Mike Ferguson, Idaho's chief economist for 25 years, got Gov. Butch Otter to admit last month that the state probably wasn't meeting its constitutional obligation to “maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”

Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, and former Lt. Gov. and Attorney General David Leroy, propose naming the nearly 400-seat auditorium for Lincoln to mark the 150th anniversary of Idaho Territory.

Lincoln's signature established the territory in 1863.

"This is an occasion for celebration," Bateman told the House State Affairs Committee Thursday. "We need to talk about this event and not just let it slide by."

Freezing rain kept Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna on the road for over an hour from his home in Nampa Thursday, making him late for his 8:00 a.m. appearance at the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

"The Superintendent is on his way," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said at the top of the hour. "He indicates he's been on the road for over an hour. Hopefully, he'll be here in a few minutes."

Luna arrived at 8:05 a.m., and the meeting convened a minute later.

Idaho historian Keith Petersen asked the question in his 1995 book River of Life, Channel of Death: “Will the government continue to pour money” into the maintenance costs of the four lower Snake Dams in Washington?

First-place votes in parentheses

Records are through Tuesday

5A W-L Pts. Pvs.

1. Coeur d'Alene (4) 15-3 44 1

2. Post Falls (4) 17-1 44 2

3. Highland (2) 15-2 32 3

4. Rocky Mountain 15-2 23 4

5. Lewiston 14-5 4 5

Others receiving votes: Meridian 3, Mountain View 3.

4A

1. Middleton (10) 17-0 50 1

2. Skyview 13-4 34 2

3. Twin Falls 14-5 26 3

4. Burley 14-4 20 5

5. Bishop Kelly 12-5 18 4

Others receiving votes: Nampa 1, Century 1.

3A

1. Snake River (9) 17-1 49 1

2. Filer (1) 15-3 39 2

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By Brian Murphy
bmurphy@idahostatesman.com

Sophomore guard Derrick Marks scored 30 points, center Ryan Watkins had a career-high 18 rebounds and the Broncos made all 26 free-throw attempts in a 74-67 victory against Fresno State on Wednesday night at Taco Bell Arena.

House Speaker Scott Bedke will leave his gavel with Majority Leader Mike Moyle on Thursday and Friday to attend orientation for more than 20 new speakers at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

The training is sponsored by the Massachusetts-based State Legislative Leaders Foundation and runs Thursday through Saturday in Austin, hosted by Texas Speaker Joe Straus. The group also holds annual meetings for speakers.

Since leaving the ranks of the Trey McIntyre Project in 2012, Lauren Edson's freelance choreography career has taken off, winning choreography competitions and receiving more and more commissions for work.

You can check out her choreographer's reel here:

Porter Lacey was hired as the next Meridian High football coach Wednesday, said Meridian Athletic Director Luke Wolf.

Lacey, 31, has most recently been the head coach at New Plymouth, where he led the Pilgrims to five straight state playoff appearances.

"He understood the big picture with football. He understood that it starts down with those middle school kids," Wolf said. "... Another thing that jumped out to me is he is an amazing teacher, and amazing teachers are amazing coaches."

Sen. Branden Durst, D-Boise, says his move to narrow the size of voting districts is not aimed at boosting Democrats' chances but to make county commissioners more sensitive to regional differences.

"It's to get people in those zones to have the ability to get true representation," Durst said Wednesday, after the Senate State Affairs Committee voted to print his bill.