First an education, then the NFL

Everyone here wants Hawaii’s homegrown sons and daughters to succeed as they venture out into the big, wide world. And good crossroads choices become even more magnified when they’re played out in public.

Just ask Marcus Mariota, the two-time All-Pac-12 University of Oregon quarterback, who on Tuesday announced that he would put the NFL Draft on hold to return to college ball for his junior year with hopes to complete his degree in general sciences. The Saint Louis School grad, who had been projected as a top-five pick in round one, is delaying the prospect of a multimillion-dollar contract. He called the decision "tough — but wasn’t as hard as people may think it was."

All this only means even louder cheers for Mariota when his NFL time does come.

A reminder to watch out for crime

Violent crimes in Honolulu remain relatively rare, especially for a city this size. So news that a suspected serial rapist has struck three times since May is disturbing, even more so for women who reside in Aala and Keeaumoku areas where the break-ins occurred. Honolulu police express confidence that the suspect will be apprehended quickly, and we hope they are correct.

In the meantime, though, it wouldn’t hurt for residents to be extra careful: make sure those sliding doors and windows are locked up tight before going to bed, and be particularly vigilant if home alone.