Happy Monday, SALLY!

As we start the week, let's discuss the fine art of answering (and asking) the right questions.

Agony in Albemarle

According to the Albemarle County school division, there is no crisis. According to the Albemarle County school division, prosecutors are lying when they say administrators failed to report allegations of child sex crimes within one of its schools. According to the Albemarle County school division, "respecting the privacy of the staff" takes precedence over keeping parents informed about allegations of sexual abuse. According to the Albemarle County school division, it's impossible to say how many of its own staff are on leave because of their ties to said allegations.

If you find this hard to believe, you are not alone.

Last week, Gov. Abigail Spanberger joined the chorus demanding answers from the Albemarle County school division. The governor said it is already clear officials have failed to "uphold their legal responsibility to protect children." That includes being fully transparent about just what is exactly has gone wrong in the county. 

And it's no longer conjecture to say that something has gone wrong in the county. 

But what is worrying, as a newspaperman, is the county's efforts to convince the public it cannot trust its eyes or ears. 

It may be worthwhile for our readers to know that an Albemarle County administrator now charged with failing to report the allegations of sexual misconduct in the division once pressured The Daily Progress to turn over interview recordings reporters conducted with division staff. 

It also may be worthwhile for our readers to know that The Daily Progress is aware other news outlets are now facing similar requests.

And it is definitely worthwhile for our readers to know that The Daily Progress will not bend nor break. Intimidation, manipulation and denigration will not be tolerated, not from Albemarle County, not from anyone. 

For 134 years, The Daily Progress has been the newspaper of record for this community — not its government bodies, but its people. It's not about to break the trust of those people now. 

Rest assured, there will be more news coming out of Albemarle County this week, and likely for weeks to come. And The Daily Progress will report it. All of it. In full. 

I hope the School Board is listening. 

What's going on there?

Like many of you, whenever I have friends or family in town I am peppered with the same questions: "Where can I grab a bite to eat at this hour?" "What's moving into that empty real estate?" "Whatever happened to that old place?" "How do you get into that bar?"

When I overhear a reporter in The Daily Progress newsroom ask, "I wonder what's going on there?" I always respond, "It's your job to find out."

Well, with the help of The Daily Progress' new business reporter Haley Sandlow, we are applying that initiative to those frequently asked questions. 

Miss Sandlow is working on multiple stories now that we already are convinced will be a hit with the public, residents and visitors alike. 

What bars are open latest on the Downtown Mall? We're looking into it. Where can you grab a bite to eat after midnight that isn't fast food? We're looking into it. What's the smallest piece of commercial real estate in Charlottesville, and what could possibly fit into it? OK, that one is niche, but we're looking into it.

We're planning to begin rolling out these FAQ-style stories this week. So stay tuned.

Home for the holidays

Can it be that it's already almost Halloween? 

Perhaps because we skipped the traditional summertime news doldrums this year, fall has fallen quite fast and the weather is telling us all that winter is soon approaching. 

This year, as every year, arts and entertainment reporter Jane Sathe will have a fall foliage guide for the leaf peepers among you. But this holiday season, we also are introducing some festivity guides beyond where to spot the best red, orange and yellow leaves.

Expect Halloween guides, for young and old, Christmas concert guides, full of pop and pomp, and of course New Year's Eve party guides later in the year.

The Culture Edit: Oct. 12

Here’s what’s wrong with television: No premiere week.

In decades past, the broadcast networks rolled out their new shows with much fanfare. They made you want to stay home. Even the returning shows had big-name guest stars and “very special” episodes. A catchphrase wrapped it up, and in certain years, there was a preview show that fueled interest.

When cable entered the picture, bigger names flocked there – and drew audiences away from the networks. That started the drain. 

Suddenly, game shows and nighttime sports got the spotlight. Fewer TV shows were in the premiere week mix and the need diminished.

Worse, cable (and later, streaming) started airing series. They pulled attention and introduced a new wrinkle: premieres all year long. Instead of holding new ones for “mid-season,” they just aired them whenever.

Fall premiere season? It isn’t a thing for streaming services. They offer new content every month. And they don’t hold a producer to 22 episodes. Eight or 10 is enough.

Now, the networks have a lot of similar shows (the “Chicago” and “Law & Order” series on NBC, “NCIS” and its siblings on CBS, “911” and “911-Nashville” on ABC) and few “very special” moments.

Premiere week exists – but at different times. All the shows don’t start on one week. Some even wait until November or December to appear. 

An all-star preview is rare and won’t have network stars singing and dancing to an original song.

At best, it’s something that runs Friday or Saturday between reruns.

Creating a TV family with reality shows, interchangeable athletes and two or three new series is unlikely. But imagine the ratings that could result?

We could be on to something.