Good morning, Huntersville.

Communities across the Charlotte region celebrated Juneteenth with events featuring music, food, art and reflection.

In Huntersville, a block party at Veterans Park took place from 6 to 9 p.m.—the event featured food trucks, speakers and activities for kids to honor Black freedom and unity.

A busy weekend of regional events began on Thursday, June 19 with free Juneteenth celebrations in Davidson and continues today with live shows at The Plaza in Huntersville and community events in nearby Cornelius.

Saturday’s schedule includes a symphony with fireworks and a comedy music show — Sunday will feature Huntersville Pride with local vendors and family activities.

On June 19, Ada Jenkins Center held its fifth annual Juneteenth celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. at 212 Gamble St (Davidson) to mark the day enslaved people in Galveston learned they were free after the Civil War and President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation; the event aimed to teach about the history of African American neighborhoods near Lake Norman.

State environmental officials confirmed that algal blooms have been found in Lake Norman in four counties—Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg—and they urge residents to avoid water that appears discolored.

The blooms, first reported on June 16, are most concentrated in the northeast of the lake and may shift with wind and waves while officials warn that the blue-green algae can sometimes release harmful toxins to people and pets.

On June 19, the NC House passed the second reading of the PAVE Act, sponsored by Rep. Tricia Cotham, a bill that would let Mecklenburg County voters decide on a one-cent sales tax to fund road, bus, and rail improvements — the bill now moves to the NC Senate.