The Bengals held off the Wildcats in a game played at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

With the win, Lewiston (22-3) earned a spot in the 5A championship game, scheduled for 5 p.m. PST Saturday at the Idaho Center. The Bengals will play the winner of today’s other semifinal game between Bishop Kelly and Preston.

Lewiston will try to capture its first boys basketball state title since 2009.

This story will be updated.

BOISE, Idaho — A Boise neighbor said she trapped the largest rat she has ever seen in her backyard, and a local pest control expert said he has already responded to multiple Treasure Valley homes this year to remove the rodents. As sightings increase, Idaho lawmakers are also taking action.

Britni Killeen, who grew up on a farm in East Idaho, said nothing could have prepared her for what she found in her West Boise backyard.

WATCH: What to do if you spot a rat near your residence

Rats spotted on the Boise Bench. What experts say you should do

“I’m a 5th-generation Idahoan, and I’ve never seen something that big,” Killeen said.

Killeen believes the rats may be swimming through the Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve and making their way into nearby neighborhoods.

“We live next door to the refuge, and if you have a gap between your fence, which we do, it’s about 3 ft, they come into your yard, and they can go under fences,” explained Killeen.

Alpha Home Pest Control has served the Treasure Valley for over 10 years. Owner Mike Hill said he has been receiving weekly calls about rat sightings. While some turn out to be false alarms, he has already visited seven Treasure Valley homes this year to remove rats. Hill said many of them may be arriving from out of state and staying because of the mild weather conditions.

“Washington, California, the shipping, the freight coming back and forth, they’re kind of stowaways,” Hill said. “Then with the mild winters that we’ve been having, [it] hasn’t really been killing them off.”

RELATED | ‘It was like an explosion of rats’: Neighbors report rise in pests

Hill said Norway and Roof rats can pose serious risks to both health and property.

“They carry disease, they carry fleas, ticks, they can chew through your wiring in your home,” Hill said. “Their teeth grow very rapidly, so there have been cases where they’re up there chewing on wires, [and] the house burns down.”

If you spot a rat, Hill recommends calling a professional to ensure there are not more hiding nearby. He also offered several prevention tips.

“The droppings of the fruit, excess fruit, keep that stuff picked up. Make sure that your trash is enclosed in either a hard plastic or metal container,” Hill said.

RELATED| Rodents of Unusual Size Act advances to House after 28-3 Senate vote

As rat sightings increase across the Treasure Valley, lawmakers are taking notice. On Thursday, the Idaho Senate passed the Rodents of Unusual Size Act, which would declare Norway and roof rats a public health and safety nuisance and requires the state to take action to control and remove them. That bill now heads to the House.

Killeen said the legislation is a step in the right direction.

“Considering how big that rat is, I would definitely say so,” Killeen said. “I didn’t even know that big of rats could exist in Idaho, but maybe I’m just rural.”

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation that would phase out state funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs while keeping the commission in place.

The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, would gradually eliminate general fund support for the commission by July 1, 2028. The commission would continue to operate but would need to rely on private funding.

Rep. Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday that the proposal came from recommendations by Idaho’s DOGE Task Force, which reviewed government programs and spending.

READ MORE | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs

The bill would also eliminate the commission from a list of organizations eligible for a state income tax charitable contribution credit.

Rep. Steve Berch questioned why the legislation would remove both state funding and the tax credit option, saying it could make it more difficult for the commission to raise money.

“I hate to use this word, but I’m really offended by this specific effort to make it that much more difficult for private citizens to be able to contribute to the Hispanic commission,” Rep. Berch said in committee. “I don’t think this can be justified from a financial point of view, and quite frankly, I don’t think it can be justified from a moral point of view.”

In response, Rep. Jason Monks said that it would be more “offensive” to not allow further discussion of the bill before a final decision is made.

The proposal comes after an earlier attempt this session to eliminate the commission entirely. In January, Rep. Heather Scott presented a draft bill that would have removed all references to the commission from Idaho law and dissolved it by July 1, but that measure failed to advance out of committee.

The committee ultimately voted on Thursday to introduce the legislation, allowing it to be printed and advanced for further debate.

This story has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.