Special needs teen hospitalized after fight at Blytheville school

BLYTHEVILLE — A video of a violent fight inside a high school in Arkansas has surfaced, and the mother of one of the students involved says her son was wrongfully punished.

The video shows an attack on 15-yearold Zyquon Mister, who suffers from a learning disability. His mother, Zuri Mathis, says she and her son are devastated and in pain after a video of the fight was posted on social media.

“I can’t even shut my eyes at night without seeing my baby getting beat like that,” Mathis said. “That’s the only thing I could picture in my head is that video of my son getting beat. I put my son in their hands for my baby to be protected. It was no staff around.”

Mathis says Zyquon’s school bus typically drops him off at the ALE school, which is dedicated to students with special needs. But on Tuesday, it dropped him off at Blytheville High School.

“He is not even supposed to be with the other kids. He was with the other kids because the teachers weren’t there,” Mathis said. “If they were there, he would’ve gotten dropped off at the ALE building.”

Zyquon is currently in an emergency room in Blytheville. He says he has injuries to his head, back, legs, and ribs.

“I was in the school cafeteria,” Zyquon said. “They jumped me, kicked me, stomped me. Nobody was in there to break it up. I was getting jumped for about 25 minutes.”

The superintendent of Blytheville Schools says the school district is investigating.

“That is standard protocol that the student will receive a time that they are suspended until the duration of the conclusion of the investigation,” said Superintendent Veronica Perkins.

“There is always more to a story than what’s been told. There are other pieces in play. Once the investigation is done, you will really be able to speak to all the players who were involved in the altercation.”

Mathis says she is scheduled to meet with Perkins this week.

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Suspect in homicide case facing additional murder charge

CONWAY — A suspect already facing one count of capital murder in connection to a shooting on Highway 64 East in Conway on Dec. 20, 2023, will now face a second count of capital murder for the death of another person on Oct. 12, 2023.

Mikeal Yates, 19, faces two counts of capital murder, one count of residential burglary and four counts of theft of property and remains housed in the Faulkner County Detention Center ahead of additional court appearances, Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) spokesman Sherry Skaggs said on Wednesday.

Yates’ new capital murder charge is for the death of Bruce Radak. “A thorough investigation” by the FCSO led to the charge, Skaggs said, adding that “no additional information will be provided regarding these cases.”

“We appreciate the assistance of a multitude of agencies involved with the arrest of Mr. Yates and investigation into these cases,” Skaggs said.

As previously reported in the Log Cabin Democrat, the FCSO responded to 515 Highway 64 East in Conway on Dec. 20, 2023, in reference to the shooting.

“Once on scene, Faulkner County Sheriff’s deputies located a single male victim outside of the residence suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies immediately began life-saving measures until medical services arrived,” Skaggs said.

The man was taken to a local hospital but later “succumbed to his inuries,” Skaggs said.

The FCSO quickly identified Yates as the “single suspect,” Skaggs said, adding that the Arkansas State Police

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and U.S. Marshals Service assisted FCSO in tracking Yates and “narrowed his location to an area in Maumelle and Interstate 40.”

“Mr. Yates was spotted in that area, but, leaving in a vehicle, was able to evade law enforcement. Shortly thereafter, he was located in a second vehicle at the Quality Suites, where he was taken into custody without incident,” she said.

Yates is set to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Feb. 26, his entry on the FCSO online inmate roster read.

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ATU professor says to treat eclipse prep like a snowstorm

RUSSELLVILLE — In April, a solar eclipse is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to Arkansas, causing a significant impact on the local community.

Bethany Swindell, an assistant professor of emergency management at Arkansas Tech University, compared the day before the eclipse to the day before a snowstorm, with people rushing to stores to stock up on essential items.

“I think our partners are doing a good job. Energy is on it, a lot of our cell phone providers. It depends on location, of course. On the strain, there’s definitely going to be strain on infrastructure. But everybody is doing their best to mitigate those, and having discussions on that,” Swindell said.

She emphasized the importance of families ensuring they have enough food and medicine ahead of the eclipse. She also warned that the influx of visitors could make it difficult to get around, and that some roads and stores may be closed. However, she did not foresee any issues with fuel shortages or a lack of cell phone service.

Swindell also advised locals to make sure they have glasses that are equipped to handle the eclipse. This advice comes as part of a broader call for preparedness in the face of the upcoming event and the expected surge of visitors.

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Sixty-year prison sentence for fentanyl trafficker

BENTON — A Pope County jury of seven men and five women found Eric Francis guilty of trafficking fentanyl on Wednesday inside the Pope County Courthouse in Russellville.

Francis was sentenced to 60 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He also received a $1,000,000 fine. Francis was in possession of 3.4 grams of fentanyl.

More than a gram of fentanyl is considered trafficking in Arkansas.

Jeff Phillips, prosecuting attorney for the Fifth Judicial District, said the defendant has the opportunity to reduce the sentence down to 1/4 of the years given on good behavior.

According to an affidavit, Francis was arrested on or around April 24, 2023, after officers observed the vehicle he was driving south on North Arkansas Avenue with an expired license plate.

Officers attempted a traffic stop with the vehicle as it was pulling into the Economy Lodge. Francis was a probationer with a search waiver on file. A passenger in the vehicle allegedly had a marijuana joint behind their ear, and according to the affidavit, a search of the vehicle yielded a black backpack, which allegedly contained several baggies of suspected methamphetamine. Further search yielded 13.1 grams of suspected marijuana. A search of the motel room where the pair were staying allegedly yielded four suspected fentanyl pills, plus 31 more suspected pills hidden in a black, locked container.

Phillips and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steve Higgins represented the state of Arkansas, while Hugh Laws represented the defendant.