Olive Branch, Mississippi mayor declines to lower flags for Dolly Parton

The mayor of Olive Branch, Mississippi, is refusing to lower flags at city buildings in honor of Dolly Parton, arguing that the tradition of flying the flag at half-staff should be reserved for a narrower set of circumstances than celebrity deaths.

Parton, the country music icon, actress and philanthropist, died Aug. 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 80. President Trump directed in a proclamation that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff at the White House, federal buildings, military posts and naval vessels through sunset Tuesday. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves followed with his own executive order directing that U.S. and state flags be lowered at all state buildings and grounds for the same one-week period.

Olive Branch Mayor Ken Adams, however, told residents through a Friday post on the city’s Facebook page that he would not follow suit at municipal buildings. Mr. Adams, a Republican whose city sits in DeSoto County just south of Memphis, Tennessee, said he holds Parton in high regard but believes the honor of a lowered flag needs to stay rare to retain its meaning.

“I believe lowering the American flag to half-staff should mean something very significant,” Mr. Adams wrote, adding that he thinks the gesture should be reserved for military heroes, fallen first responders, presidents and other national leaders, or events with major national impact.

He argued that repeatedly lowering the flag for well-known or beloved figures would, over time, dilute the tradition’s significance, and he framed the decision as a matter of local authority rather than disrespect for Parton.

“The President can make the decision for the country. The Governor can make the decision for the State of Mississippi. I believe a mayor should have the ability to make a decision for his or her city,” Mr. Adams wrote, adding that voters did not elect him to be a “salute and execute” mayor.

Mr. Adams closed his post by insisting the move was not political and was not a statement on Parton’s stature as an American icon, saying only that preserving the meaning of an honor sometimes requires being selective about when it’s used.

Before entering elected office, Mr. Adams served as a DeSoto County judge and worked for years in a leadership role at FedEx, according to Newsweek’s profile of the mayor. He was elected mayor of Olive Branch in 2021.