Carson troops arrive home for the New Year

About 600 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team are home after serving 15-month tours in Iraq as Fort Carson welcomed troops home all day New Year’s Eve. Another 170 or so troops arrived around 2 a.m. today. The brigade has 3,600 soldiers. They began returning in October. The entire 2nd BCT is due home by the end of January.

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

It’s New Years Day, which means many businesses are closed. Here is a brief list:

-- Banks and credit unions: Closed.

-- Buses (Metro Transit): Buses running on Sunday’s schedule.

-- Government offices: City, county, state and federal office closed.

-- Libraries: All Pikes Peak Library District branches closed.

-- Post office: Offices closed and no mail service.

-- The Gazette: Closed.

-- The Citadel and Chapel Hills malls: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-- Most major department and grocery stores: Open regular hours Monday and Tuesday.

BRACING FOR ECONOMIC NEWS

Relax while you can because Pikes Peak area economists are releasing an important report Wednesday on the housing industry in the region.

The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is expected to release information about the number of building permits issued in December and all of 2007. Permit activity is important because new-home construction is considered a key indicator of the area’s economic health.

Check gazette.com on Wednesday for coverage of the new numbers.

CHECK HIGHWAY REPORTS BEFORE HEADING TO MOUNTAINS

If you are heading to the mountains today, check road conditions at the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Web site, www.cotrip.org. Then click on “road conditions.

For skiers bound for Summit County, pay particular attention to Interstate 70. The highway was closed Sunday night and Monday west of Denver due to weather and avalanche danger, which also forced the rare closure of Loveland Ski Area.

The interstate has reopened but Colorado Highway 6 over Loveland Pass remains closed.

If you are planning to drive the back way, watch U.S. Highway 24 reports, particularly Wilkerson Pass. Then look for U.S. 285 through Fairplay and Colorado Highway 9 over Hoosier Pass.

You can also check the latest snow report before you leave at ColoradoSki.com’s site: www.coloradoski.com/SnowReport. It contains links to individual ski resorts where you can see, for example, if Loveland is reopened or other resorts are closed.

Road conditions and other information:

Colorado: 1-877-315-7623

Arizona: 1-888-411-7623

Kansas: 1-800-585-7623

Nebraska: 1-402-471-4533

New Mexico: 1-800-432-4269

Oklahoma: 1-405-425-2385

Utah: 1-800-492-2400

Wyoming: 1-888-996-7623

Texas: 1-800-452-9292

FLIGHT DELAYS

Picking up a relative or friend at the airport and worried that weather may have delayed their flight? Or maybe you are anxious to ship your mother-in-law home after the holidays.

You can check the status of incoming and departing planes at the Colorado Springs Airport on its Web site at www.springsgov.com/FlightSchedule.asp

If you are slogging to Denver International Airport, similar flight information is available at: www.flydenver.com/flights/index.asp

NEW YEARS MEANS PARADES, FOOTBALL

The television today is packed with bowl parades and bowl games.

Six college football games will be on national TV today, the first starting at 9 a.m. and the last starting at 6:30 p.m.

The most interesting game might be the last one, with Hawaii playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, because Hawaii rarely makes it to New Year's Day bowl games. Colt Brennan, the Hawaii quarterback, was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

The games are:

--Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.: Wisconsin (9-3) vs. Tennessee (9-4), 9 a.m. (ESPN)

-- Cotton Bowl in Dallas: Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4), 9:30 a.m. (FOX)

-- Capital One Bowl in Orlando: Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida (9-3), 11 a.m. (ABC)

-- Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.: Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4), 11 a.m. (CBS)

-- Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif.: Southern California (10-2) vs. Illinois (9-3), 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

-- Sugar Bowl at New Orleans: Hawaii (12-0) vs. Georgia (10-2), 6:30 p.m. (FOX)

CLOWNING AROUND

If you get tired of college football, go see a peformance of the children’s comedy variety show “Art Guffaw" by Manitou Art Theater, 2 p.m. Tuesday, Venue 515, Business of Art Center, 515 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs. Tickets are $8. For more information, call 685-4729.

PULLING THE PLUG ON ELECTRIC SAFARI

Tonight is your last chance to view the Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Lights come on at 5:30 p.m. and gates close at 9 p.m. The last ticket is sold at 8 p.m.

The zoo is behind The Broadmoor resort at 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road. Tickets are $4-$7. Children under 2 years old are free. For more information, call 633-9925.