BAD NIGHT: A church fire was among the emergency calls in Little Rock last night. KARK/Fox 16

Bad night in Little Rock Thursday night in the crime and destruction department, poorly timed for Lindsey Millar’s illuminating cover story for the Times this week on the utter meaninglessness — but eternal appeal — of all those various city and state rankings, one of which recently declared Little Rock the 19th worst place in the country to live.

Advertisement

Stuff happens.

Last night, the stuff included:

Advertisement

* TRAFFIC DEATH: A 65-year-old man in a wheelchair was struck and killed by a car, perhaps two cars, in the 3600 block of West Roosevelt.

* SHOOTINGS: KARK’s Mitch McCoy Tweeted overnight about a shooting near 27th and Peyton in central Little Rock and about a man shot by another man riding a bicycle at 9600 W. 36th in the John Barrow Addition. Cars and buildings were hit by the second fusillade.

Advertisement

* FIRE: A fire that followed a triggered burglar alarm burned the Westminster Presbyterian Church to the ground. The fire and high temperature required medical treatment for some firefighters who responded to the blaze on John Calvin Drive near Alexander, southwest of Little Rock.

That little listicle is a good place for the same summary with which Lindsey Millar concluded his look at the pros and cons of city rankings:

Advertisement

.. the ultimate takeaway from these endless rankings: They may not add up to anything, but, especially in an election year, there’s nothing wrong with getting provoked to debate all the ways in which Little Rock could be better. 

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article 17 dead in duck boat sinking in Table Rock Lake storm Next article ICYMI: Lamoureux’s response to latest corruption plea