By CHRISTOPHER WEBER

A sniper ambushed firefighters responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community Sunday, killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a “heinous” assault.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 p.m. and gunshots were reported about a half hour later.

Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters officials didn’t know if anyone else was shot.

“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris said. “We are actively taking fire sniper as we speak.”

People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it “would be safe to assume” that others are still up there.

Gov. Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters were attacked.

“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little said on the social platform X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”

An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 4 miles (6.5 km) north of downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The fire was still active, Norris said.

“It’s going to keep burning,” he said. “Can’t put any resources on it right now.”

Coeur d’Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts of the northern Idaho city, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails.

Belwin Conservancy’s Music in the Trees event is returning to the red pine grove this summer.

The annual event, which began in 2019, features various musicians performing 16 feet above the ground on platforms in the pine trees.

The 2025 concert will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug.17, at the Belwin Education Site in Afton.

The education site is usually reserved for students. Music in the Trees is one of the few annual events where the public can come enjoy the woods, according to Carey Davenport, communications specialist at Belwin Conservancy

“It’s a really fun, laid-back vibe,” Davenport said. “It’s not a very formal concert environment. People picnic and relax and bring hammocks.”

This year, both Saturday and Sunday will end with Celtic music from the Celtic Junction Arts Center.

Honoring the red pines

Davenport said the red pines at the Belwin Education Site are not native this far south in Minnesota. They were planted during the Great Depression era to help prevent soil erosion. However, since they aren’t native to the area, the trees are becoming diseased and infested with insects.

As part of its land restoration work, Belwin Conservancy is taking out the old and diseased trees and replacing them with native plants in spots it calls “eco patches.” Music in the Trees is meant to celebrate this transformation process.

“This event was envisioned as a way to kind of honor the red pine forest,” Davenport said. “Folks who like nature restoration don’t like taking trees down, but this is a way to still kind of honor that legacy.”

Music in the Trees

Music in the Trees takes place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 16 and 17 in the pine grove near Belwin Education Center, 1553 Stagecoach Trail S., Afton.

Tickets are priced on a sliding scale of $10, $20 or $35 per car.

Purchase tickets and find more information on Belwin Conservancy’s website, belwin.org.

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Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark have been named team captains for the July 19 All-Star Game in Indianapolis.

Clark (1,293,526) and Collier (1,176,020) received the highest number of fan votes among the All-Star starters.

“I think it’s very significant in terms of recognition of who the Minnesota Lynx are, what she has meant not only to the Lynx and our success, but to the W as a whole. It’s not just Minnesota fandom, it’s across the country,” coach Cheryl Reeve said before Sunday’s game with Connecticut.

The league’s leading scorer at 24.5 points per game, this will be Collier’s fifth All-Star game appearance.

Collier and New York’s Breanna Stewart co-founded Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league that played from January through mid-March. Collier was named the league MVP.

“I think Unrivaled helped with the publicity of her game and people kind of go, ‘I never knew how good she was.’” Reeve said. “There’s a multitude of factors, but we’re really excited for Phee and she’s earned every bit of it.”

The other eight starters will be announced Monday, followed by the reserves next Sunday.

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Two days after agreeing to a new deal with Naz Reid, the Timberwolves did the same with fellow big man Julius Randle. Like Reid, Randle declined his player option, but instead of entering free agency agreed to a new deal with Minnesota.

Randle and the Wolves agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal that features a player option in the third year, a source confirmed. ESPN first reported the agreement.

Randle was acquired on the eve of training camp last fall in the deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. In the end, by dealing Towns, Minnesota got Randle on a longer-term deal, Donte DiVincenzo, first-round draft pick Joan Beringer and the ability to re-sign Reid.

Randle was the biggest question mark for many in that trade. His fit in Minnesota and ability to be a No. 2 option on a legitimate championship contender were both unknowns. But Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had previously worked with Randle in New Orleans and was confident in his ability to get the most out of him.

Over the final quarter of the regular season, Randle was a clear boon for Minnesota. And his physical presence proved to be invaluable in the the Wolves’ two playoff series victories before they ran into eventual champion Oklahoma City in the West Finals.

Randle didn’t play well in that series, but few Wolves players did. The day after the decisive Game 5 loss, Randle noted he hadn’t thought much about the offseason to come but noted that he loved Minnesota. He and his family found a comfort in the state, and he planned to spend much of the offseason here.

“This is the most meaningful basketball that I’ve played in my career, and from how the organization has made me feel, from just my teammates and playing with (Anthony Edwards) as our leader, I love it,” Randle said. “There’s a lot to be excited about. I haven’t even really thought about it, but I will say having the ability to compete for a championship is everything that I ask for at this point in my career.”

Randle’s player option for the upcoming season was just south of $31 million. That’s right around what he’ll make next season. Players weren’t in a position off power in this year’s free agency because there are few teams teams with salary cap space. But as was the case with Reid, rather than squeezing their players for the team’s financial gain, Timberwolves basketball boss Tim Connelly reached a fair deal both sides can feel good about.

Randle’s signing likely means Minnesota will not have the money to retain Nickeil Alexander-Walker when free agency opens on Monday evening. The Wolves have little-to-no wiggle room to work with to stay under the second apron while filling out their roster. They’ll likely look to add another ball handler, whether that be with a point guard or a combo guard, but resources to do so will be limited.

But they do return their front court from a year ago, all of whom are now armed with a better idea of how to play with one another after a season of work. Randle noted the efficiency he was able to find down the stretch was a win for Minnesota.

“It’s really just whatever Coach (Finch) asks, whatever he needs me to do, if he needs me to score, if he needs me to pass. I think one thing I can do a lot better next year is rebound the basketball. That’s been one of the strong suits of my career, and I feel like I didn’t rebound the ball well at all this year,” Randle said.

“Then defensively, just being as engaged as possible,” he added. “I think when I’m playing with guys like Ant, Jaden (McDaniels) and Rudy (Gobert) and those guys, and how they bring that intensity level on the defensive end, it’s inspiring. So, I think that’s somewhere where I feel like I can take a step, as well, being engaged full-time and being disruptive on that end.”

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