Federal court rejects lawsuit to stop Native Hawaiian election, National Guard called to help dengue fever fight, Maui settles religious pamphleteering lawsuit, Honolulu homeless possessions protected in ACLU lawsuit, grand jury hearing police chief case, state out $3.2 million in overdue library books, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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The state of Hawaii is trying to collect $3.2 million in fees from overdue library books. KHON2.

A move to block a Native Hawaiian convention was rejected Thursday by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, prompting a pledge to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected an attempt to stop the counting of votes in the election of delegates to a Native Hawaiian constitutional convention, or ‘Aha. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and 46 other Democrats joined 242 Republicans in the U.S. House on Thursday in passing a bill to restrict the admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to America by requiring extra security procedures. Civil Beat.

Responding to criticism over transparency, the state Public Utilities Commission now plans to post online the transcripts of the upcoming evidentiary hearing on the proposed $4.3 billion sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to NextEra Energy. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Community Foundation is adjusting its approach as it marks its centennial next year and welcomes the former head of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands as its new president and chief operating officer. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Navy is asking the public to weigh in on how it can tailor its training exercises to better protect whales and other marine life from harm. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

The city’s efforts to address homelessness by routinely cleaning up city sidewalks suffered a setback Thursday when a federal judge ordered officials to stop the immediate disposal of property seized in the sweeps and start videotaping items they destroy. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu has reached a court-sanctioned agreement that temporarily prevents it from immediately disposing of any personal items during the enforcement of the stored property and sidewalk nuisance ordinances. Civil Beat.

A new study said today that Honolulu has the largest number of homeless of any small U.S. city, underscoring the seriousness of Hawaii's homeless problem. Associated Press.

A federal grand jury is now hearing evidence in the criminal case against Honolulu's police chief and his wife, a prosecutor, Hawaii News Now has learned.

The University of Hawaii Athletics Department's deficit hit a record $4.2 million in the 2015 fiscal year, and is expected to grow to $4.8 million the following year, UH Athletics Director David Matlin said Thursday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiian Electric Company is proposing to offer customers on Oahu electricity rates as low as some found in high-end states on the mainland — at certain times. The pricing is part of an effort to get customers in Hawaii to change how, and when, they consume electricity. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Hawaii’s Department of Health announced Thursday that the National Guard will be assisting the agency in a “support” role after 79 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed on the Big Island since Sept. 11. Civil Beat.

The state epidemiologist says the Big Island dengue outbreak, now poised to eclipse the 2001 Maui outbreak, is just getting started. Star-Advertiser.

On Wednesday afternoon, the state Department of Health revealed a new version of a map showing the Big Island and the areas were the dengue virus likely is to have been transmitted to people from mosquitoes. Tribune-Herald.

In a press conference held today on Oahu, Governor David Ige said the state has been in communication with the federal Center For Disease Control and Prevention over dengue fever from the beginning, and that the White House is monitoring the situation in Hawaii. Big Island Video News.

The Hawaii State Department of Health said Thursday that the number of cases of dengue fever reported on the Big Island had reached 79. Pacific Business News.

A cluster of locally acquired cases of dengue fever on Hawaii Island is growing, heightening concerns that the painful mosquito-borne disease could spread to other islands. Garden Island.

It’s been a year since West Hawaii Battalion Chiefs Steve Loyola and Ty Medeiros were suspended, reportedly for publicly criticizing Hawaii County Fire Chief Darren Rosario. West Hawaii Today.

A Kona resident frustrated by a lack of response from Gov. David Ige’s office on the decision to resettle Syrian refugees in Hawaii is creating an online petition seeking to pause immigration to the state. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A pastor and his wife who were passing out religious material on a sidewalk fronting the Maui Fair in 2013 and were ordered by police to leave have reached a settlement with Maui County in a federal lawsuit over violations of their First Amendment free speech rights. Maui News.

The state Land Use Commission voted this morning to approve the 15-day extension requested by the applicants, Olowalu Town LLC and Olowalu Ekolu LLC. Maui Now.

Fifteen days were added Thursday to the state Land Use Commission's deadline to take action on a draft final environmental impact statement for development of a 1,500-home Olowalu town in West Maui. Maui News.

Five Hawaiian youth delegates from Maui will be joining nearly 200 world leaders in Paris on Monday - the site of last week's terrorist attacks - for a United Nations conference on climate change. Maui News.

Commentary: If you’re headed to Wailea this week, watch out! California lawmakers–and their attendant lobbyists–are out in force. It’s the work of the California Independent Voter Project, and their annual conference is taking place at the Fairmont Kea Lani. MauiTime.

Kauai

Jeni Kaohelaulii of Work It Out was determined to find her workers during the Kauai Community College Job Fair Wednesday. Garden Island.