July 2026 | Volume 19 | Issue 9
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La dolce vita No-phone, modest-dress Villaggio Colafrancesco on US 280 draws crowds for 4 years running By KELLI S. HEWETT
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n a busy stretch of U.S. 280, visitors entering Villaggio Colafrancesco Italian village are greeted with shocking rules for 2026: no cell phones, no revealing clothes — no exceptions. Women arriving in leggings, short skirts or shorts above the knee will politely hear the modesty-based dress code. If they still want to enter, they must don disposable black paper skirts, provided at no charge. Cell phones are relegated to the trunks of the cars. Guests are expected to unplug, cover up, slow down. And for the most part, visitors are happy to comply for the chance at forced relaxation, Italian hospitality and some pretty incredible espresso and gelato, all modeled after an iconic gelato shop near the Vatican.
See VILLAGGIO | page 24 Birmingham native Terry Colafrancesco opened Villaggio Colafrancesco in 2022. He designed the no-cell-phone policy and modesty-based dress code out of what he describes as love and respect, with the goal of giving visitors an experience centered on human connection and a slower way of life. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
Andrew Gunn has been elected superintendent of Shelby County Schools, where he will take over a district of roughly 20,000 students across 31 schools when outgoing Superintendent Lewis Brooks retires in early 2027. Photo by David Leong.
Andrew Gunn elected superintendent as Shelby County Schools faces rapid growth By APRIL COFFEY On the same ballot that measured Shelby County voters’ vision for the future, a longtime educator emerged with a mandate that now stretches across one of Alabama’s largest school systems. Andrew Gunn has been elected superintendent of Shelby County Schools, placing a career educator
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at the helm during a period defined by rapid growth, shifting classroom needs and evolving expectations for public education. Gunn’s election marks a transition for a district serving roughly 20,000 students across 31 schools. With no Democratic challenger advancing to the general election, the Republican primary effectively decided the next superintendent, setting up
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a leadership change that will allow Gunn to spend the next several months learning from outgoing Superintendent Lewis Brooks. Brooks is expected to retire in early 2027 after nearly a decade in the role of Shelby County Schools’ superintendent.
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See GUNN | page 26 Scan the QR code to follow us online!
All-South Metro
Fourth of July
Baseball and softball players were recognized for standout seasons.
Fireworks, live music and family activities are on tap across the Birmingham area this Independence Day.
See pages 16 and 18
See page 21