HEAT WAVE: The numbers don’t lie when...

HEAT WAVE: The numbers don’t lie when it comes to telling the weather, and the numbers this week aren’t very pretty (above). Throughout the Valley, from Burbank to Woodland Hills, temperatures hover near the triple-digit mark (B1), and relief is definitely not in sight. . . . These numbers are much higher than normal for this time of year.

GOLD RUSH: The dollar’s in big trouble these days (D1), causing anxiety in financial circles everywhere. And the Valley is certainly no exception. In fact, according to John Coey, a precious-metal trader for Continental Coin in Van Nuys, investors are going for the gold. . . . “They’re buying gold as a hedge against the fall of the dollar,” Coey said, “and platinum, too.”

OPEN SPACE: Big companies do two big things when they skip town. They take plenty of jobs, and they leave behind plenty of property. It’s no different this time with Hughes Aircraft Co.’s missiles system division in West Hills, although the site may sell quickly. . . . Meanwhile, GM has lowered the price for its former Van Nuys plant from $50 million to $30 million. See Valley Business, pages 10, 14.

MISSING BULLET: Baseball is a business, whether it’s the majors or the all-woman Colorado Silver Bullets. And that meant bad news for ex-Cal State Northridge softball star Missy Cress, who was one of four players cut from the squad recently. “She wasn’t able to make the transition from softball to baseball,” said Tommy Jones, director of player development. . . . Cress went 0 for 3 in three games.

STARTING OVER: Steel just ain’t what it was cracked up to be, as was proven in the Jan. 17 quake. So it’s quite understandable that the directors of the Automobile Club of Southern California in Santa Clarita have voted to completely rebuild their office building instead of repairing it (B11). . . . “We felt, given another earthquake, we could be in danger,” said Kelly B. Clark, district manager.

A Valley Heat Wave

The Valley is experiencing uncomfortably high temperatures. Monday’s highs, as of 5:30 p.m.: Lancaster: 107 Woodland Hills: 106 Van Nuys: 99 Burbank: 95 Source: WeatherData Inc.