The Issue: Country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton passes away at age 80.

For many, including myself, individuals devoted to spreading joy, love, comfort, and knowledge seem almost indestructible. Dolly Parton embodied this invincibility, becoming an icon for countless fans (“Country lost treasure,” Aug. 26).

News of her passing delivers a stark reminder that no one is promised tomorrow.

We find ourselves living in undeniably intriguing times.

However, if people from diverse backgrounds can come together today and agree that Parton made a positive impact on the world, perhaps our differences are not as pronounced as they seem.

May her memory forever be a source of blessing.

Evan Grollman

Highland Park, NJ

America lost a country music legend.

The Smoky Mountains are a little quieter, and the whole world feels a bit less sparkly.

It’s hard to imagine a world without Parton’s big, beautiful smile and her voice that felt like home.

Thomas De Julio

Delray Beach, Fla.

Not since Elvis Presley has there been universal mourning for a musician like this.

Parton was much more than an entertainer.

She was humble, donating some of her earnings to charity.

She encouraged young children to read.

She was not a diva.

May she rest in peace.

Matt Engel

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

It’s difficult to believe that singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist Dolly Parton is no longer with us.

She was dazzling and simply larger than life.

There is no question that she will be remembered as one of the greatest performers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

From humble beginnings to great success, she never forgot her roots.

Goodbyes are always sad and Dolly will be missed.

JoAnn Lee Frank

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Clearwater, Fla.

Dolly’s smile, laugh and incredible talent will be missed by millions.

When she sees Patsy Cline, Elvis, Johnny Cash and June Carter on the other side, the music they create will be otherworldly.

RIP, Dolly. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach, Calif.

The legendary, brilliant and unrepeatable Parton has died at 80.

A country music icon, she was one of the most beloved people in the world.

My deepest condolences in these sad moments to her family, friends and fans. Rest in peace, Dolly.

Paul Bacon

Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Issue: Mayor Mamdani’s plans to spend $70 million to open five city-owned supermarkets.

Spending millions on city-run grocery stores is a total waste (“This Is Bananas! Grocers Sue Zo,” Aug. 25).

First off, the first location being opened in is not a food desert.

Plenty of stores around there will be put out of business and employees will lose their jobs.

Second, these stores will not be paying standard taxes or rent.

They will also be subsidized by our taxpayer dollars to keep prices at the wholesale level.

Finally, what’s to stop people from buying and reselling at a profit?

Bill Isler

Floral Park

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

State-controlled grocery stores have been tried over and over in Russia, East Germany, China and most recently in Kansas City. It has failed every time.

This latest folly will fail, just like all the previous attempts have and the insanity will push politicians to keep trying.

Politicians do what politicians do: work in their own political interest, pad their nests, spend other people’s money and screw up any enterprise they get their paws on.

Steve Heitner

Middle Island

Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.

The recent catastrophic landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border have led to devastating flash floods, leaving at least 54 Americans unaccounted for among hundreds reported missing.

Nepali police data indicates that a total of 579 individuals are currently missing due to this calamity.

Within this figure, 54 are from the United States, 24 hail from Canada, and 33 are identified as UK citizens. Additionally, Nepali authorities report that 113 of the missing are local tourists.

Overall, the missing include 466 foreign nationals from a diverse range of 28 countries.

The Prime Minister’s office in Nepal has announced that search and rescue teams have so far recovered 157 bodies, with substantial rescue operations continuing into Wednesday evening.

Harrowing footage from the scene showed fast-flowing floodwater ripping through the streets and destroying everything – including homes and bridges – in its path.

River banks burst as walls of water came rushing through the densely populated areas, sweeping people underwater as others sought safety on higher ground. 

Aerial footage showed floodwater completely consuming land near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending people running for their lives as buildings collapsed in seconds. 

A landslide hit Nepal at 8.37am local time, which then triggered an avalanche after a colossal glacier snapped, and debris then caused the horror flooding. 

The water carved up nearly 30 miles of land from China-controlled Tibet down into the Nepali town of Trishuli, leaving a path of near total destruction in its wake. 

Preliminary reports in Nepal suggested the whole ordeal was caused by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, but the US Geological Survery disputed the claims.  

The US State Department said they are aware of American citizens affected by the floods and are ‘closely tracking the situation’.

They are working with local authorities to aid citizens, and said they have ‘no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans’, a spokesperson said.

Entire homes and buildings were buried in the muddy deluge, with just their rooves peaking through the devastated landscape.

Terrified residents in Trishuli Bazar, Nepal’s Nuwakot region, which was badly hit, were seen scurrying to the very top of buildings to avoid the massacre below.

Meanwhile, relatives who could not find their loved ones flocked to many of Nepal’s trauma centers and hospitals in search of them, or to check injury lists. 

Elderly locals, covered in soot and dirt from the flowing torrents, were carried in construction vehicles after being dug out from the saturated ground.

One frail victim was seen being carried to safety in the arms of a rescuer. 

A three-month-old baby is among the deceased, according to Nepal police, according to the BBC. 

Teenagers as young as 12 and 14, and two three-year-olds are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, the outlet reported. 

The list of injured victims includes details of their injuries, with some said to have scratches ‘all over the body,’ and others ‘unable to speak.’ 

First responders, including army personnel and police officers, are among those missing in Nepal. 

As of now, 44 army personnel and 28 police officers are unaccounted for. Another 13 armed police officers and 60 power workers are also missing. 

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah released a statement following the natural disaster. 

‘The entire nation has been left shocked and deeply distressed by the loss of life and damage to property,’ he said in a social media post. 

Shah went on to offer his ‘deepest condolences’ and ‘heartfelt tributes’ to those who lost their lives and those they love. 

The PM also noted that the government ‘immediately mobilized all its resources’ to help with rescue efforts ‘without delay.’ 

Sonam Dorjee, a local who works as a tour guide for international tourists, said that when the flash flood hit, it sounded like ‘an earthquake.’ 

‘My house has collapsed… I have seen a photo,’ Dorjee told the outlet. 

He shared the devastating news that his sister, Dechen Tamang, and her husband are missing, along with several other of his family members.

The flash floods hit along the border of Nepal, a small Himalayan nation, Tibet, and China. 

At least three people have been killed in China, and more than 250 are missing, according to state media. 

A mudslide also hit China’s Gyrirong port as President Xi Jinping ordered ‘all-out’ search efforts. 

Nepal’s foreign ministry first said an earthquake triggered a massive landslide, which blocked the Bhote Koshie River and sent water downstream from China to Nepal.

It has since been confirmed by experts that a ‘substantial portion’ of a ‘glacier snout’ broke off and crashed onto the valley floor, sparking a landslide, then a flood. 

In a significant courtroom decision, a Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of the cold-blooded murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, an event that shocked many in 2022.

On Wednesday, the jury convicted Fernandez Saldana—who is the husband of Bridegan’s former wife—of both first-degree murder and solicitation to execute a capital felony.

A judge has mandated Fernandez Saldana to appear in court again on October 5 to learn when he will be sentenced.

According to investigative reports, the tragic demise of 33-year-old Bridegan occurred in February 2022 at Jacksonville Beach. He was gunned down at point-blank range after halting his vehicle to remove a tire intentionally placed on an unlit road.

His daughter, who was just 2 years old at the time, was sitting in the back seat during the shooting but was uninjured.

Prosecutors argued the scene was a deliberate set-up stemming from a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife Shanna Gardner and her husband, Fernandez Saldana.

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Prosecutors allege the duo planned the hit by hiring Henry Tenon as the gunman. Tenon initially pleaded guilty before rescinding that plea.

Fernandez Saldana was arrested in March 2023, followed by Gardner’s arrest in August. Both were indicted on the same charges in Bridegan’s killing.

A judge ruled that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana would be tried separately with different juries.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

In a striking twist within a high-profile New Jersey divorce saga, the billionaire’s romantic partner has emerged as the fencing coach of his son and has a history of legal battles with his wife. Court documents reveal that the coach once filed a defamation lawsuit against the wife, asserting that she was unjustly blamed for the dissolution of the marriage.

These latest developments add another layer of drama to what is shaping up to be a monumental case. The divorce could result in the largest settlement in New Jersey’s history, potentially amounting to $6.2 billion, ranking it among the costliest divorce settlements ever recorded in the United States.

The lawsuit filed in 2024 by Lauren Phillips, a 40-year-old acclaimed former fencer from Rutgers University, details claims against Laura Overdeck. Phillips alleges that Laura, the estranged wife of hedge-fund mogul John Overdeck, accused her publicly of being John’s “lover” and cited her as the catalyst for their marriage’s breakdown.

Exclusively obtained documents reveal that the lawsuit further accuses Laura Overdeck, who is 56 and has three children with her estranged husband, of labeling Phillips as a “criminal” who purportedly “threatens people with real knives” in a message sent to John.

The lawsuit, lodged by Phillips on Christmas Eve, contends that these damaging accusations were recounted repeatedly throughout the year to her other clients, friends, and business contacts. Phillips, who runs her own fencing gym in Millburn, describes the impact these statements have had on her professional and personal relationships.

“The narrative painted by Defendant served additional purposes, namely, to smear Ms. Phillips and avoid potential media embarrassment resulting from Defendant’s high-profile divorce,” the suit said.

The lawsuit claimed the chatty Laura had “affected and will continue to affect” Phillips’ reputation — and, by proxy, her prestigious fencing school — causing “a loss of good will and confidence in the community.”

A judge tossed the Essex County Superior Court suit months later when Phillips failed to follow up with the legal process.

A rep for Phillips declined to comment. Neither of the Overdecks responded to requests for comment from The Post.

One of Overdeck’s three kids took fencing lessons for five years at Phillips’ academy, the suit claimed.

It added that her 24-year career as an instructor has sent some of her students getting top fencing scholarships and even competing at the Olympics.

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Some of what Phillips alleged in her lawsuit was referred to in body-camera footage taken nearly a year earlier outside of the Overdeck family’s mansion.

An unidentified woman is featured prominently in the footage, both speaking to cops during the house call and as a the subject of what the Overdecks each separately tell police.

Several claims made by Laura Overdeck at the time match perfectly with Phillips’ lawsuit.

“Frankly, it’s not even that complicated. He’s got a psycho girlfriend, and he’s got to get out,” Laura says in the footage referring to the woman, who she also accused of allegedly holding her own family “at knife point.”

The footage also depicts John admitting to being in a “dating” relationship with the woman, but claimed the two never had sex or ever took their clothes off. 

“We are having a dating relationship, but we’ve never had sex,” he told one of the officers. 

The Overdecks are currently duking it out in Newark family court, with Laura Overdeck arguing for a $6.2 billion cut of her estranged hubby’s share in his massive hedge fund, Two Sigma.

If she wins, it could turn out to be the third-largest divorce in US history, landing the Overdecks just behind Bill and Melinda Gates and Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott on the list of massive matrimonial payouts.

Laura Overdeck reportedly rejected a $633 million settlement offer earlier this month, and is so far holding firm that the growth in Two Sigma since their marriage 20 years ago should be considered a marital asset.

On Wednesday, John Overdeck said in court that the offer was “fair and equitable.”

“I also think it’s ample to support her,” he testified.

— Additional reporting by Reuven Fenton

A Tennessee woman is fiercely opposing her ex-husband’s potential early parole, determined to keep him in prison after he attempted to take her life on three separate occasions.

Fred Wortman, a former attorney, was handed a 30-year prison sentence back in 2015 for the failed murder plot against Staci Jones.

Wortman confessed to taking devious actions to harm Jones, including poisoning her toothpaste, planning a hired hit, and enlisting a fellow inmate to attack the mother of his three children during their divorce proceedings.

Now, Wortman is once again seeking an early release, facing the parole board for a second attempt on September 9, during the 11 years since his incarceration began.

In response, Jones has been proactive in her efforts to keep him imprisoned. She launched an online petition, which had already amassed 8,400 signatures by Wednesday afternoon, demonstrating significant public support for her cause.

‘His crimes were deliberate, calculated, and repeated. More than a decade later, the trauma inflicted on our family remains,’ the petition reads. 

Jones is worried that Wortman has not changed and that if he is released he would try to kill her again. 

‘We don’t know if he’ll try again. He was pretty persistent before and, you know, not wanting me to be here and, I don’t know that he’s changed. I don’t know,‘ Jones told WREG.

During Wortman’s trial, the court heard how he first used a syringe to inject a plant-based chemical called aconitum into his wife’s toothpaste.

In large doses, the substance can cause death from paralysis of the heart, while smaller amounts can cause a burning sensation, dizziness, headaches and difficulty breathing. 

Jones ingested a small amount after brushing her teeth and described feeling a burning feeling in her mouth before developing a migraine.

‘They believe because they found syringes with his things that he had put it in the toothpaste kind of deeper. And so I wasn’t getting a full amount,’ Jones told WREG.

One of the couple’s children also became sick after using the toothpaste, Jones claimed.

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At Wortman’s sentencing hearing in 2015, prosecutors said his boss noticed he had been using a work computer to search for tips on how to hire a hitman by paying in Bitcoin and how to poison someone.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had an agent pose as a hitman to snare him.

He paid the agent, told her his wife’s address, when she would be home and left potential murder weapons around the couple’s $400,000 house.

While awaiting trial on two attempted murder charges, he then tried to pay a fellow inmate to kill his wife. 

He admitted two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of solicitation of first-degree murder and was given a 30-year sentence with eligibility for parole after he served 30 percent of his time.

Wortman previously applied for parole after just four years, ‘because of good behavior and good standing and time reduced,’ Jones said.

His request was denied in 2019 and the parole board said they would not reexamine the case for another seven years. 

Jones told WREG that her three children were young when their father attempted to have her killed and that they are now adults. 

She said that her two daughters and son support her efforts to keep Wortman behind bars. 

The mother added that the children were ‘well protected’ and have had no contact with their father, but she believes that if he were to be released, the first thing he would do is try to speak to them.

She encouraged others to sign the petition not just for her own safety, but that of the general public. 

‘I don’t want him to be roaming the streets and having freedom to do what he wants to do. Cause it’s a scary thought,’ Jones said. 

Bryan Kohberger, convicted for the chilling murder of four University of Idaho students, has secured two court days next year to pursue post-conviction relief. This comes after he surprisingly withdrew his guilty plea, which he had made a year prior in connection to the brutal stabbings.

Judge Steven Hippler, who originally accepted Kohberger’s guilty pleas in July 2025, has scheduled a status conference on June 3, 2027, followed by an evidentiary hearing slated for June 17, according to a court order issued on Wednesday.

Despite the prosecution’s request to have Kohberger’s petition dismissed without discussion, the judge has opted to move forward with these proceedings.

In a deal made in July 2025, Kohberger confessed to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, thus avoiding the death penalty. This plea agreement was pivotal in determining his fate at the time.

A year later, he asked to withdraw his guilty pleas and proclaimed his innocence in a petition for post-conviction relief.

Kohberger, in a handwritten petition on July 27, 2026, claimed that he was “convinced to falsely confess,” by his high-profile defense team of Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow. He alleged that they failed to tell him about “exculpatory discovery” — hair found at the scene that was not tested for DNA. It was excluded as Kohberger’s through a physical analysis.

His new attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

BRYAN KOHBERGER APPOINTED NEW LAWYER AFTER IDAHO MURDERS CASE COSTS TAXPAYERS OVER $8 MILLION

Police found his DNA on a knife sheath recovered from the crime scene, in a bed with two of the victims, according to authorities. They also tracked his vehicle coming and going, and forensic investigators were prepared to testify about how, although he shut his phone off during the murders, the evidence suggested he drove to and from the crime scene anyway. 

Separately, Sy Ray, a former expert witness working for Kohberger’s defense team, last month alleged that there is additional damaging evidence that investigators hadn’t introduced before Kohberger’s guilty plea.

Hippler sentenced him to four consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole, plus another 10 years.

The plea deal required Kohberger to waive his right to appeal, however, that doesn’t block him from seeking post-conviction relief, which could potentially reopen the case or result in a new trial.

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador told News Media shortly after Kohberger’s petition was filed that his office is “ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out.”