West

Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico delivers touching eulogy at San Diego beach

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2024

Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico delivers touching eulogy at San Diego beach

The mother of two Australian surfers killed in Mexico delivered a moving tribute to her sons Tuesday at a beach in San Diego.

“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us,” Debra Robinson said, fighting back tears. “They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.”

Her sons, Callum and Jake, were allegedly killed by car thieves in Baja California, across the border from San Diego, somewhere around April 28 or 29.

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES REVEAL BIZARRE REASON THEY BELIEVE AUSTRALIANS, AMERICAN WERE MURDERED ON SURFING VACATION

Robinson also mourned the American who was killed with them, Jack Carter Rhoad.

The beachside location where she spoke, across the border from the Baja California city of Tijuana, was no coincidence. She noted that her son Callum “considered the United States his second home.”

Robinson noted that her son Jake loved surfing so much that, as a doctor, he liked to work in hospitals near the beach.

Australian citizen Debra Robinson with her husband Martin address the media on the beach in San Diego on May 7, 2024, following the deaths in Mexico of their two sons during a surfing trip. (Channel 9/POOL via AP)

“Jake’s passion was surfing, and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches,” she said.

Choking back tears, Robinson conveyed a final message that coincided with her sons’ adventurous lifestyles.

“Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory,” she said.

Robinson thanked Australian officials and supporters there and in the United States.

While she thanked Mexico’s ambassador to Australia, she notably did not thank the local officials in Baja California who eventually found the bodies of her sons and Carter Rhoad.

Their killers dumped the bodies of the men into a well about 4 miles away from where they had been attacked at a beachside campsite. Investigators were surprised when, underneath the bodies of the three foreigners, a fourth body was found that had been there much longer. It was unclear if the body was related to the current case.

The fact that such killers are not caught or stopped in the overwhelming majority of cases in Mexico has led some Mexicans to protest that authorities only investigate such disappearances when they are high-profile cases involving foreigners.

Robinson said that her sons’ bodies, or their ashes, will eventually be taken back to Australia.

“Now it’s time to bring them home to families and friends,” she said. “And the ocean waits in Australia.”

Prosecutors have identified three people as potential suspects, two of whom were caught with methamphetamines. One of them, a woman, had one of the victims’ cellphones when she was caught. Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the killings.

A third man was arrested on charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, but that was before the bodies were found. It was unclear when or if he might face more charges.

The third man was believed to have directly participated in the killings. In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, alias “el Kekas,” a slang word that means quesadillas, or cheese-filled tortillas.

He had a criminal record that included drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence, and authorities said they were certain that more people were involved.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a radio station in the Robinsons’ home town of Perth in Western Australia state that every parent felt for the family’s loss.

“I think the whole nation’s heart goes out to the parents of Callum and Jake Robinson. It is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a son or a daughter. To lose these two brothers is just awful and my deepest sympathies and condolences and I’m sure the whole nation’s with the parents and with the other family and friends of these two fine young Australians,” Albanese told Perth Radio 6PR.

Albanese said he was reminded of when his only child Nathan Albanese traveled last year at the age of 22 to a musical festival in Spain.

“You do worry, but you think as well that’s part of the Australian right of passage, is traveling around with a backpack and meeting people and it’s how you grow as a person as well so you want to encourage them,” Albanese said.

In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California — also known as the Sea of Cortez — from the Baja peninsula. Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.

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Colorado

Where to watch Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 1

Published

7 minutes ago

July 1, 2026

Press Room

Where to watch Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 1

The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

The MLB action continues on Wednesday as the Miami Marlins visit the Colorado Rockies.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies?

First pitch between the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, July 1.

How to watch Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies on Wednesday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 6:34 a.m.

Matchup: MIA at COL
Date: Wednesday, July 1
Time: 8:40 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Coors Field
Location: Denver, Colorado
TV: Rockies.TV and Marlins.TV
Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for July 1 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.

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Hawaii

Few state bills this year face potential veto – West Hawaii Today

Published

30 minutes ago

July 1, 2026

Press Room

Few state bills this year face potential veto – West Hawaii Today

Gov. Josh Green may block the Legislature’s intended deposit into the state’s “rainy day” fund for a third time in four years.

Green announced on Friday that he intends to veto a bill that lawmakers passed in May to put $50 million of state general fund revenue next fiscal year into Hawaii’s Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund.

The legislation to make such a deposit was one of four bills that Green said he may veto from among 267 bills the Legislature passed this year. The governor plans to further analyze some of the four bills before making a final decision, and has until July 15 to veto any of the four bills or they will become law.

Green said in a statement that it would be financially imprudent to sock away $50 million in general fund money when the reserve fund has a record balance over $1.5 billion while other high-priority needs exist.

Priorities cited by the governor were disaster- recovery efforts, affordable- housing development, lowering the cost of living for residents and reducing unfunded state liabilities that include pension obligations.

If Green vetoes the rainy day fund deposit measure, Senate Bill 2600, it would be the only major funding appropriation vetoed this year. The governor on Friday signed the state budget bill, House Bill 1800, without using his line-item veto power to strike any appropriations.

SB 2600 was expected to boost the fund’s estimated balance to about $1.67 billion from around $1.62 billion. But Green has previously opted to keep more state revenue available for future uses by nixing deposits into the reserve fund.

In 2023, Green vetoed a $500 million rainy day fund appropriation after a projection for state revenue growth was reduced shortly after lawmakers passed the budget bill.

Then in 2024, the governor vetoed a $300 million appropriation for the fund, saying that the state should be preserving its cash reserves instead of boosting the reserve fund’s balance beyond $1.5 billion.

Hawaii’s Constitution requires that some amount of revenue be deposited into one or more of three places whenever there is at least a 5% general fund surplus in two successive fiscal years. The options are the rainy day fund, pocketbooks of Hawaii taxpayers and a trust fund to pay for future retirement benefits of Hawaii government workers.

To fulfill the constitutional requirement in 2024, $1 deposits were made into the two funds.

The state’s cash balance is projected to be $1.88 billion at the end of this fiscal year on June 30, down from $2.12 billion a year earlier.

Without any additional deposits, the rainy day fund is projected to grow to $1.93 billion in the 2031 fiscal year from $1.62 billion at the end of this fiscal year, or by $300 million due to interest income.

The other three bills that Green may veto include one to form a commission recommending consolidation or closure of inefficiently operating public schools, one that would affect how the head of a teacher standards board is selected, and one that would affect employment at three state agencies.

HB 2344 would establish the Public School Realignment and Closure Commission modeled after a federal commission that recommended the consolidation or closure of unneeded military bases. Green said the state Board of Education and Department of Education already have authority and responsibility for such a task that may be duplicated by the proposed commission with no benefit.

SB 3262 would require that the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board submit three nominees for its executive director for selection by the BOE subject to advice and consent of the state Senate. Green said additional evaluation is needed to assess, in part, whether such a change creates ambiguity regarding governance and accountability.

SB 2338 would affect employment at the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp., the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the Hawaii Public Housing Authority in part by limiting the salary of the HHFDC and HCDA directors to 99% of the governor’s salary. The bill also would establish conditions for employment contracts at all three agencies. Green said it may be possible to make changes sought under the bill administratively, and that more review is needed to determine that.

“Our assessments are guided by sincere dedication to our community, taking each opinion into consideration, with the goal of making decisions that truly reflect what is best for Hawaii,” Green said.

The governor added that putting four bills on his intent-to-veto warning list followed an extensive legal and fiscal analysis, and reflects collaboration and hard work between the Legislature, his administration and community stakeholders.

Last year, Green vetoed nine bills after vetoing 11 in 2024 and 13 in 2023.

The Legislature can override any vetoes with a two-thirds majority vote if the House and Senate call for a special session. However, Senate President Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau) announced on Friday that the Senate does not intend to convene a special override session.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Big Sky Bonus results for June 30, 2026

Published

2 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 30, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 30 drawing

26-41-50-53-62, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 30 drawing

02-18-23-31, Bonus: 13

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 30 drawing

01-04-09-45-54, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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