Off the News: A serious case of mistaken identity

In the holiday season, it’s hard to confront the problems faced every day by the homeless, but the case of Joshua Spriestersbach is harder still to ignore. The homeless man has sued the state, asserting that he was mistaken for another man who had violated probation. He ended up at Hawaii State Hospital for two years, despite protestation he was the wrong man.

This is surely a complicated story. What’s clear — and sad — is that homeless individuals, and their basic humanity, are so easily dismissed.

Blaisdell Center will get busy again

More signs of community life are returning to urban Honolulu, and nowhere is that more evident than with increasing traffic. This weekend, one main hotspot will be the Blaisdell Center — with the city issuing a traffic advisory, something that hasn’t been seen, it seems, since before the pandemic.

Live events have returned to the Blaisdell complex: Comedian Jo Koy will perform in the arena this Friday through Sunday nights, and the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra will be in the Concert Hall Saturday night and at 4 p.m. Sunday.

So expect traffic, and get used to arriving early — again.