Dart to the lack of transparency surrounding a viral video showing a Salisbury Police officers pulling a K-9 up by a leash, slamming it into a car and striking it.

The most recent example involves answers to a straightforward question: When did you first see the video of the Salisbury Police officer’s interactions with the K-9?

Post reporter Natalie Anderson asked that question for a story published Sunday (“Council differs on K-9 video”). Mayor Karen Alexander’s response: No comment. Mayor Pro Tem Al Heggins also did not comment. Councilman David Post said he first saw the video last week, but he indicated the video was recorded months ago.

That the answer might be something other than “last week” raises a number of questions, including whether there was any action taken or discussion in private meetings prior to the video emerging last week. If so, what was that action?

The best policy for the Salisbury City Council is one Heggins said in the story published Sunday: “The city must provide all the information allowable under the law and not give even the slightest semblance of non-transparency.”

If members of the Salisbury City Council have discussed the video previously, they should tell the public. They can do that without jeopardizing the integrity of an investigation into the matter or compromising any closed session conversations.

Laurel to the incredible, undefeated season put together by Carson High’s girls basketball team, which brought home a Class 3A championship on Saturday.

There hasn’t been a whole lot to celebrate collectively in the previous year, but a state championship, particularly the first girls basketball title in the county in 10 years, is something worth celebrating. For people in the Carson High district, it’s the first championship in any team sport since the school was built.

Laurel to progress in administering vaccines.

More than 16,000 people in Rowan County have received a first dose of a vaccination, and the state’s rules now allow for frontline essential workers to receive a shot, too. The workers include restaurant employees, grocery store workers, clergy, farm workers and public agency workers responding to abuse and neglect cases.

President Joe Biden has vowed that enough vaccines will be ready for all adults by the end of May. It’s a goal that still seems ambitious, but progress through the various stages of vaccinations makes it easier to be optimistic.

A key challenge now is ensuring a large-enough percentage of the population gets vaccinated so that spikes in cases, hospitalizations and deaths don’t follow restrictions being lifted. Right now, about 48% of people 75 and older and 45% ages 65 to 74 in Rowan County have received a first dose.