The Macon Telegraph from Macon, Georgia • A1

TO CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE, CALL (800) 679-6397 or (478) 744-4288 Business Classified Comics Commentary Crossword Local State Movies About Obituaries Out About Inside Sports Stock Markets TV schedule RAIL YOUR NEWS EXPRESS THE MIddLE NEWSPAPER www.macon.com 5 sections, 66 pages, Vol. 184, Issue 148 Scattered thunderstorms weather, 8b Tattnall, FPD square off for GISA title sports, 1c May 28, 2010 Friday Memorial Day events, 1B WOODY TELEGRAPH Lifeguard instructor Kenya Lanier, in the center in a black T-shirt, watches as Meghan Meyer von Bremem jumps into the East Macon Recreation Center pool Thursday morning. She was conducting the instruction of new lifeguards who will be working at public pools this summer. She said that each new lifeguard will receive at least 31 hours of life-saving instruction ranging from CPR to water rescues. By JIM ABRAMS Associated Press washINGtoN A Senate committee on Thursday took a first step toward ending the policy that allows gays to serve in the military only if they disclose their sexual orientation.

In a 16-12 vote, the Sen- ate Armed Services Com- mittee approved a provision to repeal the 1993 ask, policy. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the only Republi- can to vote for the amend- ment to a defense spend- ing bill, said it passed after and aggressive Sen. Joe Lieberman, I- who promoted the measure with Armed Ser- vices Chairman Carl Levin, said: time for this policy to go. It reflect best val- ues of equal opportunity, and not good for the Repealing the 1993 law, a priority of gay rights groups Senate panel votes to repeal policy on gays in the military By LINDA S.

MORRIS The Telegraph has formed a new partnership with WGXA television and Cu- mulus Broadcasting to pro- vide morning news and talk programming. The talk show hosts Kenny Burgamy and Charles Richardson, as well as veteran news anchor Liz Fabian, will provide morn- ing news, talk, information and entertainment on Fox 24 WGXA, ABC 16 and WMAC 940 AM begin- ning July 26. Currently, Burgamy, Rich- ardson and Fabian are fea- tured on a morning show on WPGA-TV and WP- GA-FM, Mix 100.9 radio, which will continue until July 20. Both stations are locally owned by Register Communications. The morning talk show will continue to be carried online on The Web site macon.com.

is an exciting oppor- tunity for us that will take our show to another lev- said Telegraph Publish- er George McCanless. will be leveraging our posi- Telegraph, Fox, ABC, 940 AM to partner on showsBy PHILLIP almost cannonball time. The moment that many Macon families have waited weeks for when they can break out the swimwear and cool off in one of the city of six public pools is nearly here. The pools open Sat- urday, just in time for the long Memorial Day weekend. In Warner Robins, two of the three pools Foun- tain Park and Sewell Park also open this weekend.

Creekwood Park Pool in Per- ry is tentatively scheduled to open Monday. For a time, open- ing of pools was in jeopardy. It took weeks for the city to approve a man- agement company to oversee the pools. In the end, Atlanta- based Aquatic Management Inc. won the contract with a $197,500 bid that City Coun- cil approved May 11.

The haggling leave a Residents ready to take the plunge in city pools JAE C. PRESS Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal points to oil on the beach Thursday while touring the site where workers are building barriers to keep oil from the wetlands near Grand Isle, La. Robins unit cited for 13 safety violations, 1B Marshall did not support effort Bertin Padneco adds a chemical to the pool at Booker T. Washington Center on Thursday morning in preparation for its opening.

ONLINe Visit our Web site to view a gallery of photos from the pools. ALSO Pools schedules in Bibb and Houston, 3a Biggest oil spill in U.S. history flowing to 5 times faster than BP estimated, says government By GReG BLUeSTeIN and BeN NUCKOLS Associated Press robert, La. As BP labored for a second day Thursday to choke off the leak at the bottom of the Gulf of Mex- ico, dire new government estimates showed the disaster has easily eclipsed the Exxon Valdez as the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.

The company said early in the day that the operation known as a was continuing, but announced later that it had been suspended since around mid- night Wednesday so crews could bring in more heavy drilling mud to shoot into the blown-out well 5,000 feet un- derwater. The top kill was expected to resume Thursday night, but it could be late to- day or the weekend before the compa- ny knows if it has cut off the oil that has been flowing for five weeks. Spill eclipses Exxon ValdezUp to 7 major Atlantic hurricanes expectedThe Atlantic hurricane season could be the busiest since 2005, when hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused massive destruction along the same part of the Gulf Coast now struggling with the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, government scientists said Thursday. The 2010 season may spawn as many as 23 named tropical storms, including up to seven major hurricanes, a number not likely to be affected by the spill, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted.

Eight to 14 storms would strengthen into hurricanes, the agency said. Three to seven of those could become major storms that reach Category 3 or higher. Associated Press Oldest Medal of Honor recipient from WWII dies Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died Thursday at his Southern California ranch. He was 100.

Finn enlisted in the Navy just before his 17th birthday and went on to become the first man to receive the highest military award for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on dec. 7, 1941, according to a Navy statement. He was the oldest of 97 Medal of Honor recipients still living. despite head wounds and other injuries, Finn, the chief of ordnance for an air squadron, continuously fired a machine gun from an exposed position as bullets and bombs pounded the Naval Air Station in Oahu. paying you for doing your duty, and what I Finn told The Associated Press before his 100th birthday.

never intended to be a hero. But on dec. 7, by God, in a Associated Press Navy Lt. John Finn is congratulated in 1942 by his wife, Alice, after receiving the Medal of Honor. SEE POOLS, 3A SEE GAyS, 5A SEE TeLeGRAPH, 5A SEE OIL, 4A.