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Arkansas squatters stake claim on land, says it belongs to them since they are part of exclusive group: police

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Arkansas squatters stake claim on land, says it belongs to them since they are part of exclusive group: police


Squatters have staked their claim on land in Arkansas, claiming that they are part of a sovereign citizen group known to have engaged in violent confrontations with law enforcement.

In a press release, Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell said that the investigation into the squatters began in August 2023. 

Authorities said that they were alerted to a couple who moved into an RV and an “enclosed property” owned by someone else.

The pair allegedly built a permanent structure, dug a septic line, installed solar panels and began storing large amounts of water.

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CALIFORNIA SQUATTERS TAKE OVER BEVERLY HILLS MANSION, THROW WILD PARTIES WITH COCAINE AND ORGIES: REPORT

Anyone who has seen Chris Foiles or Stedman’s RV, pictured, within the past four weeks is asked to contact the Idaho Falls Police Department. About four weeks ago, Foiles repainted the stripe alongside the vehicle blue. (Bozeman Police Department)

Sheriff Russell said that law enforcement confronted the couple about their squatting and served a number of notice of evictions.

Despite threatening the pair with eviction notices, the pair refused to leave their RV setup. 

The two individuals said they were members of a sovereign citizen group known as the Moorish National Republic. 

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Police said the two provided law enforcement with a false legal document claiming the ground was sovereign property and said they could not be forced to leave.

A press release from the Sharp County Sheriff’s Office detailed the squatting incident in Arkansas. (Sharp County Sheriff’s Office )

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, people in the Moorish National Republic have come into conflict with federal and state authorities over their refusal to obey laws and government regulations.

SQUATTER’S PARADISE? AMERICA’S BIGGEST CITY ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’ OVER THIS NEW RULE, ATTORNEY SAYS

On Thursday, Jan. 25, a large group of law enforcement executed a search warrant on the squatters and arrested the two individuals without incident.

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Authorities said that the pair initially refused to identify themselves, but that the male suspect identified himself as Saleem Yosiyah YisraEl.

Police say both attacks happened in broad daylight. (iStock)

Authorities said that they found multiple vehicles on the property with “fictitious license plates.”

Along with the illegal vehicles, authorities found evidence of illegal scams that the pair were conducting from the RV.

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The scam involved the Postal Service and several thousand dollars of Iraqi currency, police said.

Authorities concluded that the FBI is investigating the alleged fraudulent documentation and cybercrimes.





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Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet

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Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet


Arkansans can now present their driver’s licenses and state identification cards on mobile devices using Apple Wallet, state finance officials announced Wednesday.

The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security



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Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone

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Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone


IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.

The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.

The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.

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“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.

To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.

Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.

Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.

The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.

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The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.

For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.

READ ALSO: Adam O’Neal Stepping into Chancellor Role at UA-EACC



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Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


New Arkansas gymnastics coach Chris Brooks announced Monday the hiring of Zan Jones to complete his first staff, as well as the promotion of assistants Kyla Ross and Catelyn Branson.

Brooks succeeded his wife, Jordyn Wieber, on April 28 after Wieber stepped down.

Jones joins the Razorback after two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. The Pioneers won back-to-back Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championship titles in 2025 and 2026 with Jones on staff. He has been named a Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division II assistant coach of the year three times, including this spring.

Jones also earned Midwest Independent Conference assistant coach of the year in both of his seasons at Texas Woman’s.

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Jones served as the Pioneers’ primary vault and uneven bars coach, and the team set a program record of 49.35 on the bars in March.

An Alabama alumnus, Jones served as a student manager for the Crimson Tide gymnastics team. He served a year at Talladega (Ala.) College in its inaugural season of gymnastics and spent time as a recreational and team coach at Trussville (Ala.) Academy of Gymnastics.

Brooks also promoted both Ross and Branson to the title of associate head coach. Ross, a former UCLA gymnast and Olympic gold medalist as part of Team USA in 2012, started at Arkansas as a volunteer assistant in 2022. Ross helped Arkansas produce program records on the balance beam in back-to-back years before taking over the vault squad, which set a program high 49.675 in 2026. 

The Razorbacks ranked as high as No. 2 on the vault last season and were never lower than No. 7. Senior transfer Morgan Price landed the first 10 in school history on the vault in February.

Branson returned to the Arkansas staff ahead of the 2025 season, helping lead the floor squad. In that time, Branson has led the Gymbacks to two of their top five best floor scores ever and Arkansas has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country on floor in the last two seasons. In 2026, over 60% of the team’s scores on floor were 9.85 or better.

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Branson served as Lindenwood’s head coach from 2022-24, where she was named 2024 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association South Central Region Coach of the Year and the Midwest Independent Conference Coach of the Year. She led the Lions to their second consecutive and fifth overall USAG national championship and seventh MIC title in 2024.

Branson had a prior stint at Arkansas from 2020 to 2022, in which time the Gymbacks ranked as high as third on beam and second on floor.



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