If you’ve noticed American and Washington state flags flying at half-staff around Tacoma this week, there’s a reason.
They’ve been lowered in memory of country music legend Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80 following what her family described as a brief battle with cancer.
Flags at state facilities throughout Washington are expected to remain at half-staff through sunset Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The tribute began with a federal proclamation from President Donald Trump ordering flags lowered at federal buildings, military installations, naval vessels and U.S. embassies.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson followed with a state directive ordering flags at Washington state agency facilities lowered as well. The governor's official records show the Dolly Parton directive was issued Aug. 25 and remains active.
Private businesses and residents aren't required to lower their flags, although they can choose to participate.
More than a country music legend
Parton’s death prompted tributes around the country for a career spanning more than six decades.
She became one of country music's most recognizable figures, writing and recording songs including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” while also building a career in film, television and business.
But there's another reason her death has particular resonance for families here in Washington.
Thousands of Washington children receive a free book in the mail every month because of a program Parton created.
Dolly Parton's connection to Washington kids
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library mails age-appropriate books every month to participating children from birth until their fifth birthday.
Washington established a statewide version of the program in 2022.
It has grown dramatically since then. The program now serves more than 120,000 Washington children, according to the reporting accompanying the flag announcement.
And that includes children in our area.
Families with eligible young children in Pierce County can participate in the program, receiving books at home at no cost to them.
The idea behind the program is remarkably simple: put books directly into children's hands before they ever enter kindergarten.
Parton started the original Imagination Library in Tennessee in 1995, inspired by her father, who could not read or write. What began as a local literacy project eventually expanded throughout the United States and internationally.
Today, hundreds of millions of books have been distributed through the program.
Washington nearly lost some of its support
Parton's death also comes while the future of Washington's version of the program has been the subject of a funding fight.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal has criticized reductions in state support for the Imagination Library, saying the program has faced repeated cuts even as it serves families statewide.
In his response to Washington's most recent budget, Reykdal specifically called out cuts to the program, arguing that it helps develop early literacy, strengthens family reading habits and provides an alternative to screen time.
His office is now asking lawmakers to restore and strengthen the funding.
OSPI's 2026 supplemental-budget request seeks $1.6 million for fiscal year 2026 and $3.4 million for fiscal year 2027, with larger amounts proposed in subsequent years as the program grows.
That gives Parton's legacy in Washington an unusually tangible form.
Long after the flags return to the top of their poles, books bearing her name will still be arriving in children's mailboxes.
When will the flags go back up?
The current directive calls for flags to remain lowered until sunset on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Washington has several occasions each year when flags are routinely lowered, including Memorial Day, Patriot Day on Sept. 11 and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7. Governors can also order additional flag lowerings following the deaths of public officials, members of the armed forces or public-safety personnel, or following significant tragedies.
This week's observance is for someone who never called Washington home but nevertheless left a surprisingly large footprint here.
For more than 120,000 Washington children and their families, Dolly Parton's legacy isn't only found in her songs.
It's sitting on their bookshelves.
Read Gov. Ferguson's official flag directive here.
There’s more in today’s Tacoma Local Minute.
Catch the rest of today’s local news, events, and updates in the full issue here.