Las Vegas Sun

November 16, 2009

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Sun Flashbacks: Remembering the days after the Sun fire

Saturday, July 1, 2000 | 2:33 a.m.

Dave Bradley, a reporter and city editor from 1962-1968, recalls the heady couple of days after the Las Vegas Sun building burned to the ground and how he learned of the century's biggest story.

Sun employees worked out of columnist Ruthe Deskin's house the day following the Nov. 20, 1963, fire.

Staff members later moved the newsroom into a warehouse on Commerce Street.

Just as Bradley finished hooking up the United Press International Teletype machine, the bell that signified an important story rang.

Bradley grabbed the paper from the machine. He thought it was just a test to see if the machine was working successfully -- until he read the story datelined Dallas: "President Kennedy was assassinated today."

As soon as he realized this was no test, Bradley got to work. "I immediately dispatched reporters and photographers around to get local color," he said.

Bradley went on to work in public relations at the Dunes, Caesars Palace and the Riviera. Today he is the manager of the rental division of PR Diamond.

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