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LOUISBURG -- In what has become a routine late June action, the Franklin County Board of Education passed a "continuing budget" Tuesday night that will keep schools operating until the NC General Assembly can pass a new state budget.
The state -- and all local governments -- are supposed to have a new budget in place before the beginning of a new fiscal year on July 1 but for years the General Assembly has not met that deadline, leaving other government agencies scrambling.

Amber Kerley, foreground, rushed to pop bubbles as fast as Taylor Wallace, background, with Imagine Circus, could generate them. Franklinton's Independence Day Celebration featured food, fun, games and live music, getting a jump start on the country's 250th birthday.

LOUISBURG -- It wasn't that long ago that Chuck Odom had to drag his 11-year-old down the road to Owens Park for some fresh air and a round of disc golf.
Hundreds of rounds and two North Carolina Junior Disc Golf Championships, later ­-- the most recent at a championship-level course in Burlington last weekend -- it's now 16-year-old Levi Odom taking the lead, dragging his dad out to play courses all over the place.
Next week, Chuck and Jean Odom will travel to Pittsburgh to watch their son Levi compete against the best young players in the world at the Professional Disc Golf Association Junior Disc Golf World Championships.

As our nation approaches its 250th birthday, some will celebrate with fireworks, cookouts and maybe even watch something related to the American Revolution. However, many Americans will be hesitant to promote the holiday and ask themselves: What is our legacy, and how do we celebrate amid these troubling times?
To answer this, the history of the United States is, to put it bluntly, complicated. There will be people pushing the "tell me about the rabbits, George" narrative, which turns our past leaders into omnipotent demigods. Others will only depict them as vile men and seek to discredit their accomplishments. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Bill Hylander aka Ben Franklin at Franklinton's Fourth celebration