Phil Gianficaro
General Assignment ReporterA native of northeastern Pennsylvania, I've been a journalist for more than four decades. I've reported on events like the pope's visit and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, local appearances by Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, covered the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals, and the Eagles in the playoffs. However, the stories that have touched me most involve ordinary folks in our community. A 12-year-old boy getting the better of cancer; Holocaust survivors sharing horror stories they know the world needs to hear again and again; a little girl from Bucks County who grew up to become Miss America. These are the stories I'm committed to finding and sharing with our readers. About me: Married with a son and a daughter in college. Golf when I can. Morning coffee's a must; Favorite quote from my late mother: "There are givers and takers in this world, which do you want to be?" Contact me at PhilG@lehighvalleynews.com or 267-222-0540.
-
With a $100,000 grant secured by state Sen. Nick Miller, R-14th District, the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown renovated the 53-year-old gymnasium at its Sixth Street Clubhouse. -
Star Wars Day at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.
-
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs 17th annual Pig Day celebration will be from 9 a.m. till noon March 1 at Coca-Cola Park. Fans will be treated to free food, refreshments, entertainment and activities for children.
-
An Allentown man was sentenced on Tuesday to 18-to-60 months in state prison in the accidental death of his 3-year-old son, who shot himself with an unattended gun.
-
Water Street in Whitehall Township where a man was struck and killed on Dec. 25 may be temporarily closed to address safety concerns, Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr. said.
-
A ballot referendum that would ask voters to cede electoral authority to Whitehall Township officials who would then appoint the treasurer was rejected by the board of commissioners on Monday night.
-
Palmer Township's Aiden Hess, 20, pictured with his mother Melissa, continues searching for a living donor kidney after transplant surgery was cancelled late last month.
-
Win or lose in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is viewed as a champion in his hometown of Whitehall and throughout the Lehigh Valley.
-
The first of a three-session forum to address the housing availability and affordability crisis in the Lehigh Valley was held at DeSales University on Wednesday.
-
Whitehall Township Commissioners detailed an ordinance to initiate a referendum on the upcoming ballot to amend the township charter to eliminate the treasurer position.
-
A large part of the $2.6 million increase in Whitehall Township's proposed $33.7 million budget is because of the escalating cost of garbage collection.
-
One family's show of caring for another down on their luck from many years ago embodies the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
-
The eighth annual Bob Price Memorial Turkey Drive was held at Coca-Cola Park on Friday. More than 2,000 turkeys were donated by area businesses and residents to help feed those in need in the Lehigh Valley.
-
A former Plainfield Township supervisor implored the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission to review a 1988 impact study before giving its approval to a zoning amendment request to expand the Grand Central landfill operated by Waste Management.
-
Community Action Lehigh Valley celebrated its 60th anniversary of assisting low-income folks on Wednesday.
-
A proposal to build a multi-story, 203,400-square-foot school in Allentown was advanced by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's comprehensive planning committee on Tuesday.
-
The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association held the ApprenticeshipPA Collaborative and Expo at Wind Creek Event Center. The program is designed to give people paid on-the-job training and employment in lieu of needing a college degree.
-
The Lehigh Valley Palestine Coalition hosted the teach-in program in an effort to educate and engage the community in thoughtful conversation about the Israel-Hamas war and strategies organizing support for a ceasefire.
-
The 28th annual Lights in the Parkway, an Allentown holiday tradition, will be held on the Lehigh Parkway from Friday, Nov. 29 through Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Visitors can drive through more than a mile of enchanting holiday displays featuring between 175,000-200,000 LED lights.
-
Worries over anticipated tractor trailer traffic around a proposed distribution facility along Main Street have slowed the plan in Whitehall Township.
-
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual meeting and awards luncheon at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Thursday.
-
The City of Bethlehem erected a 45-feet-high Christmas tree at Payrow Plaza on Wednesday. The annual tree-lighting ceremony will be Friday, Nov. 29.
