OUR VIEW: Is Crete's LB 840 Money Being Misused?

Are Crete's economic development funds — which come directly from taxpayers — being misused for political purposes?

That's the question after The Crete News this week published a photo of political candidate Dan Osborn’s recent visit to Crete’s The 1206 banquet hall.

In case you’re not familiar, Osborn is the so-called “blue-collar guy” who gave U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) a run for her money in 2024. 

Critics say Osborn, a former labor union leader who is running for U.S. Senate again, is a “Democrat in disguise.” Osborn has received huge amounts of money from national Democrat-aligned groups, including $3.8 million from Senate Democrats last year.

But forget partisan politics. Instead, focus on politics and the use of public funds.

Normally, Osborn’s Oct. 19 visit to The 1206, which has proclaimed its LGBTQ+ pride, would hardly be noteworthy. After all, the building and business are privately owned — and owners of private businesses and private property are free to conduct any legal event or activity they wish.

But what happens when a private business has been given a large sum of taxpayer funding?

Our research shows The 1206 LLC received significant LB 840 funding from the City of Crete in recent years.

• In March 2021, the city issued a $24,500 non-interest bearing, forgivable loan to The 1206.

• In April 2023, city leaders voted to grant the owners of The 1206 $24,876 for the marquee on the front of the building. Yes, that is the same marquee that touted Osborn's visit earlier this month.

Remember, Nebraska's LB 840 program allows municipalities to collect and appropriate local tax dollars — including sales and/or property tax revenues — and redistribute those dollars for economic development purposes.

While it’s unlikely any rules were broken by the owners of The 1206, our question is more about the ethics of using a building renovated with nearly $50,000 in taxpayer help — including from conservative taxpayers — to further Osborn's political ambitions.

LB 840 funding can probably be justified in communities the size of Crete, even if it looks bad when city leaders pick winners and losers among small businesses. But sending taxpayer money to private enterprises becomes harder to justify when projects are used to politically snub so many taxpayers.

Pulled Pork BBQ Set For This Sunday, Nov. 2

It's autumn. That means it's time for a tasty annual tradition in Dorchester.

Everyone is invited to the Dorchester United Methodist Church’s annual pulled pork BBQ set for this Sunday, Nov. 2.

All area residents are encouraged to attend the event at 612 Lincoln Ave.

Activities will begin with worship services at 9:30 a.m. Then lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Lunch will feature pulled pork sandwiches along with homemade coleslaw, scalloped potatoes, pork and beans, and desserts. 

This is a free-will offering.

You can eat inside the church and catch up with friends and family. Or drive up for to-go orders.

All Times' readers are encouraged to enjoy this community activity.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Block by Block, Dorchester Is Adding More Paved Streets

More Street Paving Underway: For anyone who hasn't driving through Main Street Dorchester in recent weeks, the signs of street paving are everywhere -- or at least on 6th, 8th, 10th, and 11th Streets east of Washington Ave. The paving is part of the village's long-term street improvement plan and follows last year's resurfacing of main street -- marking the first resurfacing in three decades -- and paving of the streets surrounding the city park and water park. Stay tuned for more paving in the near future.

DHS Volleyball Concludes Regular Season: The Dorchester Lady Longhorns have wrapped up the regular season, finishing 12-16 as post-season play begins. The Orange and Black Attack faced stiff competition in the home stretch of their season, taking on teams like Osceola (21-8), BDS (19-10), and Cross County (23-8). DHS lost nine of their last 12 contests, including three of four at the CRC Tournament in York. The Lady Longhorns now prepare for sub-districts at Shickley where they take on Nebraska Lutheran (10-18) on Monday, Oct. 27, at 4:30 p.m. Winner goes on, while the season ends for the loser.

DHS Football Ends Season At 2-6: The Dorchester High School football team has wrapped up another year on the gridiron. The Longhorns fell to Meridian 21-47 on a cool, raining Friday evening, Oct. 24, at Nerud Field. With a 2-6 record, DHS can look to the future with a talent crop of young players coming up through the ranks. This year's Dorchester Junior High football team went undefeated.

Dorchester's World Series Connection: Dorchester has strong family ties to this year's World Series. One of the star pitchers for the Toronto Bluejays, Kevin Gausman, traces his family roots back to Dorchester. His grandfather, Clarence, and father, Clair, were both athletes at Dorchester. Kevin Gausman has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round (fourth overall) in 2012 after playing for Louisiana State University. He has pitched in the majors for more than a dozen years. See our 2014 story on Kevin's Dorchester connection.

Dorchester's John Potter Passes At Age 90

John Paul Potter was born on June 23, 1935, at the Warren Memorial Hospital in
Friend, Nebraska to J. Owen and Eleanor (Asmus) Potter. The oldest of three siblings, he and his brother David spent many days adventuring around Turkey Creek and the Potter farm, south of Dorchester.

John graduated from Dorchester High School and attended Doane College for a short time.  He married Betty Ann Bosak in the Dorchester Methodist Church on September 7, 1957. He was drafted to the Army and stationed in Germany, where Betty joined him during his service. He was drafted November 25, 1958, and was honorably discharged February 17, 1961.

John and Betty made their home in Dorchester, Nebraska. John worked at the Dorchester Co-Op Elevator.  In September 1965, they welcomed a daughter, Cara to their home. In August 1967, a son, John David was born. The family moved to David City, where they made their home for more than 20 years. 

John spent his professional life owning or working for agricultural chemical and equipment companies. This brought travel to many local coffee shops and elevators across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.  In 2000, he and Betty moved from Missouri to the family farm south of Dorchester.  There, he enjoyed gardening – garlic specifically, and he was the host of many popular “garlic festivals” held at the farm.  John was a gifted woodworker, making many items for the Church auction, and in the years after Betty passed, he became a vineyard manager, growing cold-hearty grapes on the farm.  He hired numerous local youth organizations and school groups to help harvest, and the grapes were made to wine and sold under the Pour House label in Friend.  

John renewed his friendship with Chere Williams and together they spent eighteen years as companions, taking various trips, visiting family, making trips to Costco and embarking on joint projects at their home in Friend. He maintained his love of making wine and baking bread until the last years of his life.  Sharing wine and bread with those he loved brought him great joy.

Family helped celebrate John’s 90th birthday with a wine toast. He was able to make his final “toddy time” toast with his daughter to celebrate her 60th. John passed away a month later October 17, 2025, in hospice care at Tabitha Elizabeth House in Lincoln, Nebraska. He had been fighting metastatic lung cancer like the determined man he’d always been.  

John was a man of strong opinions and faith. He had some who loved him, many friends and a few that tolerated him on occasion. That mix was just fine for him, and he lived 90 years happily and with a zest for life. In his later years, that opinion softened and spirited discussion and political debate melted to stories of happy times, things he was grateful for and expression of love to those close to him. He found joy in watching the neighbor’s kids, love in all pets, even a squirrel he named Peanut, and deep appreciation for his family and friends.

John was cremated and will be laid to rest next to his wife Betty, in Dorchester. He is survived by his “Lady” Chere Williams, daughter Carey and partner Dan VonMoos, son Jack, grandchildren, Joe, Kait and Jake, his “Seester” Ann Phipps, in-laws Larry and Jean Bosak and his favorite cousin Pat Rhoads; many nieces, a nephew, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother and father and mother in-law Frank and Clara Bosak. There will be no public services.

Dorchester's Spookiest Places

 

Halloween is fast approaching -- which brings us to this annual tradition.

Back in 2007, the Times started publishing reports on the Dorchester area's haunted places. Here's an update on the latest reports regarding our area's spooky spots.

Gilbert's Graveyard: The most famous of Dorchester's "haunted places," Gilbert's Cemetery -- the final resting place of the family of John W. Gilbert -- continues to draw attention from inside and outside Saline County. (There's even this video of some brave souls who went into the graveyard at night for electronic readings.) Click here to see some of the stories left about Gilbert's Cemetery on a site called "Haunted Places."  Another report on the pioneer cemetery came from a website called  "Hauntings" (no longer active), which featured a "pre-haunt interview with the locals" in Dorchester. The site recounts some of the history behind Gilbert's Graveyard and its namesake, using historical accounts published by this blog and the 1981 Dorchester Centennial book. As Hauntings reported, "a number of strange events have been reported here. Among them, strange noises and the movement of tombstones. ... Sadly, this location has been host to vandalism and disrespect for some of the area's earliest pioneers. If you plan to visit this location, think on how you would want your remains and the stone markers of your final resting place treated."

The website also featured firsthand accounts from those who have visited the cemetery. One visitor named Chris wrote the following: 

"The first trip we had made (to Gilbert's Graveyard) I ended up in tears; just the feeling of being there was enough to make you sick. We started to drive through the graveyard, and someone pointed at a tree that was knocked down over a grave, and when I looked over there I saw a black fog coming up from the grave, we decided to leave. As we left the graveyard, we looked over to the graveyard and about nine-plus flashing lights came up from the graveyard and seemed to follow us. I was the driver and I looked in my rear view mirror to be horrified to see a older lady staring at me in the mirror, then scream and then I began to cry uncontrollably. I stepped on that gas and swore I would never return. But consequently we did, and the second time it was more calmer then the first, not much happened except for hearing footsteps in the distant, and the feeling of you being followed closely."

Former 'Squeaky Bridge': According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, the site of the former ''squeaky bridge'' over Turkey Creek, south of Dorchester, is "extremely haunted" (County Rd. 1500 between county roads G and H). "According to legend several men were hanged on the bridge, which was closed and removed in or around 1994. However the ghosts still appear on a routine basis at night. They are transparent figures hanging by a noose right where the bridge once stood. Some have said the hanged men will occasionally look up and stare at observers."

Specter of Highway 33: For years, we've heard reports of a "man" who supposedly walks on Highway 33 as you near the west edge of Crete. People have reported seeing him on the road, or just off to the side, and swerve to miss him.  When they look back, he is gone. The Times has investigated the story further. Some say the apparition is that of a Dorchester lad who died decades ago in a very bad accident a mile west of Crete. Others say it is the ghost of an Oregon Trail pioneer who lost his way and died on the journey.  

Second Floor Above the Village Office:  According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, "there have been many reports of figures or shapes moving around in the second floor of the village office building" on main street Dorchester. The website claims to have a picture of the ghostly figure taken with a cell phone in 2009.

Dorchester School Boiler Room: We can confirm that the boiler room of the 1927 Dorchester School building is no longer haunted, if it ever was. The old school building was torn down in 2008 to make room for the current DPS campus. But when it existed, there were reports that in the late 1920s a child "locked himself in the boiler room and died." According to the old stories, school janitors in the modern era sometimes heard yells coming from the boiler room during the night -- and "when they went down into the boiler room, they didn't find anyone." So convincing were the reports that the Lincoln Journal Star in 2006 wrote a story on the the old boiler room. The story quotes former school secretary Joyce Karl and former custodians Ron Sehnert and Sharri Kasl, who said: "I never go down there in the mornings if I’m ever here by myself." Another publication ranked the Dorchester boiler room the second-most haunted site in Nebraska.

Doane College Library: Doane College's old library seems to be haunted by a woman in a white dress, according to some reports. On a full moon, she will appear in front of one of the windows. She has been reported to roam about the basement as well.

Emil Veprosky Passes At 96; Services Thursday

Emil Anton Veprovsky was born Sept. 1, 1930, to John and Rose (Kasal), on a farm east of Dorchester, known as the Luzum farm.

He attended school in District 43 (kindergarten through 8th grade), where he learned to speak English, and then went to Dorchester Public School. At the age of 16, he stayed home and helped on the family farm.

The family moved to a different location near Dorchester until they finally settled on the place that would become their home place. A farm that was located five miles south of Dorchester was purchased by his dad in 1948. They moved onto the property, a large, tall farmhouse from about 8 miles away, in 1956. Emil helped with building the basement walls and setting the house on the sturdy foundation.

In 1950, Emil joined the National Guard. Drafted for active duty from Feb. 26, 1953, to Feb. 11, 1955, he completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then trained as an Engineering Foreman at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He later served in Korea and Japan before returning to the U.S., where he was stationed in Seattle, Washington, and Fort Carson, Colorado. Though released from active duty, Emil continued in the Army Reserve for several years.

Emil met the love of his life, Shirley Eret, at the Sunset Dance Hall in Emerald. They were married June 5, 1960, and lived a half-mile south of Pleasant Hill for five years. They then moved to their permanent home, which was the home place. Here, he made the home place a prosperous farm. He raised cattle, hogs, chickens, crops, and continued to upgrade his equipment.

His family was very important to him. He and Shirley raised three children, and Emil instilled a good work ethic. He worked very hard to provide for his family. When Shirley wanted a milk cow, he went out and found one. When she wanted to raise chickens, he set up a chicken house for baby chicks and a chicken house for hens to lay eggs. He helped her start a garden and plant potatoes on Good Friday, and he remodeled the house. He drove the school bus for the Dorchester school for a few years to help out with expenses. 

There were times for enjoyment as well; he took his family on summer vacations. He was a member of the Dorchester American Legion. He received a quilt of Valor in May 2022 and was Veteran of the Month in May 2025. He also was a long-time member of the WFLA Lodge Tabor Hall, where he spent many nights with other members remodeling and repairing the hall so Tabor could be re-opened to the public. Emil held the office of president at Tabor for many years and spent many weekends working the events at the hall.

The love for farming continued, and he put many long hours on the tractor even into his elderly age. At 94 years old, he was still driving tractors, cutting hay, feeding cattle, and driving grain trucks. He was always willing to try new things, even if he was skeptical. He used to say that he started by planting with a team of horses. He ended by using GPS. (Although he wasn’t really fond of it. He was certain he planted straighter rows without it.) However, over time, his body started wearing out, and he became ill. Despite battling illness for over a year, one of his last goals was to go out to cut hay one more time. His last farm duty was cutting 78 acres of alfalfa in the 2025 season.  When he felt well enough, he continued to enjoy rides out to the field. Eventually, on Oct. 18, 2025, his fight ended when he passed away at Bryan East in Lincoln.

Left to cherish his memory are his son, Gary (Penny) Veprovsky, his daughter, Karen Chadwick, his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin & Lisa Veprovsky, all from Dorchester. Sister-in-law, Bonnie Eret, brothers & sisters in law: Frank & Judy Eret, Richard and Vicki Kuzelka. Grandchildren: Joshua (Amber) Mackeprang, Melanie, and Shelby. 4 step grandchildren, many great grandchildren, nieces & nephews.

Emil is preceded in death by his parents, sisters & brother in laws, Rosie (Orin) Duchek and Jarmila (Arnest) Dvorak.

Services will be held Oct. 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 6 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Memorials have been designated to the Dorchester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. 

Looking Back: Pleasant Hill One Of Nebraska's Most Notable Ghost Towns

 

In 2019, the Lincoln Journal Star published a list of 15 famous Nebraska ghost towns.  

Saline County's Pleasant Hill made the list. 

This is a big deal considering Nebraska once had more than 1,100 towns -- many more than today's roughly 530 cities and villages. So the Cornhusker State has its share of ghost towns.

Sometimes referred to as Dorchester's sister community, Pleasant Hill replaced Swan City as the county seat following an 1871 countywide vote. (Dorchester had also been in the running to become the county seat.)

"Already the county's biggest and most prosperous town after its platting in 1867, with a state-of-the-art mill and at least one store, its offer of land and cash for a courthouse no doubt encouraged voters," the Journal Star reported.

The newspaper continued with its report: 

"Within a couple years, though, Crete and Wilber had grown and sought to claim the courthouse as their own. State law required them to wait five years before bring the matter to a vote. Like its successor, Pleasant Hill finished last in a tight election won by Wilber, where the courthouse remains to this day.

"Getting the county records from Pleasant Hill, however, wasn't a given. It took 160 wagon teams and 300 people projecting force from Wilber before the papers were handed over.

"Like many other towns, its demise was sealed when the railroad by passed the former county seat. That first courthouse, used first as a poor house and then as a community hall, burned down prior to World War I. The final straw, though, was the fire that destroyed the mill in 1930."

Read the Times' 2008 article on Pleasant Hill's history here.