John Lennon, Satchmo and Dolly Parton

Nashville International Airport is to be renamed after country music icon Dolly Parton.

The much-loved singer and songwriter died last week at the age of 80, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport have announced their intention to rename the US transport hub in her honour.

That will follow in the footsteps of Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, and Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the UK. 

"Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state," Lee told multiple US media.

"From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the volunteer spirit with her.

"At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state's favourite daughter and greet travellers with the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith, and kindness."

Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, said he believed Dolly's "remarkable legacy" needs to be recognised.

"Nashville International Airport is the front door to Music City, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect the very best of who we are as a community," he said.

"Dolly's remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life.

"She understood that dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status. At Nashville International Airport, we share that commitment.

"Whether you are boarding a private aircraft or taking your first flight, you deserve to be welcomed, respected and served with the same level of care. That spirit is what defines Nashville International Airport and it is a fitting reflection of the values Dolly shared with Tennessee and the world."

Armed, dangerous and American

Why is it that Americans think they can behave like they do at home no matter where they are on the planet?

American exceptionalism ranges from minor transgressions like tipping in countries where that practice is seen as rude, to taking loaded guns with them when they travel internationally.

Thankfully that ended badly for one locked and loaded fellow from Tennessee who found himself arrested, then deported from Italy, where they frown on folks with loaded guns in their backpacks. 

The 77-year-old man, travelling with his son, was detained for attempting to board a cruise ship with an automatic pistol. 

The prohibited item, which the man claimed to have forgotten about (a highly unlikely story given he had flown internationally, was found during the security screening process at the Porto Corsini Cruise Terminal in Ravenna, Italy (top image). 

Security team members spotted a 6.35mm Browning semi-automatic pistol when the man’s belongings went through the X-ray machine during the standard security screening at the cruise terminal.

The banned weapon had a full magazine with one round already chambered. 

.

Authorities seized the weapon and the man was deported without getting to set sail.

The man said that he had a valid US gun licence and that he had “forgotten” the weapon was in his backpack, news hub Cruise Hive reported.

Gun ownership laws in Italy are very strict, and firearm permits are typically not issued to tourists, even if they have documents to carry at home.

Traveling to Italy with a firearm can be met with extreme consequences, including hefty fines and jail time.

So, in this case, the man got off lightly.