Students at Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary in Atlanta reached their goal of logging 10,000 miles in the the New Balance Foundation Billion Mile Race. Tony Simmons, physical education teacher, said, "I saw an email about" the program "and I immediately thought our school would like to be involved. We like to teach team activities and when we saw that kids across the country would be doing this together, we want to join in and teach teamwork. Being involved in a larger movement was a big incentive for our students. We had an existing walking and running program that was part of the PE curriculum for cardiovascular fitness, however the Billion Mile Race really took it to a new level. The students really connected to the goal and team aspect of The Race. The kids really pushed themselves because they were connected to something greater than just their school. All aspects of physical fitness improved because of their participation in the Billion Mile Race- this is the best we have ever done!"

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Wade Roberts (center), a Decatur-area resident with children in three of the city's schools, speaks as Decatur parents met with Education Planners, a consulting firm, on Nov. 13, at Beacon Hill Middle School in Decatur to discuss the possibility of one of the district's five K-2 schools closing. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)