While rumors keep flying about the future of Sleep Train Amphitheatre in south Yuba County, it’ll still have a slate of concerts rocking the region’s summer nights this year.

The concert listing database on Pollstar.com shows several shows there this summer, beginning April 23 with country music superstars Brooks & Dunn.

Other shows listed are Tim McGraw on May 28, Toby Keith on July 29, the Vans Warped Tour Aug. 12, Dave Matthews Band Aug. 27 and Rascal Flatts on Oct. 7.

The Insider notes, with sadness, that Pearl Jam apparently has no show there this summer — they visited in 2000 — but holds out a single, lonely lit cigarette lighter (okay, a lit cell phone screen) in hopes that will change.

Those interested in drawing political boundaries for 2012 and beyond have until the end of this week to apply for the state’s first citizen redistricting commission.

The deadline is Friday to apply for the group, which beginning next year will use 2010 U.S. Census data to create new districts for state Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization.

So far, 32 Yuba County residents have applied to join the commission, with 28 meeting the eligibility requirements. In Sutter County, 63 applied and 52 are eligible, and all 12 applicants from Colusa County are eligible.

More information on the eligibility requirements, and the application itself, can be found at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.

UPDATE: Apparently the state auditor has decided to extend the application deadline, until Feb. 16. at 5 p.m. Given the Presidents’ Day weekend probably means few state officials would review all  the applications until then anyhow, this only results in about a day’s extension.

First 5 Yuba Commission is accepting applications for grants to fund projects both big and small in the county, aimed at promoting early childhood development activities among preschool children and their parents.

The commission has $600,000 available for grants of up to $100,000 for major programs for a year, two year or three years. Grants for smaller projects of up to $2,500 for one year are also available.

To apply, those interested must attend one of two meetings on Feb. 11 for major programs or one of two meetings on Feb. 24 for smaller programs. The Feb. 11 meetings are from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Beckwourth room of the Yuba County One Stop and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Maidu Room of the One Stop, 1114 Yuba St., Marysville.

Meetings on Feb. 24 at the One Stop are from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Those applying for larger grants must also send a letter of intent to the First 5 Yuba office by March 8 and a full application by April 12, while smaller grant applications must be received by May 3.

Youngsters looking to develop their hoop skills can find help at two days of clinics presented by the Yuba County Recreation program on March 13 and 14.

The clinics have two sessions each day, one from 8 a.m. to noon and a second from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Snacks and a water bottle will be provided.

The sessions are open to 4-year-olds with a parent for $50, children 5 to 8 years old for $75, and for children 9 to 13 years old for $100.

The registration deadline is March 10; the clinic will be at Lindhurst High School, 4446 Olive Drive, Olivehurst.

Registration can be done by phone at 749-5670 or e-mail to CBalderama@co.yuba.ca.us, or in person at the Yuba County Government Center, 915 Eighth St., Suite 125, Marysville.

The county recreation program also has dance classes for children 18 months through 12 years, on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Sutter/Yuba Friday Night Live building, 301 Fourth St., Marysville.

Classes cost $30 to $40 per month. Registration for those classes is the same as for the basketball clinic.

A well-known anti-tax group has endorsed Aanestad’s lieutenant governor bid, calling him the race’s true conservative.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association, the group named after one of the author’s of 1978’s Proposition 13, said Aanestad has consistently voted against more spending and taxes.

Aanestad’s campaign sent a press release noting the endorsement and also pointing out Maldonado has occasionally voted in favor of tax increases. A poll of GOP 500 likely primary voters showed 65 percent favored Aanestad over Maldonado when voters knew history of the two candidates’ voting records, according to the release.

After an absence, we present the return of what else happened at Tuesday evening’s Yuba County Board of Supervisors meeting:

• On a 5-0 vote, the board approved increasing the salary for the Director of Nurses position, owing to a lack of applicants for that post when it came open last fall.

Under the approved change, the base salary for the nursing director went from $6,741 to $6,943. The county has also expanded its marketing for the still-vacant position and may take other steps, according to an agenda item.

• As part of the consent agenda, the board formally appropriated federal stimulus funding received last year to three agencies: Harmony Health Family Resource Center, which received $65,000; Yuba County Office of Education, which received $78,285; and Yuba County Administrative Services, which received $50,000.

• Owing to a lack of items, the board cancelled the next planned meeting on Feb. 9. The next scheduled meeting will now be Feb. 16 at 9:30 a.m.

Though it took a bit of digging to find, Marysville City Councilwoman Christina Billeci’s Assembly campaign finance numbers show her ahead of incumbent Assemblyman Dan Logue.

According to her campaign finance report filed with Yuba County, Billeci raised $20,615 in the period from July 1 through the end of last year in her bid to win the Democratic nomination to the Third Assembly District seat.

Odd part, though, is that at first glance Billeci hadn’t filed a report as of midnight Monday with the California Secretary of State’s office. After further checking, she’d done so ahead of the deadline, but her campaign account had the name “Billea” rather than “Billeci.”

The next campaign finance filing deadline is March 22.

Her possible Democratic opponent in the primary race, Mickey Harrington of Magalia, has about $6,900 in his campaign account, according to the Secretary of State’s Web site.

Regardless of who wins — or runs in — the Democratic primary, they’re up against a tall task in November to unseat Logue, R-Linda.

Logue’s campaign finance records show more than $17,000 in his account, though he spent more than $104,000 (!) in campaign expenditures in 2009, a non-election year for state offices.

Some other quick campaign finance observations:

• The two former GOP Assembly members seeking the Fourth State Senate District seat are raising some pretty impressive amounts in their primary race, with Doug LaMalfa of Richvale’s total at $603,304.50 as of Feb. 1, and Rick Keene of Chico at $1.018 million on that date.

Despite Keene’s on-hand cash advantage, though, LaMalfa actually out-raised him during the reporting period of July 1, 2009, through the end of last year, with $114,466.36 to $76,248 for Keene.

The two men are running to replace termed-out state Sen. Sam Aanestad, R-Penn Valley.

• Speaking of Aanestad, he might be the only conservative in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, but his fund-raising might need to ramp up in the months ahead.

His hands-on cash total was $97,498.41, a relatively small amount for a statewide campaign.

Aanestad’s presumed rival for the GOP nomination, moderate state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, has even less, with only about $9,100 in cash on-hand between three active campaign accounts.

Still, Maldonado’s could gain the advantage of incumbency if state legislators confirm his appointment to the vacant lieutenant governor’s position ahead of the election to a full term later this year.

Because doing so would give majority-party Democrats a shot at taking Maldonado’s Central Coast seat in the fall, and give minority-party Republicans a possible statewide officeholder to rally around for the future, the temptation to do so might be strong.

Businesses in Olivehurst can learn how to take the next step in making their ventures grow, through a free seminar presented by the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation on Feb. 25.

The seminar at the Olivehurst Community Center is open to all businesses and will cover several topics, including workforce development, attracting new business and clients, business finance and training and education. 

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 751-8555 or e-mailing bstranix@ysedc.org. The seminar is at 4979 Olivehurst Avenue and will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with dinner provided.

The next seminar in the YSEDC’s series of six will be in April in Sutter County.

The Yuba County recreation program has a new spin and twist on its programs, literally.

Dance classes for children 18 months to 12 years old will begin March 1 and 3 at the Sutter/Yuba Friday Night Live Building in Marysville.

Classes are $30 to $40 per month, happen Mondays and Wednesdays, and cover ballet, jazz and tap dancing. Registration is required on the Friday before the next class, with space available.

For information: 749-4670.

Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, and other Republicans in the state Legislature are taking their “jobs, jobs, jobs” mantra to the Internet.

Last week,  Logue announced the launch of CAJobsFirst.com, a Web site dedicated to both resources for job seekers and information on what the creators called the state’s policies restricting economic development.

The site also has news and statistics related to jobs in California, and suggestions for improving the state’s job prospects. Site users can also offer their own thoughts on their job situation and how to create jobs again.

Logue and his Republican colleagues have said state policies are making the state’s recovery from a severe recession more difficult, if not impossible.

As part of his cause, Logue is also pushing both state legislation and a ballot initiative in November that would postpone implementation of 2006’s AB 32, meant to address the state’s carbon emissions, until state unemployment drops to 5.5 percent.

Logue and others have maintained AB 32 is a huge detriment to jobs, while proponents have said the bill’s promotion of clean energy and other environmental causes will spur job growth in those areas.