WASHINGTON, DC - As Bronco fans converge on Washington, DC - the team is set to arrive Saturday.

School officials tell us the team is taking a charter straight into DC, and is expected to arrive just after 4 p.m. ET. They will head to FedEx Field for a walk-through and practice - where they will get their first look at the stadium.

The team will be given some time to take in the sights on the National Mall - about three hours Saturday night. They will mix in with throngs of fans - KTVB has seen thousands of folks clad in blue and orange, and several times throughout the morning, chants of "Boise! State!" could be heard.

FedEx Field is near a sell out crowd, and stadium officials say this will likely be the largest crowd ever to see a college football game at the facility - with more than 85,000 in attendance. As of late Friday night, crews were working to paint and stripe the field for the game. Each end zone will feature the name and logo of the teams. Boise State's end zone has a large "Broncos" with two smaller Boise State logos on each side.

Boise State will use the visitor's locker room, which is a drab, run-of-the-mill room painted in brown and with few amenities. Virginia Tech is considered the home team for the game, despite its technical billing as on a "neutral site."

Special logos billing the game the "Allstate Kickoff in the Capital" will also be on the field. The insurance company will also bring its "Tailgate Tour" to the game, with events for fans.

Game time is set for 6 p.m. MT Monday night on ESPN. KTVB.COM will air a special 2-hour pre-game show starting at 4 p.m. MT, with the second hour also airing live on KTVB.

Immediately following the game, join KTVB for post-game coverage live from inside FedEx Field.

With only days until the biggest game in the history of the Boise State football program EA Sports decided to match Virginia Tech and the Broncos in a simulation on their new game 'NCAA Football 11' to see which team would come out victorious. 

After a hard fought game the Broncos took down the Hokies 27-24 in front of nearly 90,000 fans at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.  The Broncos set the pace with a 49 yard touchdown pass Austin Pettis and in the fourth quarter put the finishing touches on the Hokies with a late score from Titus Young. 

GARDEN CITY -- A kitten is in critical condition after someone abused it Thursday.  A veterinary technician caring for the kitten says someone put chemicals in its eyes and mouth. The kitten was also kicked and thrown around, according to a woman who says she saw some of the abuse.

As a veterinary technician at a non-profit clinic, Traci Ward has seen abuse cases, and this particular case is as bad as any.

"It's hard enough seeing an animal that's just not feeling well, but an animal was put into a bad situation, when they're just helpless beings, you know," Ward said.

Ward and others at Northwest Animal Companion's Clinic in Garden City are taking voluntary shifts to monitor the kitten 24 hours a day.

"Right now, it's not looking great," Ward said. "But we've got all the optimism we can, and we're going to give her all the care we could possibly give her to help her pull through."
 
The kitten, named Raisin, came in Thursday morning after a Meridian woman, Danielle Stem saw her.

"When I saw that, it just took my breath away," Stem said.  "I thought I cannot in good conscience just drive by and not do anything or say anything."
 
Stem was driving to work when she says she saw two teenage boys in a yard, one with Raisin.

"As I get even closer, I can see he's hanging a kitten upside down.  So, then I see him kind of dropping and kind of kicking him," Stem said.
 
Stem took Raisin to her vet, who contacted Northwest Animal Companion's Clinic, where Ward found out the abuse was worse than first thought.  The kitten has chemical burns in her eyes, mouth and throat.

"It's scary for [the kitten] because she can't breathe and she can't see, so she doesn't understand what's going on," Ward said. "She's definitely painful."

Ward said the kitten is likely blind, but they're hoping she'll eventually be able to breathe and eat on her own and then go through their adoption center. 

"It's going to be quite a while until she'll be able to be adopted," Ward said.  "But if we can get her up and going, that she will find a forever home and be loved by someone."

Stem is even considering adopting Raisin if she gets better.

No one has filed a formal complaint with the Meridian Police Department.  The department tells us this case would qualify for a misdemeanor animal abuse charge.  If the person were caught, they could face up to six months in jail and a $100 to $5,000 fine.

The veterinary clinic in Garden City that took the kitten in is supported by a thrift store called Restyle. The non-profit group is opening another thrift store Saturday morning in Boise at Fairview and Five Mile.  With that new store, the group hopes to eventually open a new, bigger animal clinic and shelter.

BOISE -- Its been three and a half years since the tragedy on the Virignia Tech campus in Blacksburg.

Seung-Hui Cho, 23, killed 32 people before turning the gun on himself in the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history.

The incident resulted in changes to the gun laws in Virginia and also changed the way security and alert systems are designed on campuses across America.

Boise state was amoung the universities who stepped up their system because of what happened 2,000 miles away.

On top of the death and chaos surrounding the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech, criticism  surfaced over how university officials and local police responded to the situation.

No official lockdown was ordered, but according to one faculty member, taking such a measure would not have worked for Virginia Tech and the town of Blacksburg that surrounds it. 

"People are wondering why we didn't evacuate.  I cant imagine if they told everyone to go home.  The whole entire town would be under lockdown.  It would just be chaotic," said Andy Schaudt, faculty member at Virginia Tech.

In the aftermath of such a catastrophic event, it's easy to ask how other universities including Boise State would respond to a similar sitation.

"I think that's one of the differences that you see in our scenario for security.  Boise P.D. are the community partner to provide security," said Frank Zang, Boise State Communication Director.  "Being in a downtown area, it helps to provide a lot of resources for providing quick responses when things are happening."

Other security measures in place on BSU's campus include 38 emergency blue phones that have a direct line to the Boise Police substation.  Not only that, but two security officers assigned to residence halls, an emergency cell phone program, and online crime reporting.

BOISE - Saturday morning, Ann Morrison Park was filled with people with their eyes on the skies.  It was all for one reason, day three of the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic.

Idaho Lieutenant Governor Brad Little helped to kickoff the festivities, "There's a great crowd here this morning. And it's great on a Saturday morning, because there's lots and lots of kids here. The balloonists are excited. The weather couldn't be better. They just sent up the test balloon. Looks like there's a little box wind, so they're going to be able to do, these good pilots are going to be able to do a great job. The A-10's are flying over again to kind of give us a little patriotic feel this morning for the Governor's Cup. Everybody is excited, as am I."

Excited, because Little got a ride of his own. But, he wasn't the only one thrilled to see 28 balloons lift off from Ann Morrison this morning.

"Oh, this is amazing, I've never actually seen this. This is just something else," said Cindi Mitchell.

"It's so much fun to see everything flying over the city. And, it just makes a really, really special weekend for everybody," said Melissa Stoner.

"My Granddaughter here wanted to see the balloons takeoff, and I had never seen them, personally, so I really wanted to see them too. I think it's amazing," said Bill Davis. "She likes them, she doesn't want to get too close, but she likes them."

One of the highlights of the day was a competition to knock over empty porta-potties. The balloon sporting the circle-7, piloted by the event's organizer, Scott Spencer, was the first to score.

The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic took a brief hiatus, but was back this year. While the possibility of it becoming an annual celebration is still up in the air, there's definitely a consensus among the 5,000 people who showed up Saturday morning.

"I've been coming, ever since my daughter was born, actually, to the Spirit of Boise. And, we were kind of sorry to see it go. So, we are thrilled, absolutely thrilled that it's back this year, and we're really hoping that it's going to be an annual event in Boise again, because it's just amazing," said Stoner.

There's a special night glow event Saturday night around 6:30 p.m., and the balloons lift-off again Sunday morning around 7:00 a.m.

HAILEY, Idaho -- Actor Bruce Willis is offering for sale his central Idaho bar called The Mint and is asking $5.95 million.

The star of the "Die Hard" series of action movies put the downtown Hailey bar on the market last month. The nightclub and bar closed last year.

Willis is a part-time resident of the region that includes the resort towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley about 15 miles north of Hailey.

The Idaho Mountain Express reports that Willis still owns the E.G. Willis Building and the Liberty Theatre on Main Street in Hailey, as well as the Soldier Mountain Ski Resort about 50 miles south.

BOISE, Idaho -- More than a dozen school districts want to participate in a program that rewards students who graduate early from high school with scholarships to Idaho universities and colleges.

LANDOVER, MD - KTVB takes a first look inside FedEx Field, with less than three days to go until the Hookies take on the Broncos. Ground crews were hard at work stenciling the field - and preparing custom "Broncos" and "Hookies" end zones.

Take the tour yourself by watching the video at the top of this article.

BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho had been celebrating robust sockeye salmon returns to Redfish Lake in central Idaho, but wildlife managers say more than 40,000 sockeye destined for the state's breeding program died while at an Oregon hatchery last month.

A lot of packing and preparation goes into each BSU football game on the road.  Take a look at the video above to see just how much work happens behind the scenes of each game.

Hi there! It's been quite some time since I've blogged here for KTVB.com. I've been home on maternity leave with my new baby son, Cash. He was born on June 8th - and I've been home with him for 12 weeks now. Here's a picture of our little family taken when he was just a week old! 

He was so tiny then... but three months later - he is such a big boy! Where has the time gone? 

Cash, 3 months

I have had a wonderful time being at home with Cash, but now it's time to come back to work at KTVB. My first day back on the anchor desk is this Monday morning. I'm excited to see my KTVB family and to be able to bring you the morning news once again! I'm very fortunate because I still get to spend most of my day with the baby. The morning shift is a really great schedule for a new Mom!

We have a big show coming up Monday... because it's also BSU GAME DAY! We've all been looking forward to this for months. It's finally here!

We have HUGE plans for you this weekend, and Monday! If you aren't going to the game, we're going to make you feel like you're right there in the middle of all the action. Our KTVB crew is already there - getting ready to cover every aspect of the game and the atmosphere.

GO BRONCOS! 

See you all on Monday!

Washington, D.C. -- Our KTVB crew in Washington D.C. is having no problem finding Bronco fans in the nation's capital.

All a person has to do is perk their ears, and it won't be long before you hear someone yell, "Boise" and someone else respond with, "State!"

The chants were happening on the National Mall Saturday morning.  Watch the video above to see Boise State be represented in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC - Another wave of blue and orange is lapping over the continent - with a destination of Washington, DC. Airports from Boise to Salt Lake to Denver and Minneapolis are filled with pockets of Boise State fans as Bronco Nation makes their way to the nation's capital.

Friday, a clerk at the Boise Airport said the past few days had been "crazy," with lots of fans jamming every available flight. I've traveled for games in Memphis, Forth Worth, San Diego and a couple of Phoenix trips - and it never ceases to amaze me how thousands of fans put up thousands of dollars root on the home team in far flung places across the continent.

Already this early Saturday morning, we've seen dozens of blue and orange-clad fans jogging on the National Mall and taking in the sights. Right after we got off the plane, we headed to FedEx Field to see preparations for the "Kickoff at the Capital," as the game is being billed. Crews had already put a Boise State stencil logo on the grass - and the end zone will feature "Broncos" in giant lettering.

We'll be live across DC leading up to the game - we hope you can join us on KTVB and KTVB.COM as we bring you a little "virtual vacation" - leading up to Monday night's game.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld most of a U.S. District Court judge's ruling that blocked new grazing rules by the Bureau of Land Management that would have loosened restrictions on millions of acres of public land nationwide.

BOISE --  Boise State head football coach Chris Petersen today announced that assistant coach Keith Bhonapha won't be accompanying the Broncos on their trip to the nation's capital this weekend.

In a statement, Petersen said Bhonapha is not going to Washington, D.C., because of a personnel matter.  No other comments are being made at this time.

According to the Ada County Sheriff's website, the 30-year-old Bhonapha was arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail at 1:48 a.m. on a charge of misdemeanor driving under the influence.  He has already bonded out of jail.

Bhonapha is a running backs coach for the Broncos.  This is his fifth year with the team and second as running backs coach.

The Broncos open the season on Monday (Sept. 6) against Virginia Tech at FedEx Field.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN.  Kickoff is at 6 p.m. MT.  Pre-game coverage begins at 5 p.m. on NewsChannel 7.

It's week one of Friday Night Flights! Stay with KTVB.COM all night for your latest high school football scores. 

All final scores are in bold.

You can find all the Friday Night Flights highlights, along with interviews, slideshows and wallpapers by clicking here.

5A

Boise 0, Borah 34   
Meridian 7, Rocky Mountain 35
Timberline 6, Capital 45 
Vallivue 49, Kuna 0
Eagle 42, Centennial 25 
Caldwell 14, Post Falls 57
Mountain View 27, Lake City 20

4A

Pocatello 21, Middleton 16
Nampa 0, Twin Falls 14
Columbia 20, Jerome 13
Ontario 22, Skyview 42
Bishop Kelly 13, Minico 6
Canyon Ridge 27, Filer 12

3A

Nampa Christian 21, Homedale 58
Parma 55, Glenns Ferry 0
Melba 8, Payette 40
Emmett  21, Fruitland 24
American Falls 45, Kimberly 41
Wood River 0, Buhl 16

2A

Wendell 42, North Fremont 0       
New Plymouth 34,  Nyssa (OR) 6
Valley 15, Marsing 3
Gooding 8, Butte County 15
Aberdeen 21, Declo 24

1A

Garden Valley 54, Idaho City 8
Meadows Valley 16, Notus 62
Shoshone 30, Rimrock 20
Lighthouse Christian 12, Hansen 26
Sho-Ban 0, Clark County 39
Carey 50, Raft River 0
Council 38, Cascade 30
Mackay 6, North Gem 8
Horseshoe Bend 2, Tri-Valley 52
Castleford 56, Hagerman 34

AURORA, Ore. -- A small plane crashed into a house near the Aurora Airport Friday afternoon and the pilot walked away with minor injuries.

Marion County deputies said 70-year-old George Bahrman was doing touch and go landings at the Aurora Airport when the plane veered off course and crashed into the mobile home on 14071 N. Cessna Street just after noon.

Bahrman was able to climb up on the roof and was taken to a local hospital, but should be fine, deputies said. He was listed in serious condition at OHSU. No one else was aboard. A small fire broke out, but was soon put out by emergency crews The Federal Aviation Administration said they sent investigators to the scene.

Homeowner Sally Jones said she came outside just before the crash and eventually turned around to find the conscious, but dazed pilot sitting on top of her garage. She was not injured. Her 18-year-old dog also escaped injury.

"I had just checked on my little dog, she was OK, sleeping on the couch on the side of the house," Jones said, "I went out my door and closed it and then I was on the ground ... bang!"

"It blew me off the porch and on the ground," she said.

The 1956 Champion model plane was registered to David Waggoner, Howard Howard and Fine Aircraft, LLC out of Aurora.

Jones said after she stood up she could smell the leaking fuel and saw the smoke. She said she screamed for the pilot and called 9-1-1.

She later located Bahrman on the garage roof as neighbors rushed over with a ladder to get him down.

A cause was under investigation.

KGW Reporter Katherine Cook, Bruce Williams and Justin Burton contributed to this report

RATHDRUM, ID. -- A Rathdrum woman woke up in the middle of the night this week to the sound of someone driving off in her truck. But it turns out, it was all just a big misunderstanding.

Rose Little says she got out of bed Tuesday, looked out her window and saw someone driving her Chevy pickup out of her driveway.

Little called the police right away because she thought her truck was stolen and gone for good. But someone else's keys actually started it.

Sheriff's deputies say that night a girl was instructed by her mother to pick up the family vehicle near where Little lives. The girl, thinking Little's truck belonged to her family, climbed in, and started it with her own keys, without knowing it was the wrong truck.

"The cop said he couldn't believe it but the story they gave them is that her key started my truck and she got it home," says Little. "Her mom woke her up and asked her whose truck that was and she said, 'That's the one you told me to pick up,' and her mom said, 'No it's not.' So they called and turned themselves in."

Little received a call from police on Wednesday saying her truck would be returned.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office confiscated the key, saying they are not sure what else it may be able to start.