Football: Seahawks pummel Broncos in Super Bowl See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Monday, February 3, 2014
READY FOR A FIGHT Iolan Jacob Browning spars with training partner Mike Aronson in anticipation of Friday’s mixed martial arts fight at Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City, Mo. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Iola trainer prepares for MMA bout in Kansas City By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
J
acob Browning’s venture into mixed martial arts fighting continues Friday at Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City, Mo., when he takes on Mark Conception in a 140-pound bout. Browning, 24, has dabbled in MMA fighting — a full-contact fighting sport that utilizes both striking and grappling techniques — for the past 17 months. Friday’s bout will be his fourth. He’s racked up a 1-2 record as an amateur — both losses coming by decisions — despite breaking his opponent’s nose and arm in his last fight. “Still not sure how I lost that one,” he said. Friday’s event will be special for several reasons, he noted. His brother, Seth, will be in Jacob’s corner before heading out to basic training in the Army in a few days. In addition, a large contingent of Iolans have snatched up most of the 50 tickets Browning sold through his affiliation with Blue Corner Promotions, sponsors of the fight. “We’re gonna probably have more Iolans there than
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — “Way to go, Simon!” Jerry Stephens shouts as his nine-year-old son deflects a ball in a rec league basketball game. Stephens, 60, was a bit late in starting a family. Today, he’s making up for lost time. A native of Humboldt, Stephens and his wife wife, Loraine, were settled in Santa Barbara, Calif., until their return to Humboldt 18 months ago. Part of the reason for coming home was for their son. “Santa Barbara was big, (population nearly 90,000) and with so many people, Simon wouldn’t have been able to do all he can in Hum-
boldt,” said Stephens, referring to a small town’s all-iswelcome mentality to sports and other activities. Stephens had worked in computer operations in a bank in Santa Barbara. A reconfiguration of operations portended a transfer to Los Angeles. See STEPHENS | Page A4
Jerry Stephens
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 68
Geraldine Kipp, 90, rural Iola, died Friday from injuries she suffered in a head-on collision on the Neosho River bridge a mile west of Iola. Mrs. Kipp was driving west when her car collided with an eastbound automobile driven by Kim Warren, 61, Yates Center. Warren suffered leg injuries, said Undersheriff Roy Smith. Also injured was Warren’s wife, Kathy, 60. “There were four other passengers in the Warren car, but See CRASH | Page A2
STATE
Bill would outlaw public broadband WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Community broadband service would be banned under a bill that will come before a Kansas Senate committee Tuesday. The Wichita Eagle reports that a lobbyist for the cable TV industry introduced the bill, which would prohibit cities and counties from building public broadband networks and providing Internet service to their businesses and citizens. Officials in the southeast Kansas city of Chanute, population 9,100, say they’re the primary target of the pro-
See FIGHT | Page A4
Coming home to Humboldt
Rural Iola woman dies from collision
See BILL | Page A4
Military was first taste of segregation By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
Spencer Ambler spoke to a large group at the New Community Building Friday about Black History Month during See, Hear Iola. “We’re still having problems with talking about race relations,” Ambler said. Ambler explained that many people have trouble talking about the past and current issues with race. Many people have to put a “handle,” like a black woman or a white man, when they’re describing a person. Ambler said Black History Month is similar to Christmas. It comes one time a year
Spencer Ambler shows an advertisement for a dance from the days of segregation. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET and then we forget about it. “It’s more than Martin Luther King and more than any individual,” he said. “We’ll see a lot about it this month but we won’t talk about it again until next year.” Growing up, Ambler was the only black male in his
“Trust everybody, but cut the cards.” — Finley Peter Dunne, humorist 75 Cents
high school class. “I had lived a sheltered life in Chanute,” he said. “I didn’t know what discrimination was until I was in the military.” While in the military he had See AMBLER | Page A4
Hi: 40 Lo: 28 Iola, KS