Q&A on the News

Q: When I travel, I always wear a nonmetallic money belt. Is that going to be a problem with the new airport scanners?

-- Richard E. Taylor, Mililani, Hawaii

A: Passengers should completely divest of items before advanced imaging technology screening, Jon Allen, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration in Atlanta, told Q&A on the News. "We recommend that loose items such as change, keys and wallets be placed inside a carry-on bag [or purse or laptop bag, for example] for safekeeping," he wrote in an e-mail. "Jewelry such as necklaces and watches could alarm at the metal detector, so these are items that frequent travelers are already accustomed to removing. Items such as billfolds and money belts should be removed before advanced imaging technology screening." Removing items including wallets, belts, bulky jewelry, money, keys and cell phones will reduce the need for additional screening after exiting the machine, according to the TSA.

Q: Who paid for the usage of the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship game, and how much money did each school receive from CBS?

-- Michael Martin, Marietta

A: The Southeastern Conference has a contractual arrangement with the Georgia Dome, and the conference doesn't release the numbers from such deals, SEC spokesman Charles Bloom told Q&A on the News in an e-mail. He added that the SEC distributed $14.5 million (after expenses) to the conference's 12 schools from the 2009 SEC Championship game. That money included revenue from CBS, Bloom wrote.