NEWS ROUND-UP: DHS Rocks State Journalism Contest (Again)

Dorchester Rocks State Journalism Contest (Again): Several DHS students competed in the recent Nebraska Journalism Education Association Winter High School Competition. From across the state, 775 entries were received from 32 schools. Dorchester was once again the smallest school represented. Andrea Pavlish received honorable mentions in Yearbook Theme Copy Writing and Yearbook Layout. Gabby Theis received excellent honors in Photo Artistic Illustration and Action Photography. Bailey Theis received an excellent in Action Photography. Joseph Peacock received an honorable mention in Yearbook Feature Writing. Ariana Tellez received an honorable mention in Photo Artistic Illustration. Emilia Perez received an honorable mention in Advertising. The team of Andrea Pavlish, Gabby Theis, and Joseph Peacock received a superior rating in Yearbook Theme Development. They are advised by Mrs. Sandy Severance.

Volunteer Fire and Rescue to Host Brisket Sandwich Meals, April 5: On Saturday, April 5, from  4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Dorchester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department will have brisket sandwich meals-to-go at the fire station. Drive-thru or pre-order. Free-will offering. Proceeds to support Dorchester Fire and Rescue expenses and equipment. Order by phone or text: 402-826-7346.

Spring Community Clean-Up: Dorchester community spring clean-up time is here. Roll-offs will be available at the dump site free of charge from April 19 though April 26.

Dump Site is Open: Dorchester's municipal dump site is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. 

DHS Students at State Speech Competition: DHS sent three Longhorns to the NSAA State Speech Competition in Kearney this week. Competing in the event were Ella Vyhnalek, who performed in the persuasive speech category, along with Owen Vyhnalek and Andrea Pavlish, who performed their comedy duet. 

Nominate a Teacher for 10/11 Award: As the school year starts to wind down, think about nominating a great teacher for 10/11's Golden Apple Award. The award is given each month of the school year to an educator having a outstanding impact in our local schools. You can nominate a K-12 teacher, administrator, or support staff member who deserves recognition for the positive effect they’ve had on you, your loved ones, or the community. Use this nomination form.

Food Truck Season Underway: It's time again for the food trucks to visit Main Street Dorchester. These vendors will be parked by the Legion Hall, we are told. Here's the schedule so far:

• KennaBells BBQ Monday, March 31 
• Billies Grilled Cheese, April 7 (10:30 to 2:00 and 4:30-7:30)
• Paradise Eats, April 22 (11:00 to 2:00)
• KennaBells BBQ, April 28

DHS' Brandon Bruha Named Coach Of The Year

Dorchester's Brandon Bruha has been named girls basketball coach of the year by Neb Preps, a media outlet focused on Nebraska high school sports.

The honor comes just a week after Coach Bruha and his wife, Cassidy, welcomed their first child. 

And it comes just two weeks after the Lady Longhorns concluded their magical 25-3 season, finishing as state runners-up in the Class D-2 championship held at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

Bruha and assistant coach Brent Zoubek engineered the Dorchester girls program to its first state final game and only its second tournament appearance ever.

Bruha, a DHS graduate, has been coaching DHS girls basketball for 11 seasons.

Listen to Bruha's interviews with Neb Preps on Facebook or Twitter (X).

Looking Back: The Mills Of The Dorchester Area

Nowadays, the rivers and creeks of Saline County are used mostly for irrigation and fishing. But in days gone by, mills located on Turkey Creek (pictured above) and the west fork of the Big Blue River (pictured below) played an even more substantial role. In fact, Dorchester's first electricity was generated by a dam on Turkey Creek.

In Dorchester's early days, the milling industry was a staple of the area's economy. The 1880s saw rapid growth of the milling business on Turkey Creek, just south of town.Turkey Creek became recognized as "the Old Mill Stream," according to the Nebraska State Historical Society. 

Of the five mills on Turkey Creek in Saline County, two predominately served the Dorchester area. 

One was Amity Mill at Pleasant Hill. Constructed in 1870, the Amity Mill produced flour and meal, and later provided the first electricity for Dorchester. 

The other Dorchester-area mill, Lawrence Mill, was located near the current Gilbert Cemetery.

A trip to the nearest mill, with a team and wagon loaded with grain, occupied most of a farmer's day back in those early years -- and when the weather was pleasant, such a trip often provided a holiday for Saline County settlers. This allowed farm families to picnic, as well as take in the sights and sounds of water pouring over the log dam. 

The dams also provided excellent havens for large catfish.

The Amity Mill at Pleasant Hill was destroyed by a fire started by lightning and was not rebuilt. In 1934, the dam was removed by dynamite. Millstones from the Amity Mill can be seen at the Saline County Museum located in Dorchester.

No specific details are known about the demise of the Lawrence Mill.

Lot For Sale: 106 E 11th St.

Are you thinking about building a home? There's an empty lot for sale near the north edge of Dorchester. The Times staff agrees it would be a great spot to build.

Consider what Dorchester has to offer:

• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A modern K-12 school with smaller class sizes and some of the state's best educators. This means individualized attention for your child.

• A SAFE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY: With an upgraded water and sewer system, and a surplus of funding at Village Hall.

• LOWER COSTS: Affordable living costs with lower property taxes compared to surrounding school districts.

• KEY BUSINESSES AND PRIME LOCATION: Headquarters for one of the nation's largest agri-businesses (Farmers Cooperative) and situated on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

• GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE: A quick drive to employers in Crete, Milford, Friend, and Seward. Just 30 minutes to Lincoln and 12 minutes to I-80. Yet all the advantages of a small, close-knit community.

Here's the listing for the lot:

106 E 11th St.: Vacant lot on edge of Dorchester that has over an 1/2 acre of space (0.65 acres). City utilities are available. $48,000. See the listing.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Foundation Steak Feed; Former Village Board Member Back In Court

Steak, Hamburger Feed Set for March 22: Ring in spring with a tasty steak or burger at the Dorchester Community Hall and Legion Hall on Saturday, March 22, from 5 p.m. until roughly 8 p.m. The Dorchester Community Foundation Fund's Annual Steak and Hamburger Feed will be held in conjunction with the DHS Alumni Basketball Tourney, according to social media. Funds raised will go towards a new community center. For those who don't want to dine in, to-go orders will be available by calling 402-641-0564 or 402-525-5705.

Theis Signs With CCC Basketball: DHS senior and Longhorn basketball standout Gabby Theis this week signed to play basketball at Central Community College. See the DPS social media post. At a ceremony held in the DHS gym, Theis was joined by her parents, grandparents, DHS coaches, and CCC head coach Kasi Stoltz.

Hoffman Back in Court: Matthew Hoffman of Dorchester, a former village board member, is scheduled to return to court Monday, March 17 to accept a plea agreement tied to a district court case that alleges he stole more than $22,000 as an employee of Fritz's Bar and Grill in Wilber. This marks the second time in recent years that Hoffman has been in the court system. In 2018, he was sentenced to two years jail time for an unrelated case.

DPS Seeks New Principal: Dorchester Public School is seeking a PK-12 principal for fall 2025, according to an online advertisement. Resume and references can be emailed to Curt Cogswell at curt.cogswell@dorchesterschool.org.

Next Village Board Meeting, April 14: The next village board meeting is March 14 at 7 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at Farmers Cooperative headquarters. Enter through door No. 2.

Brandt Wants Higher Income Taxes: State Sen. Tom Brandt, who represents Saline County and other area counties in the legislature, is working to stop income tax relief. Apparently, Brandt thinks anyone earning over $29,000 needs to keep paying 5.2% of their earnings to the state, instead of seeing that amount decrease to 3.9% by 2027, as planned under current law. Nebraska already has one of the nation's higher income tax rates. Brandt, a big land owner, wants to see more state dollars sent to large property holders, while far-left activist groups want the state to collect more money for welfare programs.

Food Truck Season Underway: It's time again for the food trucks to visit Main Street Dorchester. These vendors will be parked by the Legion Hall, we are told. Here's the schedule so far:

• Paradise Eats: Tuesday, March 18 (11:00 to 2:00)
• KennaBells BBQ Monday, March 31 
• Billies Grilled Cheese, April 7 (10:30 to 2:00 and 4:30-7:30)
• Paradise Eats, April 22 (11:00 to 2:00)
• KennaBells BBQ, April 28

DHS Girls Are State Runners-Up

UPDATE 3/9/2025: The Lincoln Journal Star named DHS senior Gabrielle Theis and her sister DHS junior Bailey Theis to the Class D-2 all-tournament team.  

The Dorchester Lady Longhorns capped their magical 25-3 season Saturday, March 8, finishing as state runners-up in the Class D-2 following the championship contest held at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

DHS fell 52-25 to Falls City Sacred Heart, which captured its ninth state title and third in four years.

As reported by the Omaha World-Herald, Dorchester was in its first state final in only its second tournament appearance ever (the 2004 Lady Longhorns were DHS' first girls state team).

Lily Lehr led DHS with 10 points. Dorchester's 19.1% shooting percentage from the field hurt any chance the Longhorns had to knock off Sacred Heart. See the quarter-by-quarter tally.

DHS head coach Brandon Bruha told the World-Herald: “The girls deserve to be here. They gave their full effort and did everything they needed to do. 

"We had times throughout the year that our offense would lack a little bit, and it kind of showed tonight ... (T)he second half, we just couldn't get a bucket to go down.”

A special community event will be held Monday, March 10 at 6 p.m. at Dorchester Public School to celebrate the accomplishments of the team and their memorable season.

Congratulations to the DHS girls basketball team and coaches for your dedication, community pride, and commitment to excellence.

DHS Girls Basketball Continues History-Making Streak

UPDATE 3/7/25: It's onto the Class D-2 state championship game for the DHS Lady Longhorns after they defeated Wilcox-Hildreth, 39-31. DHS' Gabrielle Theis had a game high 15 points including three key three-pointers. Her sister Bailey Theis dropped in another 11. Read this story from the Hastings Tribune or watch the 10/11 News highlights. The championship will take place Saturday evening, March 8, at 8:15 p.m. at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. You'll need to pre-order tickets online if you plan to watch in person. Otherwise, you can watch the game via Nebraska Public Media.

On Thursday, March 6, the Dorchester High School girls basketball team continued its winning ways at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Nebraska Girls Basketball State Championship Tournament in Lincoln.

With a 38-37 win over Silver Lake -- a consolidated school south of Hastings -- the Lady Longhorns (24-2) captured Dorchester's first-ever victory in a state-level contest. See highlights on 10/11 News.

The teams traded leads several times during the contest. Fortunately for DHS, the Mustangs committed a lane violation late in the game, negating a free throw and allowing Dorchester to maintain a slim lead that was trimmed by six points over the last 90 seconds.

The Orange and Black Attack now moves to the semi-finals, set for 6 p.m. Friday night at Lincoln's Bob Devaney Center. DHS will face eighth-seeded Wilcox-Hildreth (18-8), which handily beat No. 1 Wilcox-Hildreth 49-40. 

See the full tournament bracket. 

If you plan on going to the game Friday, you will need to pre-order virtual tickets here.

Behrens Gives Shout-Out to Community

DHS senior Baylor Behrens scored a game high 20 points on Thursday, helping ensure DHS made it to the semi-finals. 

"This is who we wanted to make proud," Behrens said pointing to the "Longhorns" printed on her uniform during in an interview with NebPreps. 

Behrens said the school is the bond that holds small towns together.

In this interview, head coach Brandon Bruha saluted the community as well for the support provided to the team.

Denker Calls the Big Game

Making Thursday's game extra memorable was the fact DHS alumnus Drew Denker (Class of 2003), a frequent announcer for big-ticket games at the Pinnacle Arena, was the announcer for the first-round Class D-2 action.

The Omaha World-Herald has even published this story on Denker's appearance. 

According to the paper, Denker had been scheduled to announce games at the Devaney Center but made a switch to Pinnacle Bank Arena.

"I've known the athletic director my whole life," Denker said. "Dorchester is a small, small community and this has been a historic season."

The school had been to state only once before, losing to Chambers in the opening round in 2004.

The World-Herald notes: "Denker then pondered the idea and texted fellow tourney PA guy Rich Brodersen, who was scheduled to call games at PBA. He said he'd be happy to make the switch if NSAA assistant director Jon Dolliver was OK with it."

"I texted Jon and told him this was a once in a lifetime opportunity," Denker said. "This is only the second time they'd ever been to state."

Denker played basketball at Dorchester but never made it to the tournament. The Longhorns haven't reached the boys tourney since 1985.

During Friday's game at the Devaney Center, Denker said he'd attend the game just as a fan, wearing the school colors of orange and black with the rest of his family.

If his alma mater reaches Saturday's championship game, he might have another problem. He's also the voice of Nebraska softball, which is hosting a four-team tournament that day.

"If it happens, I might have to pull some strings again," he said. "I wouldn't want to miss that."