By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A coalition of local business groups will be releasing its findings next week as it looks to strengthen the area’s economic competitiveness.

Central Illinois Regional Airport director Carl Olson told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority is one of five organizations that make up BNAdvantage which he calls forward-thinking and collaborative.

“At the end of a project, organizations go back into their silos,” Olson said. “This is an ongoing collaboration.”

BNAdvantage has scheduled a public presentation of its marketing strategy at 3:30p.m. Tuesday at Heartland Community College’s Astroth Center.

The other groups involved are the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council of Bloomington Normal, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Regional Planning Commission. It has been meeting over the last 18 months.

Baggage screening

A new automated baggage screener is now operational at Central Illinois Regional Airport.

CIRA spokeswoman Fran Strebing said passengers no longer have to carry their checked bags to the TSA officer for screening, they can just leave them at the airline ticket counter.

“We are using it for what it was intended which is to screen the outbound bags and to get them to the aircraft efficiently,” Strebing said. “We are happy we are finally to this point.”

Use of the screener had been delayed for a few months because of a software glitch which was resolved last week.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].