J.C. Booth Middle STEM and engineering teacher Jason Bingel was awarded Coach/Mentor of the Year honors at the state FIRST LEGO League Championship at Georgia Gwinnett College on Feb. 4. Under Bingel's direction, the Booth robotics program has grown substantially over the past several years with the school having more FLL teams than any other middle school in Georgia. His teams have also supported and developed FLL teams at various elementary schools in the Fayette County school system. "Jason is a visionary who mobilizes students and passionate parent coaches to create a unique learning experience for students outside of school," says Gerri VanZyl, parent and FLL coach at J.C. Booth Middle.

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Uta Thomas picks up her son, Jax, during a public hearing in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. She implored the school board not to close Dunbar Elementary. 
"You would centralize education to decentralized families," she said. "You would break apart a community hub." (Abbey Cutrer / AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

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Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, the first day of the Federal Aviation Administration cutting flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com