Email not displaying correctly? View the web version

Today's sponsor:

Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, August 25.

In today's newsletter:

Anchorage’s wildfire division is at risk of dissolution. Two Assembly members want to explore if voters are interested in funding it when the money runs out.
A top Interior Department official told Alaska business leaders and members of the Congressional Western Caucus about the agency’s plans to cut regulations to support projects in areas such as mining, oil and gas, timber and tourism.
Authorities are investigating the cause of a sheen reported by a pilot in Cook Inlet southwest of Anchorage. Numerous reports described the sheen as about 5 miles long.

Dolly Parton, the country music icon, actor and public figure, has died. She was 80 years old. Equally beloved by Christians, union organizers, drag queens, cowboys, music snobs and academics, her impact is hard to overstate. From books to blockbusters, here are reflections on some of Parton's biggest cultural contributions.

Anchorage weather

It's overcast and raining today with a high around 59 degrees. The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies tomorrow and Thursday, but rain is likely by the end of the week. Daytime highs will hover in the high 50s and low 60s for the next few days.

Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today.

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

As Anchorage’s wildfire prevention funds dwindle, some on Assembly wonder if residents will pay for it →

The ongoing wildfire prevention work led by the Anchorage Fire Department’s newly reinstated wildfire division is at risk of lapsing when the grant supporting it expires at the end of 2027.

Expertise. Resources. Reliability. Learn more about Matson.

Top Interior official talks about cutting resource development regulations during Alaska visit →

Republican lawmakers from the Western Caucus came to Alaska to better understand the state’s challenges, including the high cost of construction in remote, roadless areas where harsh winters and geography add unexpected challenges.

Authorities investigating miles-long ‘mystery sheen’ in Cook Inlet →

NOAA reported that the sheen is located near the Spark platform, a large oil and gas platform in the inlet built by Marathon Oil Corp. in 1967.

New count: Wind-driven wildfire has destroyed 44 homes in Tok →

Strong winds blazing through tinder-dry forests created a fast-moving inferno that gave some residents barely enough time to flee with the clothes they wore.