NO LETUP: It’s not flooding yet, but...

NO LETUP: It’s not flooding yet, but many in Ventura County are wary, given the rain we’ve gotten and the promise of more (B1). . . . Ruben Castaneda of Truestone sand and gravel said more than two dozen El Rio and Nyeland Acres residents bought sandbags Tuesday. “I think they’re getting prepared,” he said. “Last year they were having a tough time.” . . . The precipitation isn’t supposed to die down until Thursday.

STEALING AWAY: Jamie Griffin of Simi Valley High has set a school record with 358 steals in her three-year career, but the thefts come with a price (C6). Griffin, a senior point guard, tends to commit too many fouls with her aggressive play. . . . “I can’t help the team sitting on the bench in foul trouble,” she says. “I’m learning to pick my spots.” Griffin leads the Pioneers in a second-round Southern Section Division I-AA playoff game tonight against Long Beach Poly.

READ, READ, READ: Chris Hillman, formerly of the Byrds and now of Ojai, will perform in a March benefit to aid the county library system, organizer Michael Kaufer said. The March 23 shindig, which will also feature San Francisco swing band Johnny Nocturne, will be held at the Harbortown Marina Resort in Ventura. . . . The proceeds of the show will be used to replenish the library’s book fund, Kaufer said. Call 646-7230 for tickets or more information.

HIGH CARD: Although the library benefit comes just three days before a parcel-tax election, the gala will celebrate the system’s 80th birthday. The first library opened Jan. 1, 1916, in the basement of the County Courthouse, now Ventura City Hall. By the end of that year, there were 11 general branches and 34 school branches in the county. . . . The benefit will also feature a prize for the person holding a county library card the longest. The winner must beat Johanna Overby of Ventura, who’s had one for 71 years.