McPherson

• The Parks Department updated the commission on several projects, including new shade structures, golf course improvements, and the planting of 25 trees under the park master plan. →
• The city approved an $8,500 contract for the 2026 All Schools Day fireworks and finalized the schedule for several community events occurring in March and April. →
• Local businesses are invited to register custom discounts and promotions for the upcoming All Schools Day festivities scheduled for the week of May 8. →
• Journey Mennonite Church is increasing its local impact through significant food bank donations and is currently exploring plans to open a new childcare center to meet community needs. →
• McPherson Center for Health has opened a dedicated menopause clinic led by Dr. Buchanan and Melisa Kieffer to provide personalized medical treatment and lifestyle guidance for women. →
• The McPherson Police Department will host an event for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, a nonprofit serving veterans and first responders, this Saturday at the department's training facility. The public event offers a chance to learn about the organization's mission and spend time at the shooting range. →
• It’s going to be a beautiful, bright day in McPherson with clear sunny skies and a high of 83 degrees.

🌾 Kansas

• The Kansas House passed two housing bills Wednesday, including SB 418 creating streamlined permits for new housing projects (97-27) and SB 391 prohibiting cities from requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers (75-49). →

• Kansas communities split on data centers as Wellington approves a letter of intent for its first Tier IV facility, Saline County enacts a three-year moratorium citing water and grid concerns, and Harvey County delays action pending research on tax and energy impacts. →

• The House Elections Committee Wednesday advanced substitute versions of three GOP bills that would end mail ballot elections for most local jurisdictions, require citizenship status on driver's licenses and modify advance ballot signature verification rules. →

• House Bill 2433, which blocks counties from regulating water appropriations and transfers, has passed both chambers and awaits Gov. Laura Kelly's signature after a dispute with Edwards County over Hays and Russell's water pipeline project. →

• Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport announced Tuesday it will host a food drive for TSA workers who have been working without pay since the Feb. 14 partial government shutdown began. →

🇺🇸 US

• Missiles struck Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest LNG export facility, causing extensive damage and fires with no casualties as oil surged past $115 a barrel and European natural-gas prices jumped more than 20 percent. →

• President Trump denied advance knowledge of Israel's strike on Iran's South Pars gas field after American and Israeli officials said the U.S. was informed ahead of time and Trump had approved the strike. →

• Escalating attacks on Persian Gulf oil-and-gas infrastructure are pushing the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran into a more dangerous phase, with Israel striking the South Pars gas field and Iran retaliating against Qatar's gas hub and firing missiles at Riyadh. →

• The war on Iran has caused the largest oil supply disruption in history, but most economists put recession probability at 32 percent, saying oil would need to reach $138 a barrel and stay elevated for about 14 weeks to push odds above 50 percent. →

• The missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City threaten Europe with a second energy crisis as the facility became one of Europe's most critical LNG suppliers after the 2022 Ukraine War severed the continent from Russian gas. →

Weather

March 19 2003: War in Iraq begins

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