Dolly Parton reimagines travel for truckers, families and road trippers in hot new venture

The queen of country music is bringing her Southern hospitality to Tennessee highways in an effort to make travel more enjoyable.

Dolly Parton announced the roll-out of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops. The rest-stop areas will feature new and reimagined entertainment elements.

"I have spent the bulk of my life on the road, and more specifically on a bus," said Parton in a press release.

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"All the years spent visiting greasy spoon cafés, truck stops and roadside pit stops have given me an understanding of what travelers desire on the road," she also said. 

Following her first charting single in 1967, Parton has won 11 Emmy Awards throughout her 60 years in the music industry, taking her across America to perform.

"Whether you are driving a truck, a bus or a car, you want a place that feels like home and recharges you for the rest of your journey," she also said. "I believe we will fill a void out there on the highways, all while bringing the heart and soul of Tennessee."

Parton has partnered with the Tennessean Travel Stop brand to relaunch their flagship stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, with additional locations to be announced next year.

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The Smoky Mountains native will bring her own style to the rest stops, hoping to appeal to all of those on the roads — families, commuters, truck drivers and road trippers.

In 2019, drivers covered 227,102 miles daily on Tennessee’s rural and urban roads, according to the state government website.

"The Tennessean has long been a ‘home away from home’ for truck drivers, travelers and locals alike. Our roots in this community run deep — we’ve created jobs, built connections and welcomed generations of people through our doors," said Gregory Sachs, chairman and CEO of the Tennessean Travel Stop and Sachs Capital Group. 

He added, "This new partnership allows us to carry that legacy forward in a way that celebrates everything special about Tennessee."

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Between 2000 and 2016, vehicle travel in Tennessee increased from about 65.7 billion miles per year to 77.7 billion miles per year, according to national transportation research nonprofit TRIP.

Parton hopes the upgraded rest stops bring jobs to Tennessean communities and highlight those that are underserved.

Her long-time manager, Danny Nozell, said in a press release he hopes the stop recharges people’s spirits.

"This project reflects Dolly’s love for her home state and her commitment to supporting local business, community and the travelers who keep America moving," said Nozell.

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While renovations to bring "modern amenities, curated dining and authentic regional retail" spaces are underway at the Cornersville stop, it will remain open.

Venezuela resumes accepting US deportation flights after Trump closes airspace to country

Venezuela will continue accepting deportation flights from the U.S. at the request of President Donald Trump's administration, the country announced Tuesday.

Trump threatened to declare the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela to be "closed in its entirety," causing Venezuela to cancel the twice-weekly flights of migrants from the U.S. on Saturday. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that, at the request of the Trump administration, those flights have now resumed.

Immigrants arrive regularly at the airport outside the capital of Caracas on flights operated by a U.S. government contractor or Venezuela’s state-owned airline. More than 13,000 immigrants have returned so far this year on the chartered flights, the latest of which arrived Friday.

Venezuela previously had a longstanding policy of not accepting deportation flights from the U.S. but Maduro's regime conceded under pressure from Trump earlier this year. The deportation flights are one of the few areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela as tension between the countries grows.

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U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. Trump has signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

"You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet at the White House. "We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we’re going to start that very soon too."

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Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum during a recent phone call, demanding that he step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power, the Miami Herald reported.

Fox News' Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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