Author: KEYT

Mike Klan

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) –  No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara swept fifth-seeded CSUN 3-0 on Wednesday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in the first round of The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship. 

With the win, the Gauchos improve to 23-8 on the season and advance to take on top-seeded UC Davis on Friday at 3 p.m. in the semifinals. In just the third iteration of The Big West postseason event, the victory marks UCSB’s first, falling in the semifinals in 2023 and narrowly missing the field in 2024.

UC Santa Barbara dominated the first set with a commanding 7-0 start, capitalizing on three attack errors by CSUN’s Leah Miller and a service ace from Michelle Zhao. Big West Freshman of the Year Gabi Martinez registered two kills early in the set, and the Gauchos maintained pressure with solid blocking to claim the 25-13 win in the first. 

UCSB leveraged a strong defensive performance to earn a 25-17 set victory in the second frame. The Gauchos’ Emma McDermott and Jordyn Johnson combined for critical blocks and Zhao served up two aces to keep the advantage late in the set. 

The terminal frame saw another key 6-0 run for the UCSB offense. Eva Travis played a pivotal role, registering four kills, while All-Big West First Team performer Layanna Green contributed with a crucial block that thwarted CSUN’s attack. Kiersten Schmitt sealed the set with a kill from Zhao.

Travis emerged as a key contributor for the UCSB team, leading the offensive efforts with 12 kills and a hitting percentage of .500, while adding a pair of aces. Five players finished the night with multiple blocks with McDermott tallying six total blocks, including one solo, with freshman Jordyn Johnson in on seven total blocks.  

All told, UC Santa Barbara recorded a .296 attack percentage while amassing 13 total blocks as CSUN managed just .036 hitting in the match.

Hailey Brockway led the Matadors with 11 kills and a match-high nine digs with senior Leah Miller adding seven kills to the stat sheet. Taylor Dunlap and Katie Kolar combined for 24 assists in the match with Paige Sentes digging out nine balls for the CSUN defense. The Matadors cap the season with a 17-13 overall record and their first appearance in The Big West Championship bracket.

(Article courtesy of Big West).

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Jarrod Zinn

BUELLTON, Calif. (KEYT) – The city of Buellton is spearheading an urban forestry initiative.

In pursuit of Tree City U.S.A. designation, Buellton seeks to establish a procedural framework for communities to maintain and expand their urban forests.

“The concept of urban forestry refers to the planting, care, and maintenance of trees within an urban environment within the city proper,” says Scott Wolfe, Buellton’s City Manager.

City leaders say that overall this is an effort to streamline policies and ordinances that currently are as scattered as naturally grown trees themselves.

“The big desire, too, is to ensure their native plants are species that will really thrive in the area,” says Buellton’s mayor David Silva. “So it’s not just putting trees in the ground, it’s putting trees that will really stand the test of time and meet the moment as we work to ensure that our town is climate resilient.”

Mayor Silva proposes putting together drafts of several of tree-related policies, and then combining them into one streamlined community effort for mitigation, upkeep, and future growth.

“The Tree City USA designation is granted by the Arbor Day Foundation, and it’s really a way to showcase cities that are leading the way in prioritizing trees as not just an ancillary part of their policies,” says mayor Silva.

City leaders hope to establish a method to oversee these efforts, as well as to enhance the mediation of disputes related to tree removal.

“Part of the ordinance that the city council’s in the process of adopting right now creates or codifies the creation of a tree and landscape advisory board,” says Wolfe.

During the November city council session, the policy passed with a unanimous vote.

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Unless you are in an isolated place away from the general population, or don’t plan on going out much this weekend, you could find yourself entangled in some big crowds.

The early data shows there will be at or near record travelers on trains, planes and in automobiles. From the Automobile Association of America (AAA) to ticket reservations from airlines analysts know seats will be filled and people will be in motion.

Highway 101 has already been showing signs of more cars filling the lanes, from the local population to the travelers on this coastal north-south route. Normally the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times to travel but the Sunday after Thanksgiving has now been given the honor as the busiest day.

They says a good time to travel is Thanksgiving morning when the roads are generally clear.

Caltrans construction will not be taking place Wednesday evening or Thursday.

Amtrak is adding extra cars to its trains in Southern California. Among those that will be riding on the Central Coast will be students from UC Santa Barbara on the southbound train around 1:45 p.m. Traditionally they have filled the cars for that getaway afternoon train.

One Santa Barbara City College student Eila Andresen was getting set for her train ride south and said, “I think the train is the most reliable.  It only ever gets  delayed  a little bit sometimes.  It not a big deal. “

She had a seat assigned for this trip but has had to stand in a crowded train in the past. “People get off at LA and after that  so that is perfectly half way on my trip,” said Andresen.

One family coming up from the Los Angeles area did not want to do it in the car and said they made the right choice with their kids.

Ben Duckett said, “the trip were perfect, easy and these guys were  great. Not too crowded. Everyone was in a good mood, just going to celebrate Thanksgiving.”

A Washington D.C. resident on an extended stay in Santa Barbara said, many family members were on the way. Joel Sarfati said, “all the family is coming in. So were going to have 14 for Thanksgiving. One group just came from Salt Lake City,  another from either SLO and from Phoenix, and third group landed in Los Angeles from Seattle.”

Santa Barbara weather was forecasted to be in the 70’s.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Millions of people dive into video games every day—to compete, unwind, or simply escape.

But for some, that pastime can spiral into something darker, marked by isolation, distress, and an overwhelming loss of control.

At UC Santa Barbara, researchers are rethinking everything we know about gaming addiction—and what it really means to treat it.

We’ve all said it before: “Just one more round.”

For dedicated gamers, though, that single match can easily stretch into hours.

Jack Dindia, a lifelong gaming enthusiast, admits he’s crossed that line. “I would say there are times when I would play video games to an extent that could be considered an addictive level,” he says.

Gaming disorder, now recognized by the World Health Organization, affects millions worldwide.

For years, it’s been blamed on the games themselves—their design, their reward systems, their relentless immersion.

“It’s clearly a very complicated and nuanced subject,” Dindia adds. “Certain elements are intentionally designed to keep players engaged—maybe even addicted.”

René Weber, a brain scientist and director of UC Santa Barbara’s Media Neuroscience Lab, believes the issue runs deeper.

“The main question,” Weber explains, “is what comes first—an underlying psychopathology that drives compulsive gaming, or compulsive gaming that leads to psychological issues?”

While public concern has often centered on screen time or violent content, Weber’s team found those factors don’t explain why only some players lose control.

Instead, their research points to mental health as the key. “Things like psychopathology drive gaming disorder,” Weber notes. “We see increases in anxiety, depression, and trauma—especially in younger, developing brains.”

At the UCSB Brain Imaging Center, Weber’s team uses advanced MRI technology to explore what happens inside the brain during gameplay.

“Now you can see that’s the head coil,” Weber says, guiding a participant into the scanner. “It’s a very expensive antenna that picks up the signals created by magnetic resonance.”

Players use a small trackball to control their in-game movements, minimizing physical motion so the scans can capture brain activity tied to reward, impulse control, and emotion regulation.

“If our participants keep just a finger on the trackball,” Weber says, “it reduces motion—which is crucial for clean MRI data.”

Weber’s findings, published in JAMA Network Open, challenge a common assumption: limiting access to games isn’t enough.

“The real concern,” he explains, “is that when gaming becomes a true addiction, it leads to loss of control, conflict, and dysfunction in daily life.”

Underlying issues—depression, anxiety, trauma—often fuel the cycle.

Addressing those root causes, not simply restricting playtime, is what leads to recovery.

“I’m not saying it’s just the gaming,” Weber says. “It’s the underlying psychopathology that can intensify the disorder.”

The biggest battle in gaming addiction doesn’t play out on the screen.

It happens in the mind.

Behind every struggle is a deeper story—one that can’t be solved by unplugging a console, but by healing what’s beneath it.

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Michael Yu

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- SB Humane’s chief operating officer Dori Villalon joined your morning news once again with Po, a husky.

Po has now spent over 300 days at the shelter waiting for a new home. He was briefly adopted back in January, but was sent back due to not being a good match.

Po loves other dogs, is great on a leash and is house-trained. His adoption fee has also been waived!

SB Humane has also broken its goal of 2000 adoptions! The cat, Rayne Drop, broke the record.

On December 10th, SB Humane will host a meet & greet at the CalPrivate Bank in Montecito.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

High School Boys Basketball:

San Marcos 47, Oak Park 46 (overtime): Aidan Conlan scored 14 points to lead the Royals to a season-opening overtime home win over Oak Park

Dos Pueblos 88, Lompoc 41: Wyatt Gardiner and Jordan Zamora each scored 19 points as DP opened the season with a lopsided road win.

High School Girls Basketball:

Dos Pueblos 78, San Luis Obispo 35: Carly Letendre scored 33 points as DP improved to 4-1 with a road win. The Chargers had 27 steals.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Cal Poly and UCSB had several players honored as the Big West announced their season awards.

UCSB Volleyball:

After a standout debut season, Gabi Martinez has been named the 2025 Big West Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Three additional Gauchos – Layanna Green, Eva Travis, and Jordyn Johnson – have also earned all-conference honors after leading the Gauchos to a dominant regular season on the court.

Martinez made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, also securing All-Big West First Team honors and a spot on the All-Big West Freshman Team. The outside hitter from Katy, Texas, earned Big West Freshman of the Week three times this season and is the second consecutive Big West Freshman of the Year from UC Santa Barbara.

Martinez has repeatedly led the Gaucho offense, averaging 15.4 kills per match in the last ten outings and registering a career-high of 19 kills against CSUN. She also got it done on defense, scoring a career-best five blocks versus UC San Diego and scooping double-digit digs on four occasions. With her growth, consistency, and competitive edge, she is sure to remain a major asset for the Gauchos in the seasons ahead.

Middle blocker Layanna Green also received All-Big West First Team Honors. She has spent the season being the most efficient hitter in the league, ranking first in the Big West and 13th in the nation in hitting percentage, at .425. This season, she posted a season-high 14 kills, 17 points, and a .700 hit percentage against Cal Poly, a career-high of nine block assists against UC San Diego, and earned a spot on the Dayton Flyer Invitational All-Tournament Team. Green ended the regular season with an average of 3.6 blocks per match.

Outside hitter and 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year Eva Travis continued to shine this season, earning All-Big West Second Team honors. She was selected to the All-Big West Preseason Team and named to the Trojan Invitational All-Tournament Team, reinforcing her status as one of Santa Barbara’s key offensive players. She was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 25, after delivering 30 kills over UC Irvine, a career-high and the highest kill count of any Big West player this season. She has sat atop the Big West kill and point rankings for the entirety of the season and has averaged 14 kills per match.

Freshman middle blocker Jordyn Johnson made a strong impression with her debut season, earning an All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition and a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Johnson leads the Big West in solo blocks at 21 and is tenth in blocks per set with 0.99. The Minnesotan also posted a .389 hitting percentage. She recorded a career-high 11 kills against Cal Poly, a career-high 7 blocks against UC Irvine, and 10.5 points at Hawai’i. With her athleticism and timing at the net, Johnson has quickly become a dominant presence on the court for the Gauchos.

POSTSEASON

On November 26th, Women’s Volleyball will head down to Long Beach to compete in the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship, presented by the Hawaiian Islands. Over the three-day tournament, the top six Big West teams will battle inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid for a spot in the championship match on Saturday, November 29th.

Santa Barbara will act as the No. 4 seed and take on No. 5 CSUN at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The Gauchos have defeated the Matadors twice this season, going 3-1 and 3-0, and lead in the all-time series 44-9.

Cal Poly Volleyball:

Six total Mustangs earned Big West honors led by Emme Bullis and Kendall Beshear earning first team nods.

Emme Bullis / All-Big West First TeamBullis, a redshirt senior from Whitewater, Wis., received her fourth career all-conference nod after a pair of honorable mentions in 2022-23 and a second-team placement last season. She broke through to the first team this year in a milestone season, cementing her status as one of the most legendary setters in the program’s Division I era.

Bullis not only eclipsed 1,000 assists for the third time in her career but also became just the fourth Mustang in the program’s Division I history to reach the coveted 4,000-assist milestone. Her career tally of 4,159 ranks fourth in Cal Poly’s record book, just 86 behind third-place Carly O’Halloran (1999-02) and 121 from second-place Taylor Nelson (2014-17).

Arguably Cal Poly’s most versatile player this season, Bullis bolstered her case as one of the Big West’s premier players. She set career highs in kills (56), total attempts (150), hitting percentage (.273), and points per set (1.00), while also tallying a team-best 11 double-doubles and ranking third on the team in digs (249).

Kendall Beshear / All-Big West First TeamThe sophomore was a dominant and versatile six-rotation player for Cal Poly, serving as a primary offensive weapon and a key defender. After a standout freshman campaign, Beshear elevated her game significantly this season.

Beshear ranks second on the team with 322 kills, averaging 3.16 per set with a .272 hitting percentage. She was the team’s most dangerous server, deploying a lethal jump serve that produced a squad-leading 40 service aces (0.39 per set), which ranked second in the Big West.

A complete player, Beshear also finished fourth on the team in digs with 233 (2.28 per set) and added 50 total blocks (0.49 per set).

Chloe Leluge / All-Big West Second TeamA Big West All-Freshman honoree in her debut season, Leluge was an efficient and formidable presence at the net. She excelled defensively while also establishing herself as one of the nation’s top offensive middle blockers.

Leluge posted a remarkable team-leading .374 hitting percentage, a testament to her smart shot selection and ability to terminate attacks with minimal errors (only 50 on 486 attempts). Her hitting efficiency ranked second in the conference and 52nd nationally, helping the Mustangs remain in the top 25 for team hitting percentage for most of the season.

She also leads the team in blocking, with 109 total blocks for an average of 1.04 per set. This includes 10 solo blocks and 99 block assists, as well as a career-high of 10 total blocks in a single match against Arkansas.

Annabelle Thalken and Emma Fredrick / All-Big West Honorable MentionsThalken recorded 249 kills with a strong .299 hitting percentage and became a key part of the team’s blocking scheme, amassing 72 total blocks for a 0.69 per-set average.

Fredrick, who took on the largest offensive role of her career, led the team in nearly every major offensive category. She racked up a team-high 352 kills, averaging 3.35 per set. While taking the most swings on the team by a wide margin (930 total attacks), she also contributed 30 service aces (0.29 per set) and ranked second on the team in digs with 290 (2.76 per set).

Charlotte Kelly / Big West All-Freshman TeamFor the second consecutive season, Cal Poly is represented on the All-Freshman Team. Kelly was a defensive stalwart at the net, forming a formidable blocking duo with Chloe Leluge and providing a dependable offensive option in the middle.

Stepping into the role vacated by last season’s All-Big West First Team selection Breklyn Pulling, Kelly rose to the challenge. She ranks second on the team with 107 total blocks, averaging 1.02 per set. She also made the most of her offensive opportunities, scoring 149 kills with an excellent .315 hitting percentage, one of the highest on the team.

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Dave Alley

NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) – Holloway’s Christmas Trees is once again open for business, but this year it’s anything but business as usual at the longtime farm.

Located along Highway 101 just south of Tefft Street in Nipomo, Holloway’s has been a favorite holiday destination for generations ever since it was opened by Del Holloway in 1962.

This past September, current owners Carl Holloway (Del Holloway’s son) and his wife Debbie, who took over operations in the late-1990’s, announced they were retiring from the business and listed the farm on the real estate market.

“The farm is for sale,” said Carl Holloway. “We’ve had seven different families come and look at it. Five of them were very viable candidates, and two of them I just knew were going to buy it, but they didn’t come up with an offer. It’s too bad, but you know, it’s got to fit their needs.”

Ever since the news spread the property was being sold, many people throughout the Central Coast have been worried about the unknown future of the 12-acre site.

The Holloways are hoping who ever purchases the property will maintain the land and the business as it currently exists.

“The idea is to sell the entire farm turnkey for somebody to come in and keep growing Christmas trees,” said Carl Holloway. “It’s actually more beneficial to us to do it the other way, sell the trees off the property, but we’re committed to trying to do what we’ve been doing for 65 years. We want that to continue because we love it.”

Since the tree farm was opened by his father more than 60 years ago in 1962, along with the fact it’s been a beloved holiday tradition for thousands of families through the many decades, Holloway is emphasizing to the community just how important it is for him and Debbie to try and keep the farm in operation.

“We’re doing everything we can to do that,” said Holloway. “We have an assets list of over $200,000 that is going to go with the sale of the farm, so somebody coming in can just step in here and turnkey it and continue operations either as we have it, or hopefully being with a younger, brighter, sharper mind, they come in, and make some great changes for the community that will allow them to maybe make more money, and give the community a nice outlet for their Christmas trees.”

With no currently offer in place, whatever eventually happens to the property is still to be determined in the many weeks or even months that lay ahead.

Holloway indicated if the farm doesn’t sell by this time next year, he would reopen for business in 2026, but it would look and feel much different from the past.

“We could possibly be here,” said Holloway. “It probably won’t be in the same capacity as this, but you never know. We have a lot of money in the inventory on the farm and we would be running a big sale next year on trees. A lot of the playground stuff and all that kind of stuff would go away and we would try to reduce payroll and just clear off the trees.”

This year, Holloway’s opened for business last week on it’s customary annual Nov. 17 opening day.

While heavy rain poured throughout most of the morning hours, the farm opened its doors in the afternoon with eager customers braving the wet conditions.

“I think we sold about 20 to 30 trees,” said Holloway, “Not a lot, but after Thanksgiving, sales just turn and go straight up like a jet. We go from selling 50, 60 trees a day to selling 600 trees a day, and that’s a different, different world.”

Holloway and his employees are expecting this coming weekend will attract heavy crowds, perhaps as many as several thousand people each day.

“It’s going to be really, really busy,” said Jack Krauk, who has worked at Holloway’s for the past five years. “After Thanksgiving is our busiest time. Definitely this farm, it’s going to be hard to walk around. It gets crazy. We’re going to sell tons of trees. My guess is we’ll have 20 guys, maybe 25 guys working at a time, so it’s going to get crazy.” 

Krauk is one of about 60 seasonal employees at Holloway’s, many of them past or present Nipomo High School students.

For Krauk, who grew up in Nipomo, he points out just how important the longtime farm is to the community, both for the town and surrounding area.

“I definitely think it’s like a staple for the Central Coast,” said Krauk. “Everyone talks about it all year long. You pass it here on Highway 101, and, I just I just think it’s a great, great location for it and it brings Nipomo a little life too.  It’s an amazing experience, seeing everyone come in with their families and pick out their tree. It’s not like going to a parking lot and getting in your tree. You get to come here and experience the farm, maybe cut it down yourself and you just see it in the smiles. It’s really awesome.”

No matter exactly when the property sells, Holloway knows the his time at the farm will eventually come to an end at some point in the near future, so he’s feeling nostalgic and grateful for his many years owning the business as he and Debbie enter this season.

“I’m going to miss the kids,” said Holloway. “I’ll miss the kids that are excited about coming to the farm. I won’t miss pruning trees, you know, and pulling weeds and doing some of the, some of the menial jobs in out to be done to keep the farm going, but at the same time, I’ll really miss the families and the friendships. I have people coming here tell me they’ve been coming for 40 years. I don’t remember everybody’s name, but it’s great seeing seeing them, seeing them enjoy the farm. It’s like you know you’ve done something good.”

Holloway’s Christmas Trees is open daily, starting at noon weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends.

The business closes each night at 8 p.m.

For more information, visit www.hollowaysfarms.com, and for those interested in the property, call realtor Byron Grant of Century 21 Masters at (805) 441-2560.

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Trains are just part of the holiday travel experience for many.

Those who choose it can save on gas and luggage, too.

“We are doing free checked baggage for southern stations from now until December fourth, you can check in 2 bags per person for free. We will put them on the train for you as soon as you arrive to your destination we will be taking them off as well,” said Ignacio Sanchez.

Sanchez, who usually works at the Oxnard Station is working in Santa Barbara on what experts call the busiest travel day before Thanksgiving.

His top tip is to arrive early.

Travel experts monitor trains, planes and rental car bookings to make their estimate and this year they expect a record 82 million to travel at least 50 miles to their Turkey day destination.

Airports and freeways are likely to be jammed at times.

Experts recommend planning for extra time.

Travelers may want to avoid hitting the road home on Sunday when it is expected to be the busiest after the holiday.

Eating too much won’t get you into trouble, but drinking and driving will.

Designate a driver, if you hit the road before or after the holiday.

Travelers may use what you learned this week to plan for the next holidays.

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