Big Wind Farm Appears Imminent For Western Saline County

We read recently in the Friend Sentinel that after years of talk, it appears a large wind farm is now most certainly coming to Saline County.

EDF Renewables of San Diego, California, purchased the Milligan 1 wind project on Jan. 17, the story notes.

EDF reached an agreement with York Nebraska Wind Partners LLC to buy the 300 megawatt wind farm to be built in Saline County.

York Nebraska Wind Partners is comprised of Aksamit Resource Management LLC and York Capital Management.

EDF plans to sell the energy it makes mostly outside of the state to the Southwest Power pool, according to a press release. The 300 megawatt project will be able to power an average of 115,00 homes.

The project, expected to break ground in late 2020, is the first in Nebraska to be completed by EDF Renewables.

Another story by the Beatrice newspaper, published last fall, is available here.

Fundraiser To Be Held Friday For Wilber Teen

UPDATE: According to reports sent to the Times and in the comments below, more than $900 was raised Friday night to help with Tyler's medical expenses.  Once again, the generosity of the Dorchester community proves to be overwhelming.

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Tyler Hooper

Earlier this month, Wilber-Clatonia High School junior Tyler Hooper underwent emergency surgery for a serious head injury after a sledding accident.  

It started as a case of teens being teens -- a sled being pulled by a pickup driven by a friend when the sled accidentally hit a mailbox.

It ended up being a serious, life-threatening injury.  

Bleeding on Tyler's brain.  Emergency surgery at Bryan Hospital.   

Now, half a month later, the Wilber student is making strides, but he has a long recovery ahead.  

Tyler has strong Dorchester ties.  He's a former student of the Dorchester junior class.  His grandparents are residents of the community.  His mother is a DHS alumna.

This Friday, Feb. 1, at the season's final home girls basketball game, the DHS junior class is planning a raffle to raise money for the Hooper family to help with the many health care expenses and hospital bills they now face. 

One class member told us: "It would be much appreciated if you could create an article to post on the blog explaining this to your viewers. We know that a lot of people look at your blog daily. We will be accepting donations during all three games and if people would like to bring in raffle items, it would be appreciated."

If anybody would like help in this effort, they can contact the Dorchester school office or Abby Plouzek at 402-946-2781.  Again, raffle items and donations are needed for this worthy effort.   

Great Idea Revisited: Housing Construction By Students

Occasionally, we receive some really great ideas in our inbox at Dorchester.Times@gmail.com.  

A couple of years ago, one of the best ideas of all time landed in our mailbox.  

We liked the idea so much that two years later we are running it again at the Times.  We think it's especially relevant given that two new homes have gone up in Dorchester in the last few months.

Here is a reprint of our Feb. 1, 2017 article:

Today's idea centers around Dorchester's need for family housing.

The reader who proposed it called it his "gap housing plan" to fill in vacant lots in and around our community.

Here are the essentials of the "gap housing" proposal:

• The plan would require school leaders and Dorchester's village board members to coordinate.

• Using residential lots donated or purchased by the city -- preferably empty or neglected lots within town -- Dorchester students who enroll in industrial arts classes would build a home over the course of one or two school years.

• Students working on the new house would specialize in areas such as interior design, construction, electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc.

• Instruction would supervised or provided by Southeast Community College educators from Milford, as well as area contractors and home builders, contracted by DPS.

• Profit from the sale of the home would be returned to DPS' industrial arts and vocational training programs to boost future efforts.

In an era of workforce shortages in the trades -- when educators and parents have awakened to the reality that young people need skills before they enter the real world -- this idea has merit.

We hope DPS and village leaders will give it some consideration.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Dorchester's Dan Nerud Elected President Of State's Corn Growers Association

Dan Neurd Now Leading Nebraska Corn Growers Association:  The Midwest Messenger reports that Dorchester's Dan Nerud has been elected the new president of the Nebraska Corn Growers. “We are very grateful for the volunteer efforts that our grower leadership and officers give on an annual basis,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of NeCGA.  For Dorchester, Nerud's election is a pretty big deal considering Nebraska is the third-largest corn-producing state in the United States. There are 23,000 corn farmers across the state, producing six times more corn than in the 1920s -- about 1.6 billion bushels today.

Looking Back 55 Years Ago At DPS And Its Gym: From now until January 31, we are commemorating the 55th anniversary of the construction of Dorchester's gymnasium.  While the facility has changed a lot over the decades, especially after receiving a complete face lift about eight years ago, it was in 1964 that the DHS gym was built.  Taxpayers have gotten their money's worth.  Follow our look back at Dorchester's school year from 55 years ago by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/dorchesterblog/

Both DHS Basketball Teams Bow Out Early From CRC Tourney: Sadly, the ball did not bounce Dorchester's way at the annual Crossroads Conference Tournament held in York.  The tourney started on Saturday, Jan. 19.  Both the DHS boys and girls basketball teams made an early exit, losing their Saturday contests.  You can read about the boys game summary at the York News-Times' website.  We were unable to find a story on the girls game.

Dorchester's Jeremy Pliva Named To Honor Roll: Recent DHS graduate Jeremy Pliva has made Central Community College's dean’s honor list for the fall semester.  That's according to a story in the Grand Island Independent.  Our congratulations go to Jeremy.

Forecast: Dorchester Area Can Expect Up To 5 Inches By Saturday Morning

Dorchester was in the 3-4" predicted snowfall range as of Thursday afternoon.

Here it comes.

After a week of anticipation (and hype), weather forecasters are giving us a more predictable glimpse at the winter weather coming this weekend.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Dorchester/Lincoln area from noon Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

Snow is expected, but not the heavy amounts predicted by some computer models last Sunday.  

Total snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches are expected for our area, but higher amounts are possible. 

Gusts of 20 to 30 mph will lead to blowing snow and reduced visibility.

Plan on slippery road conditions. 

The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute.

Stay tuned to the Dorchester Times for updates.  Click here for our area forecast.

Developing...

ALERT: Up To Another 23" Of Snow This Coming Weekend, Forecasters Say

(UPDATE: On Tuesday afternoon, famous online weather forecaster Frankie MacDonald issued his warning for our area, calling for 6" to 12" on Friday.  He says: "Order your pizzas and Chinese food and buy cases of Pepsi and Coke.  Do your grocery shopping. Don't wait until the last minute. Do it right now!" See his video warning here.) 

Lots more snow? On top of what we just received?

It looks like a real possibility.

News Channel Nebraska is reporting that a potential winter storm could target an area from the Great Plains to the northeast part of the United States this coming weekend (Jan. 19-20), including Dorchester.

Early forecasts are calling for 12-16″ of snow in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. As much as 16-23″ could fall in extreme southeast Nebraska.

Dorchester appears to be in the bullseye of one early model.

For now, the National Weather Service is calling for a chance of snow Friday afternoon through Saturday night, with no details on early estimates.

Temperatures this week will range from the lower to upper 30s with partly to mostly sunny skies.

If the storm does hit, it would come a week after Dorchester and surrounding areas received around 6-8" of the white stuff.

Developing...

Our Most Read Story Ever? 'American Pickers'

This last Sunday, we passed along news that some early forecasting models are predicting a major winter storm for the coming weekend.  

In less than 24 hours, the story garnered 1,956 page views (or clicks), making it one of our 50 most-read stories since this website went online in April 2007.

That prompted one Times staffer to ask: What story has been most read in our nearly 12-year history?

The answer: A February 2015 story on the History Channel's "American Pickers" cast possibly coming to the Dorchester area.  That article produced nearly 4,000 page views.  

As it turns out, the Pickers never visited our area, but they have been spotted in Nebraska several times over the years -- including just last week in Gering, Neb.

For those still hoping Mike and Frank will drop by, you can tell them about all your great junk through this website.  Maybe you and your stuff will be on TV yet.

For those who didn't read our February 2015 article, it appears below in full.

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From the Dorchester Times - Feb. 22, 2015

Who has seen the TV show "American Pickers" on the History Channel? We must admit we've only seen a few minutes of the program, but we've heard much about it. 

Last weekend, a Dorchester Times reader e-mailed us to share that "American Pickers" will be touring the country soon, and he thinks "Dorchester and Saline County is prime 'picking' territory."

Locals who have many collectibles or a "junk collection" could be selected and get to be on "American Pickers" -- and perhaps make some money. 

According the History Channel website, "American Pickers" features antique collectors Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.  

Here's what the website says:
  
"Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two men earn a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person’s trash into another’s treasure. American Pickers follows them as they scour the country for hidden gems in junkyards, basements, garages and barns, meeting quirky characters and hearing their amazing stories. If you think the antique business is all about upscale boutiques and buttoned-up dealers, this show may change your mind – and teach you a thing or two about American history along the way."

If you have an old barn, house or storage shed full of collectibles -- even if you don't know what's in there -- Frank and Mike want to hear from you, according to the History Channel website.

If you would like to be considered for the TV show, send an e-mail now to americanpickers@cineflix.com.  The more details (and pictures) you can send them, the better your chances.

Wilber Teen Seriously Injured In Sledding Accident

The Lincoln Journal Star is reporting that a Wilber-Clatonia High School student has undergone emergency surgery for a serious head injury after a sledding accident Saturday night, School District Superintendent Ray Collins said Monday.

The story says that junior Tyler Hooper remains in critical condition at Bryan West Campus, while area law enforcement didn't have information about the incident as of Monday morning.

Hooper has played on the school's football team and participated in track there, Collins said.

Prayers from Dorchester for this Saline County family.

DHS Basketball Teams Now At Season's Halfway Mark

DHS' Blake Hansen in a Friend Sentinel photo.

The Dorchester girls and boys basketball teams will try to get back on track on Tuesday in a home contest against Cross County (formerly known as Stromsburg). 

Both DHS teams are now at the mid-point of their seasons.  

The Lady Longhorns are 6-7 on the year, after losing two heart-breakers by just a few points to both Friend and High Plains last week.  

Here is a look at the box scores from those two nail-biters:

HIGH PLAINS 45, DORCHESTER 43

Dorchester 5 16 14 8 -- 43 
High Plains 11 10 12 12 -- 45 

Dorchester--Zahourek 11, A. Zoubek 3, J. Zoubek 20, Novak 9.
High Plains--Bannister 14, Strobel 6, Wilshusen 13, Majerus 7, Rieken 5. 

FRIEND 39, DORCHESTER 36

Friend 15 8 7 9 --   39 
Dorchester 9 2 14 11 -- 36 

Dorchester-- Zahourck 9, Creamer 5, A. Zoubek 6, J. Zoubek 3, Novak 13. 
Friend--Sharkey 2, Brandt 11, Hynalck 3, Baugh 23.

The Lady Longhorns will have a tough challenge in Tuesday night's game, going against a respectable Cross County squad from Class C-2.

Meanwhile, the Longhorn boys are just 2-10 this season, but the young crew picked up a win against Class D-1 Friend last week and hope to use that momentum to finish the second half of the season in strong fashion.  

DHS ran into a buzz saw at High Plains last Saturday night.

Like the girls, the DHS boys on Tuesday will face a reasonably good Class C-2 opponent in the 7-6 Cross County boys team.

Both the girls and boys teams will travel to Shelby on Thursday to take on Shelby-Rising City.

The following week, January 19-25, is the Crossroads Conference Tournament in York.

Take A Virtual Tour Of Dorchester Public Schools

Time and again, Dorchester has demonstrated it has some of the best technology instruction available when compared to Nebraska's other small high schools.

Now here is more proof.

Dorchester’s information technology students recently created a virtual tour of Dorchester Public Schools using Google Poly/Tour Creator and a 360 camera.

Users not only get an up-close look of the Longhorns' campus and its surroundings, they also get a glimpse inside the superintendent's office, all the elementary classrooms, the band room, art room, lunch area and so much more.

To take the virtual tour of Dorchester Public Schools, click here.

Be sure to use the arrows at the bottom of the screen to see new rooms.  Then use your mouse to get a 360-degree view.

Nice job, DHS students!

UPDATE: Now Up To 12" Of Snow; Advisory Until 6 PM Saturday

Intersection of 7th St. and Franklin Ave. at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

UPDATE (Saturday, 10 a.m.): As much as a foot of snow may be accumulating in the Dorchester area by the time the current system has completely passed.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, about six inches were already in Dorchester as the village tried to clear the streets.  Reports are the village's maintainer is inoperable and only one crew member is available, so residents with equipment are helping.

"Please be patient with the city today. ... Everyone is helping where they can," wrote one resident on her social media account.

Accuweather.com, the official weather forecaster of the Dorchester Times, says chance for more than 6 inches is 29 percent, but we are likely already there.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Dorchester area until 6 p.m. Saturday.

This is part of a massive snow storm that will blanket a huge portion of the U.S. heartland this weekend.

The U.S. National Weather Service says total snow accumulations up to 12 inches are expected in portions of east central and southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

Flashing lights from Dorchester Volunteer Fire and Rescue emergency vehicles were spotted west of Dorchester Friday evening as roads became difficult to travel. There are reports of a semi-truck and trailer accident west of town.

Travel will be difficult especially on untreated roadways. Power outages have been reported due to the heavy nature of the snow. In addition, due to the heavy and wet nature of the snow, shoveling will be unusually difficult.

At 10 a.m., the Journal Star in Lincoln was reporting that areas southeast of Lincoln were hit much harder. Almost a foot of snow was reported near Cook, while 11 inches was reported near Sterling and Palmyra and Nebraska City received 8 inches.  Power outages have been reported outside of Lincoln, and a car crash on Interstate 80 near York closed westbound traffic for a short time Saturday morning. 

Beatrice has declared a snow emergency, according to KWBE.

For updates on our weather, click here.  See the radar here.

Photo: Becky Tyser

Construction site on West 9th St. as it appeared 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

Acreage For Sale South Of Dorchester

Given the ongoing housing shortage in Dorchester, the Times staff wants to keep our readers aware of all opportunities to purchase a home in the Dorchester area and school district.

In the past 24 hours, we have spotted a nice acreage for sale south of Dorchester near County Road 1400 (commonly known by locals as Tabor Hall Road).  The actual address is 1392 County Road K.

This beauty has lots of land and is located in Turkey Creek country.

The realtor says this about the property: This beautiful acreage has it all, with a well-maintained farm house on a newer poured foundation. Offering three bedrooms, two baths, formal dining and much more."

The ad for the property also says: "Attention horse people: Take a look at all this acreage has to offer, with almost 18 acres surrounded by new, high tinsel fence. Acreage also includes an arena, barn with two horse stalls, two open faced sheds and much more. Call for an appointment today."

For more details, click here. 

Man Arrested In Crete For Fatal Shooting In Omaha

The newswires are reporting that a suspect wanted for killing and wounding victims in Omaha has been found hiding out in Crete.

Omaha police said in a news release Monday night that 20-year-old Anthony Sanchez was arrested and is being held in Douglas County Jail in Omaha. 

Sanchez is charged with first-degree murder, assault and two weapons counts. He's suspected of fatally shooting 23-year-old Franco Gonzalez-Mendez and wounding his brother, Edgar Gonzalez-Mendez.

Police have said two police officers working off-duty at the Guaca Maya restaurant in south Omaha heard gunshots just before 11:30 p.m. July 15 and then found the two victims just north of the restaurant.

SCC Wellness Classes To Be Taught In Dorchester This Quarter

Essential oils are an emerging part of mainstream wellness.

Now you can learn more about them through Southeast Community College courses being taught in Dorchester.

Julie Holly, owner and operator of The Well in Dorchester, will teach the classes. Holly, a licensed massage therapist, certified aroma therapist, certified yoga instructor, and a certified Tai Chi instructor, knows her stuff.

Here are summaries of classes being offered this quarter at The Well in Dorchester:

• Health Benefits of Essential Oils: The first class, "20 Health Benefits of Essential Oils," will start February 21 at The Well, which is entering its sixth year of operations.  This class will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays at The Well.  Cost is only $19.  According to SCC literature, essential oils are powerful allies that protect us from the ravages of modern life.  Clinical research shows a vast array of healing properties from essential oils.

• Essential Oils to Balance Chakras: This class will begin March 21 and will be held on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Again, cost is just $19.  Energy centers are commonly known as chakras.  Each organ of the body is situated within on or more chakras.  Learn what oils and what methods are best to balance your energy centers.

• Color Therapy: Holly will also teach a class on chromotherapy, which begins January 25 at The Well and will be held Fridays 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Again, only $19.  Since color plays a key role in setting a particular mood or state of mind, this class will teach you how to use color to help heal.

Unfortunately, Southeast Community College makes registering for these classes quite confusing.  After studying their catalog, we still were unable to clearly find the best way to register for these non-credit classes, which is a shame given the available internet technologies and the tax-supported budget of SCC.  

We suggest calling SCC's York learning center at 1-800-828-0072 to ask how to register.  Or e-mail hhultgrien@southeast.edu.

The Well is located at 1002 Lincoln Ave. in Dorchester.  The phone number is 402-418-1838 for more information on the classes. 

Aerial Photo Of Dorchester Now Available For Purchase Online

One of the more impressive Dorchester-related images we have seen lately is this aerial photo of our community.

The image was captured in May 2018 by Mark Dahmke.

The image is available for sale in several forms, including canvas and framed prints, as well as metal and wood prints.  

For details, visit this site.

Student Essay Excerpts Show Young People's Vision For Dorchester

This past fall, we reported on an essay contest being sponsored by Renew Dorchester, the upstart non-profit group in town that's focused on efforts to enhance our village's main street and housing.  

It's worth noting that Renew Dorchester's first project out of the gates wasn't an effort to raise money, but to award it to Dorchester's young people by getting them engaged in the town's development plans.  

Renew Dorchester's "Vision 2030" essay contest asked DPS students in grades 3-12 for their ideas and input on how to make their hometown better over the next 12 years, by 2030.  In addition, the essay ask for ways the students could "make Dorchester better right now."

For the past several days, we have seen that Renew Dorchester has been running excerpts from the essays on its social media page.  Some of the ideas have been amusing, others have been insightful.

It is encouraging to see that so many of Dorchester's students, especially the young up-and-comers, spent time thinking about their community and how they'd like to see it grow and improve.

The following are some of the student ideas that stood out to us:

 "I hope Dorchester will get a dog park so that dogs can go play with other dogs."

- Fifth Grader

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"One of my favorite things about Dorchester is that it is very calm and peaceful. Dorchester has lots of friendly people. I think it is cool that when I pass someone I can smile and say "hi" and know they will say "hi" back. ... I think we can improve Dorchester with technology, by improving the town's internet. It would be cool if we even had a place with free wi-fi that served milkshakes."

- Fourth Grader

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"In the year 2030, when I come home from college, I hope Dorchester will look awesome. I love living in Dorchester but I think a few changes would be good. First I believe Dorchester needs a grocery store. It would be good for people who are older and can't drive to other towns to get their groceries. Second, I would like all the streets to be paved so I can ride my bike because on gravel it's hard. ... I would also like to see improvement with phone reception for emergency reasons, so if someone needs to call 911 it doesn't disconnect."

- Third Grader

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"Other students and I can improve Dorchester right now by participating in Dorchester school sports to show Longhorn Pride. ... We can show other communities that Dorchester is a great place to live by respecting their property when we visit other towns. We can also keep our town looking nice by participating in community clean-ups. The community should all contribute to festive events such as Fourth of July parade and fireworks. ... The FBLA members are great to look up to because they do community service while learning how to be business leaders that could contribute back to Dorchester."

-Seventh Grader

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"I feel we need to build newer homes. Most of the homes in Dorchester are like 100 years old and many need upgrades. This is not the 1990s anymore. With new and improved homes, more people would be moving here, but I don't want us to grow as big as Lincoln. I like Dorchester being a small community."

- Third Grader

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You can see all the student essay excerpts posted by Renew Dorchester by clicking here.

Prairie Restoration Class To Be Held In Wilber, Jan. 7

Learn more about restoring Nebraska's prairie landscapes in Wilber this Monday. 

Dr. Kay Kottas will present her story of rebuilding prairie heritage on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 at 1 p.m. at the Nebraska Extension Office in Saline County, 306 W. Third Street in Wilber.

Vegetation surveys of sites across the state lead to discovery of the need for native local-ecotype seed sources and to the restoration and re-purposing of the family homestead for native seed production and the formation of an association of native seed and plant producers of Nebraska.

Get a glimpse of the ups and downs of beginning in native seed production, the state of native seed production in Nebraska, where you can go to find information and local-ecotype seed for your restoration, and how you can do your own responsible seed collecting and restoration. 

The program is free and is open to the public. If you have questions, please call 402-821-2151.

Soup Supper Thursday Night At School

Soup's on!

Dorchester's Elementary Parents Advisory Committee (EPAC) and the Dorchester Future Business Leaders of America students are holding a free-will donation soup supper during the boys and girls basketball games with Sterling High School on Thursday night, Jan. 3.

The supper will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

The menu includes soup, sandwich, dessert and drink.

EPAC is overseen by parents and the school to help DPS teachers and students with classroom supplies, while also advancing the academic pursuits of Dorchester's elementary students. 

Be sure to support this worthy Dorchester cause.