KEARNEY, Neb. (WOWT) – In their first time back on the court in front of a crowd since the national championship match, Nebraska beat Denver in three straight sets (25-13, 25-12, 25-15) in front of over 5,000 fans.

Junior outside hitter Lindsay Krause made her triumphant return from an injury, suiting up for the Huskers for the first time since mid-October. The Skutt Catholic product recorded a match-high 12 kills while also tallying 12 digs and a .417 hitting percentage.

Outside hitter Merritt Beason added 10 kills on .412 hitting. The All-American also recorded four blocks, three digs, and two service aces.

Saturday, Nebraska freshmen Skyler Pierce and Olivia Mauch made their debuts in a Husker uniform. Pierce started for Big Red and contributed 10 kills. Mauch, out of Bennington, also saw action recording a service ace and five digs.

All-American outside hitter Harper Murray did not participate in the Spring Match.

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Groundwater levels in much of Nebraska continue to decline after several years of prolonged drought, according to the most recent statewide groundwater level report from the Conservation and Survey Division in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources.

Of the 4,822 wells measured statewide, 85% exhibited declines from spring 2022 to spring 2023. 

Groundwater level changes in Nebraska are impacted by withdrawals, primarily for irrigation, and the amount of recharge from precipitation. The hotter and drier a growing season is, the less water is available for aquifer recharge and the more water is required for supplemental irrigation, thus, groundwater levels decline. Conversely, in years of above-average precipitation, more rainfall leads to greater recharge, less pumping is required for irrigation, and groundwater levels rise.

From January 2022 to January 2023, precipitation recorded at all 189 reporting stations in Nebraska was less than the 30-year normal. Below-average precipitation and an increased need for irrigation led to groundwater level declines of more than 20 feet at some locations. Moreover, because drought conditions have persisted across much of the state since mid-2020, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last three years. On average, water depth in Nebraska wells has declined by 3.15 feet since spring 2020. Early reports for 2024 suggest this trend will continue in at least the eastern third of the state.

Despite recent groundwater level declines, Nebraska has significantly more groundwater resources than other states that sit atop the critical High Plains aquifer system. It also has a nation-leading system of groundwater management by virtue of its 23 natural resources districts, and groundwater use is regulated through regional management plans. In certain areas of the state, however, recent and long-term groundwater level declines are concerning. Some wells may eventually go dry or need to be drilled deeper to maintain groundwater availability.

Long-term change maps in the report still depict the abundance of groundwater in the state. Local changes in groundwater levels from predevelopment times (before the widespread use of groundwater for irrigation) range from increases of more than 120 feet to declines of about 130 feet. Groundwater levels in most of Nebraska have experienced a net change of less than 20 feet since predevelopment times. Parts of Chase, Perkins, Dundy and Box Butte counties, in contrast, have experienced major, sustained declines in groundwater levels due to a combination of factors. Irrigation wells are notably dense in these counties, annual precipitation is comparatively low, and there is little or no surface-water recharge to groundwater there.

The Conservation and Survey Division report was authored by Aaron Young, Mark Burbach, Susan Lackey, R. M. Joeckel, Jeffrey Westrop and Nawaraj Shrestha.

A free PDF of the report can be downloaded here. Print copies can be purchased for $7 at the Nebraska Maps and More Store, 3310 Holdrege St., or ordered by phone at 402-472-3471 or online.

American businesses don’t have enough workers. The

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

notes that there are 1.7 million fewer workers in the labor force today compared to February 2020.

Great Plains states like the Dakotas, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming have some of the

most severe labor shortages

in the nation. Now, the Nebraska legislature has opened the doors that are desperately needed to economic opportunity in the Great Plains, with the passage of legislation last month creating a unique economic opportunity zone in the middle of the country.

Like most of its neighbors, Nebraska employers need help finding workers.

Recent research

from the Kansas City Fed notes that the problem is worse in Nebraska than elsewhere: There are 2.5 job openings for every unemployed worker in Nebraska, almost twice the national average.

Recognizing the challenge is one thing. Taking common sense action to help improve the situation is much better. Legislators in Nebraska have done this with the passage of the measure. With the governor’s signature, the doors to opportunity are open in Nebraska.

Why is this legislation necessary? First, it addresses a barrier created by Nebraska’s occupational licensing requirements. If either of us wanted to drive in Omaha, our driver’s license would be recognized, and we could drive. Unfortunately, occupational licenses do not work this way. If licensed barbers from Iowa wanted to move to Nebraska and begin working, they would face significant delays and hardship in moving forward with their careers.

The new measure addresses this critical labor market friction for many occupations by implementing universal recognition. The bill will allow licensed workers with licenses in good standing for at least one year to have their licenses recognized. Nebraska joins 21 other states in taking steps to reduce barriers to interstate mobility — an important step when

licensing reduces workers moving between states

by about 7 percent.

Nebraska is not alone in moving forward with these reforms. There are

21 additional states

with some version of licensing recognition, and 39 states have passed licensing reforms for people with criminal records. Now, Nebraska has joined all of its neighbors in reforming universal recognition and most of its neighbors in reforming requirements for people with criminal records. Only South Dakota lags in permitting blanket barriers to workforce opportunities for workers trying to make a fresh start reintegrating into society, limiting opportunities there compared with nearby states.

Workers on the sidelines in Nebraska — perhaps underemployed or out of the labor force entirely — will now be able to work with fewer bureaucratic delays. This can have beneficial effects on the labor market in Nebraska and for workers moving between states in the region.

Research bears this out, showing that states that pass universal recognition experience a 1 percentage point gain in employment. Where do these new workers come from? Some come from other states; other workers come from the sidelines.

Research also shows fiscal benefits for states that adopted universal licensing recognition. These states saw a $1.7 million increase in adjusted gross income after enactment, compared with states that keep interstate licensing barriers in place.

These fiscal benefits come from households moving to states with licensing recognition, including households with dependents. Licensing recognition enables families to move to places of economic opportunity together.

However, there is always room for improvement. Limiting exclusions for several occupations is one way to make a good reform even better.

People with criminal records can also make a fresh start in Nebraska, creating the groundwork for a safer community. These reforms make it easier for people starting over to actually make a fresh start in the occupation of their choice.

Nebraska and its neighbors still license

dozens of lower-income occupations

. When licensing boards bar qualified individuals with criminal records from becoming licensed, even after applicants have completed the required education and training,

they can worsen public safety

instead of protecting it.

Nebraska’s law states that individuals can be barred from a license only when their criminal offense is directly related to the occupation or represents a substantial risk to public safety. Combined with greater due-process protections and setting time limits for how long a criminal offense can bar someone from working in a licensed occupation, this legislation significantly expands the economic opportunities of people trying to restart their lives.

In recent years, Nebraska has reduced some of its licensing requirements for lower-income occupations, reducing barriers to work for people just starting out in a profession. Together with these reforms, Nebraska policymakers have taken bold policy action to ensure employers will continue to have access to the workers they need.

Edward Timmons is a service associate professor and director of the

Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation

at West Virginia University. Darwyyn Deyo is an associate professor of economics at San Jose State University and a senior research fellow with the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University. They wrote this for

InsideSources.com

.