Juneteenth to become paid holiday in North Carolina county

HILLSBOROUGH, NC (AP) — A county in North Carolina has voted to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Tuesday to honor June 19, the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed.

The holiday has reached a new level of recognition in the wake of protests across the country.

The county says the move is expected to cost taxpayers about $61,000 in salaries and benefits.

Wake County said in July that it was the first in the state to make Juneteenth a paid holiday. Other town and county boards are expected to soon consider similar proposals.