Idaho
‘I’ve never seen something that big’: Boise neighbors finding rats in their backyards
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.
Idaho
Idaho DMV offers new America 250 plate
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The Idaho DMV released a new America 250 license plate. The America 250 plate features a red, white and blue design celebrating the United States’ semiquincentennial in 2026.
The plate is available at county DMV offices and online HERE. Standard vehicle registration fees apply, along with a specialty plate fee that supports the Idaho State Historical Society.
Customers can personalize the America 250 plate for an additional fee, subject to Idaho’s standard personalization guidelines. Special program plates and personalized plates do not receive county designators.
The plate is available for passenger vehicles and motorhomes. Drivers can request the plate at renewal or at any time by visiting their county DMV office or ordering online.
Copyright 2026 KMVT. All rights reserved.
Idaho
Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on April 15, 2026
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 15.
Winning Powerball numbers from April 15 drawing
13-21-27-43-45, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 15 drawing
Day: 0-1-2
Night: 0-2-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 15 drawing
Day: 2-9-8-1
Night: 4-9-0-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 15 drawing
17-18-31-46-51, Star Ball: 02, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 15 drawing
01-02-13-35-39
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 15 drawing
32-36-41-54-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Idaho
Idaho state revenues up in March but still behind for the current fiscal year as a whole
Idaho state revenues beat their projections for the month of March, but continue to lag behind the forecast the Idaho Legislature used for the state budget, according to a new state revenue report released Monday.
The good news? Idaho’s state budget is forecast to end the current fiscal year with a budget surplus of $36.9 million on June 30 if revenues come in as forecast for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The reason it’s still too early to celebrate? That projected state budget surplus is $30.5 million less than the $67.3 million projected surplus that Idaho legislators estimated when they adjourned the 2026 legislative session on April 2.
That is because overall state revenue collections for the entire fiscal year 2026 have come in $30.5 million below the revenue projection the Idaho Legislature’s joint budget committee set in January.
“If revenue collections perform exactly as forecasted for the rest of the year, the ending balance would be $36.9 million,” state officials wrote in the April edition of the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund Budget Monitor report.
The bottom line on the state budget is watched closely every year because the Idaho Constitution prohibits the state from running a budget deficit where expenses exceed revenues.
The recent 2026 Idaho legislative session was dominated by near across-the-board budget cuts for all state agencies, programs and departments in order to pay for federal tax cuts President Donald Trump signed into law with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to guard against state revenue uncertainty and to avoid an unconstitutional state budget deficit.
According to the new report, individual income tax, corporate income tax and sales tax collections all exceeded forecast amounts for March.
The report also noted that Gov. Brad Little’s veto of House Bill 975 means an additional $53.7 million will be transferred from the Budget Stabilization Fund savings account to the general fund portion of the state budget to start fiscal year 2027. By voting House Bill 975, Little ensured that an additional money above the 15% savings account cap will be transferred to the state general fund rather than remain in savings reserve accounts.
Idaho runs on a fiscal year calendar where fiscal year 2026 ends June 30 and fiscal year 2027 begins July 1. That means Idaho has three more months of revenue collections before ending the current fiscal year. State budget officials routinely say April is one of the most important months of the entire year because it includes tax returns.
Efforts to reach Sen. Scott Grow, a Republican from Eagle who serves as co-chairman of the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, were not immediately successful Tuesday.
More information on the budget can be found here.
Copyright 2026 KMVT. All rights reserved.
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