The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 26

TTTT WEATHER SPORTS THE KANSAS CITY STAR Temperatures ate today high and the upcoming overnight low Kama City: Partly cloudy and I warmer today The winds downtown at noon will become southwesterly at 5 to 10 mph The high will rise to 89 Partly cloudy with a chance of storms late I tonight The low 68 Any storms ending early Wednesday then becoming partly cloudy The high will reach 87 Kansas: Partly to mostly sunny and warmer today Highs upper 80s to middle 90s Partly cloudy tonight with a few storms developing north-central and northeast late Lows upper 50s to near 70 Partly cloudy Wednesday with any storms ending early northeast Highs upper 80s to the 90s Mssourl: Partly cloudy with scattered showers and storms east today Highs middle 80s to the low 90s Storms ending east tonight with a few storms moving into the north late Lows 60s A chance of storms north Wednesday partly cloudy south Highs 80s Lake of the Ozarfcs: Partly cloudy and mild today Highs 83 to 87 Continued partly cloudy tonight with lows between 63 and 67 A mix of sun and clouds Wednesday Highs 84 to 88 Hot weather will continue in the West today with many places from the central valley of California into the Great Basin eclipsing the century mark A few storms will be possible in the Southwest Warmer temperatures will return to the central Plains as winds switch around to the south-southwest More of the same for the East as numerous showers and thunderstorms develop Continental US extremes: Death Valley Calif 122 Leadville Colo 36 i York City 8373 76 rr yy fls70 Masfivnte FREE 32-Ounce HI It the humidity Debbie e-mailed me the following ques boa "My husband and I were wondering why it Is ao humid in this area? Humidity this high Just makes me want to move west to a more arid dimate" Debbie the answer is location location location Take a map Draw a straight line south from Dodge City Kan You hit the dry land of Mexico Draw a straight line south from and you hit the Gulf of Mexico It is that moisture source that injects our southerly winds with higher humidity making us sweat The Gulf also injects storm systems with more energy to make our weather more wacky Email your questions to me at bbwbyohearsLcom For the latest breaking news of the day watch KMBC9 News at 5 6 and 10 I HIM Urn one deal wrtft coupon I Urn one coupon per customer please Offer good I al participating KC Metro PMips 66 locations orty Offer and services may vary I Coupon expires aK)0 a wwwweatherdotacom SL LouiS 8767 Five-day metro forecast For 24 hours starting at midnight T-storms KANSAS Chanute HlP 8663- 8862- 8657- 8759- 2202 Concordia Goodland 8753- 75 75 75 10 76 74 13 A year ago tod Noon 80 80 79 Mdnt 73 70 69 Downtown D-BowntoMd-Joinon Co Johnson Co Exec High Low Record ram (1952) 8662- 8864 8763- 8666- 7866TH 9363PC 9362PC 6650SH 8168TH 9465PC 9664PC 67515H MISSOURI Cape Girardeau HtP 856412 8263- 8165TH 8670TH 8273TH 9672TH 9072TH 9764PC 9071TH 8760S 10067F 7666TH 9677PC 8269TH 8167TH 9252S 9074TH 8564TH 8869TH 9058TH 8267TH 8267TH 8267TH 9273TH 8369TH 7663TH 9673PC 8564SH 8871TH 8274TH 9871PC 8772TH 9263PC 9070TH 8S58PC 9963S 8369TH 9676PC 7669TH 8267 AH 9552PC 9075TH 8466TH 8969TH 9159PC 8568TH 84A7TH 8167TH 9173TH 8468TH 8065SH 9874PC 8164Trace 8463- 836310 8461- 8062- 8662- 806801 Springfield Air Quality Index: 48 for Monday as of 3:00 pm Main pollutant Ozone 0-50: Good51-l(KI: Moderate 101-150: Unhealthy for sensitive groups 151: Unhealthy SkyCast for Tuesday Good Moderate Ozone Altai Ozone Alert Source: Mid-America Regional Council Sponsored by: and TV Pollen level: 9 Mold level: 7078 Source: Children's Mercy Hospital Allergy Clinic StarTouch: For the Kansas City area Air Quality Intfn and SkyCast updated dally call (816) 889-STAR and enter 2472 Pollen count information: 2471 NASCARs truck series gaining in popularity 2000 season results Date Race Winner Feb 18 Craftsman 250 Mike Wallace Fob 26 Florida Dodge Andy Houston Dealers 400 March 18 Chevy Trucks 150 Joe Ruttman March 26 Dodge California Mike Wallace Truck Stop 250 April 10 NAPA 250 Bobby Hamilton April 22 Line-X 250 Andy Houston May 7 Ram Tough 200 Jack Sprague May 13 Memphis 200 Jack Sprague May 21 Rocky Mountain 200 Greg Biffle June 3 Evergreen 250 Jack Sprague June 9 Pronto Auto Parts 400 Greg Biffle June 17 Kroger 225 Greg Biffle June 24 Bully Hill Vinyards ISOGreg Biffle July 1 Sears DieHard 200 Kurt Busch July 8 New Hampshire 200 Kurt Busch Star News Services The New York Liberty became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a WNBA playoff berth after an 81-56 thumping of the Charlotte Sting on Monday night in New York The liberty improved to 18-10 and held onto a 216-game lead over the Cleveland Rockers atop the East New York making its third playoff appearance in four seasons joins the West's Phoenix Mer-cjiry and Houston Comets which have also clinched playoff spots Vickie Johnson scored 20 points for the Liberty which has won a franchise- high eight strait home games Crystal Robinson added 12 points Andrea Stinson led Charlotte 7-21 with 18 points Rhonda Mapp added 13 points and nine jebounds for the last-place Sting which will miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history The liberty opened a 51-31 lead on Teresa Weatherspoons basket with just more than 1 4 minutes retraining The Sting could get no closer than 55-39 with 8 minutes 1 eft Johnson who has led the Liberty In scoring seven of the last nine 15 Chevy Silverado 200 Dennis Setzer Greg Biffle Aug 3 Powerstroke 200 Clermont Ind Aug 12 Federated Nashville Tenn Auto Parts 250 Aug 27 Chicago 175 Chicago Sept 7 Richmond 200 Richmond Va Sept 22 Dover 200 Dover Del Oct 13 300 Fort Worth Texas Oct 28 California 200 Fontana Calif JUUF JACOBSON The Star TWo shots that stopped just short of the cup led to LPGA player Jill McGill (center) winning eight of nine skins Monday at Ironhorse Golf Chib in Leawood event for KC? Ironhorse considered as possible site for Futures Tour practice facility" Greene expects that a decision will come within 60 days on hit a pitching wedge from 105 yards to inches of the cup The other three all made good runs at their By MECHELLEVOEPEL The Kinin City Star -games finished six for nine from -the field and made all five of her free throws Weatherspoon added 11 points and six assists whether Ironhorse gets Futures event If it happens the likely time would be in April or late Juneearty July Greene said it would have to birdie putts but none fell giving six skins to McGill She won tire other two on a chipping competition on No 9 after the Golf movers and shakers in the Kansas City area want to see an LPGA event here within the next five years But there may be women's SPEEDWAY: NASCAR DeLiaha Milton had 18 points 14 rebounds and six assists fix the Lbs Angeles Sparks who overcame a slow start and beat the Minnesota lynx 73-66 in Minneapolis The Sparkswho have won nine straight games in improving to 25-3 hit just six of their first 25 shots before ending the first half on a 12-im Betty Lennox a Fort Osage grad uate led Minnesota 13-14 with be at least a month away from the TD Waterhouse Championship the senior tour event at Tiffany Greens Golf dub that was in May this year Dave Garcia of Leawood-based Golf Tournament Management would like to see a Futures Tour event leading to an LPGA tournament He is die organizer for the "Celebration of Women's Golf" which benefits the National Kidney Foundation of Kansas and western Missouri McGill with two well-timed shots was the champion Monday as she won right skins in the nine- group tied the final two holes Again McGill's shot nestled right next to the cup and with two great shots she had won the competition "Yeah that's how it usually works in skins" said McGill 28 whose top finish on tour is a tie for fourth recorded last year The LPGA stop this week is the Michelob Light Classic in St Louis at Fax Run Golf Qub a new course Play starts Thursday Baena 23 the 1996 NCAA champion at Arizona definitely is playing in SL Louis Flom might but first she had to fly home to Tbcson Ariz to check on some flooding in her home McGtU is taking the week off and going home to San Diego pro golf here sooner than then Monday at Ironhorse Golf Qub in Leawood LPGA players fill McGill Cindy Flom and Marisa Baena and teaching pro Julie Roberts played a skins game as part of an event called "A Celebration of Golf" Following the foursome was Earl Greene tournament development coordinator for the SBC Futures Tour which last year became the official developmental torn of the LPGA Greene was checking out Ironhorse he played a round Saturday and the community as a possible Futures Tour site for next year Ironhorse opened 1995 "Generally this is the type of course that has interest in one of our events one with a lot of new housing that's looking for some exposure" Greene said nice long enough and got a good trucks added to schedule Continued from C-l Four events over two weekends will be held next year at Kansas Speedway Date Event My 7 NASCAR Tracks series July 8 Indy Racing League series SepLM Buscti Grand National series Sept 3G Winston Cup series hut Lynch said he has ruled out a CART race for 2001 "Obviously we want to use the facility as much as we can" he said Tickets can be obtained four ways: By going to the speedway.