Chinese epicenter Wuhan raises number of virus dead by 1,290

BEIJING (AP) — The central Chinese city of Wuhan has raised its number of COVID-19 fatalities by 1,290, with state media saying Friday the undercount had been due to the insufficient admission capabilities at overwhelmed medical facilities at the peak of the outbreak.

AP PHOTOS: A lonely burial in India amid virus lockdown

NEW DELHI (AP) — The hearse van carrying the woman's body zoomed past the gate and stationed itself near the far end of the graveyard, a space reserved for Muslims who died of COVID-19 in India's capital.

William J. ‘Bill’ Barker

August 3, 1948 – April 1, 2020

R. Rudy Johnson

R. Rudy Johnson, 86, died on Sept. 22, 2023, at Kadlec Hospital in Richland, Wash...

Judy Cloninger

1960 – 2023

Judy Ann Cloninger, 63, of Ephrata Washington passed on Sept. 15, 2023. She was born in Everett, Washington in 1960...

Philip Michael Jones

Philip (Phil) Michael Jones passed away in Boerne, Texas surrounded by his family on Jan. 4, 2023. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on Jan. 13, 1938, to Mary and Ralph Jones. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara; four sons Mike (Beth), Tom (Cindy), Steve (LaVonne) and Danny (Birgit) and two daughters Laura (Dwight) Helton and Jeanie Jones; 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and his sister, Kathie Kleinschrodt of De Soto, Missouri. Phil served in the United States Coast Guard from 1958-1960 in Brownsville, Texas before working at Union Carbide in Brownsville and Moses Lake, Washington. He retired in 2015. He came to faith in Christ in 1967, and faithfully served Christ at First Baptist Church in Brownsville, Texas and Moses Lake Alliance Church in Moses Lake, Washington.

Mary Crowder

Mary Crowder was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend. She gained her angel wings and was taken into the arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sept. 7 at age 70 surrounded by her family.

Anatoliy Mikhaylik

On Nov. 20, 2022, Anatoliy Mikhaylik, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, went to be with our Lord at the age of 74. He was a devoted husband and father-caring, kind and hard-working. Born to Anna and Michail in Vapnyarka, he selflessly gave up his life in Ukraine to provide a better future for his five daughters. In 1991, Anatoliy brought his family to Moses Lake as a refugee seeking religious freedom and, without any knowledge of the English language or the new country, he started working right away to provide for his family. Anatoliy was a history buff and a mathematics genius. He had a love for all things aviation and fishing which he relished sharing with his grandchildren, who were the light of his world. After retirement, Anatoliy enjoyed gardening, fishing and spending time with his family. Many have been blessed by Anatoliy’s care and got to know his selfless spirit and keen humor.

Rebecca 'Becci' Ann Jones

Rebecca "Becci" Ann Jones, 57, of Moses Lake, Washington passed away peacefully Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Rebecca was born Feb. 16, 1965, to Clifford and Carol Spenst in Hillsboro, Oregon. She graduated high school from Methow Valley Christian Academy in 1983 and attended Treasure Valley Community College after. She had many passions in life, including her love for animals. She was known in her younger age for riding horses and directing the Grant County Animal Shelter for 11 years. She cared for others by doing foster care and adult caregiving for many years. Rebecca truly found life's simple pleasures through friends, family, nature and her lifelong love for laughter and being a jokester. She had a deep love for the cabin she and her husband built together.

Patrick Marvin Graffe

Pat Graffe passed away on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Pat is survived by his brother Randy and sister Marjorie. He has three nieces Crystal, Heidi and Heather; three nephews, Garrett, Gregg and Robert; and multiple great-nieces and -nephews. Pat attended and graduated from Ephrata High School in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army as a communication specialist. He attended Eastern Washington State University in Cheney studying for his bachelor’s degree. He had a variety of jobs through the years including working on a farm located in Harrington and driving truck. Pat loved riding his motorcycle, reading books, and spending time with his nieces and nephews.

Nye Brown

Nye E. Brown, 55, of Ephrata, Washington, left this world peacefully and went home to be with his dad in the early morning of June 24, 2023, after a well-fought battle against cancer with his mom and wife by his side. Nye married the love of his life Joey on Feb. 27, 2017, and leaves behind stepdaughter Kylie, son-in-law Roman, grandson Joseph, in-laws Richard and Jamie and brother-in-law Richard Jr. Nye is also survived by his mom Judi; sisters Michaelle and Kathy; nephews Brady, Mathew and Dylan; his brother from a different mother, William; and his beloved Aussie, Roxy.

Bond set at $750,000 for man accused of killing woman, girls

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A $750,000 cash bond was set Friday for a Milwaukee man accused of strangling his girlfriend and her two young daughters.

Autopsies coming on mother, girls, apparent homicide victims

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Autopsies are planned Monday on the bodies of a woman and her two young daughters that were found in a Milwaukee garage more than a week after they were reported missing.

Man in court over killing of N Ireland journalist Lyra McKee

LONDON (AP) — A 52-year-old man appeared in court Thursday in Northern Ireland in connection with the killing of Lyra McKee, a journalist shot dead during a riot involving Irish Republican Army dissidents last year.

Review: `House on Fire' is one of Finder's best thrillers

“House on Fire,” Dutton, by Joseph Finder

Merlin D. Jones

Jan. 12, 1948 — Sept. 26, 2025

Merlin Daniel Jones, 77, passed away Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at Othello Care. He was born Jan. 12, 1948, in Ephrata, Washington to Clifford and Evelyn Salkield Jones of Mae Valley. He went to school in Moses Lake until he joined the Army in 1966. He was in transportation in Germany which gave him the opportunity to travel much in that country which he grew to love. He served in Vietnam then return to Germany where he met and married Suse Knoedler in 1972. He was transferred to the U.S. about 1975 and retired from the Army in 1981. He moved back to Moses Lake. He retired from Basic American Potato around 2013 due to advancing Parkinson’s.

Quincy farmer lived a full life of service before being hit by the coronavirus

MOSES LAKE — Robert Hammond, a World War II veteran, a devotee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Grant County community since 1955, died June 11 in Moses Lake at the Summer Wood Alzheimer’s Special Care Center.

Virus prompts drastic measures in Texas as death toll grows

HOUSTON (AP) — The spread of the coronavirus surged unabated in hot spots around the U.S. on Thursday, with one city in South Carolina urging people to pray it into submission, a hospital in Texas bringing in military medical personnel and funeral morgues running out of space in Phoenix.

Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY

An aggressive push by Iowa’s pro-Trump governor to reopen schools amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak has descended into chaos, with some districts and teachers rebelling and experts calling the scientific benchmarks used by the state arbitrary and unsafe. The clash in the Midwest has illustrated in condensed form the tension between science and politics that has characterized the nation’s response to the outbreak from the White House on down. The virus has devastated the U.S. economy and killed over 170,000 Americans.

Palestinian rockets target Tel Aviv, setting off sirens

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli city of Tel Aviv is under fire from a barrage of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.