecent assault though District Judge James Glass’s office in Houtzdale. The father confronted Lee, who reportedly “broke down and cried,” begging for forgiveness. Later he confessed to a bishop of the church and was shunned for four weeks, according to the criminal complaint. A preliminary hearing in this case is scheduled for Sept. 11 at 8:30 p.m. at the county jail. For more on this story: https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2024/09/amish-man-charged-with-rape/

 

Place: Bonduel, Wisconsin.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline.

Egg brand recalled after salmonella outbreak sickens dozens of consumers in nine states: CDC. At least 65 people have been sickened by the recalled eggs, CDC says.

By Andrea Vacchiano. FOXBusiness.

A farm is recalling two entire brands of eggs after dozens of consumers across the U.S. became sick with salmonella. Milo's Poultry Farms LLC, which is based in Bonduel, Wisconsin, has begun recalling all eggs branded "Milo’s Poultry Farms" and "Tony’s Fresh Market" over a salmonella outbreak. The recall was announced on Friday. Salmonella causes vomiting, dehydration and fever, and can be deadly to children and senior citizens.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 65 consumers have become sick and 24 have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. The recall includes all cartons labeled "Milo’s Poultry Farms" and "Tony’s Fresh Market" with all expiration dates. All eggs bought from Milo's Poultry Farms LLC for retail food service distribution are also recalled. For more on this story:  https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/egg-brand-recalled-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-dozens-consumers-nine-states-cdc

 

Place: Degraff, Ohio.

Group: Old Order Amish- 1955 Beschluss; Swiss.

Fire destroys Amish barn near DeGraff.

By bellefontaineexaminer. September 7, 2024.

A fire around 9:45 p.m. Friday destroyed an Amish-owned barn in the 1200 block of Township Road 208 outside DeGraff. The barn was reportedly vacant and no injuries were reported to people or livestock. The structure was a total loss. A cause and damage estimates were not immediately available. Firefighters cleared the scene around 1 a.m. Saturday. The blaze remains under investigation. The DeGraff and Indian Joint Fire departments were assisted by fire personnel from Bellefontaine, Huntsville, Lakeview, Quincy, Indian Lake EMS and Riverside EMS. For more on this story: https://examiner.org/fire-destroys-amish-barn-near-degraff/

 

Place: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Group: Old Order Amish- mainline; Lancaster churches.

Lancaster County Amish children must be protected from sexual abuse. All children deserve to be safe from such horrors. [editorial].

THE LNP | LANCASTERONLINE EDITORIAL BOARD September 8, 2024.  LancasterOnline’s Maia Nehme reported Aug. 25 on the complex issue of child sexual abuse in the Amish community. Nehme cited Scott MacDerment, a retired Lancaster County parole officer and a member of the Plain Community Task Force, which was initially launched by county Judge Dennis Reinaker in 2011, and launched again in 2020, to tackle the issue. MacDerment, who worked in the county’s sex offender unit for 21 years, estimated that 10% of his caseload involved Plain community members. “That figure tracks with the county’s Amish population, which accounts for about 8% of county residents, according to the most recent census figures from the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College,” Nehme reported. For more on this story:

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