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.
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Commissioners voted to award a contract to Construction Masters Services LLC, of Berks County, whose $534,859 bid was the lowest of three firms that submitted proposals. -
South Whitehall Township Commissioners advanced a transportation plan Wednesday identifying six priority areas. They represent specific locations where commissioners said crash history and roadway conditions warrant immediate action.
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In 1989, Yusef Salaam and four other teenagers were imprisoned after being wrongly accused and convicted of raping a woman in Central Park in New York. At Northampton Community College on Tuesday night, he shared his story and the need to address inequities in the criminal justice system.
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The Whitehall-Coplay School Board is considering a request to start a varsity girls wrestling program.
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A property tax hike as high as 5.3% may be assessed to help close a nearly $7 million spending gap in the proposed 2025-26 Whitehall-Coplay School District budget.
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The temporary closure of Water Street in Whitehall Township to address traffic calming measures is close but undetermined, Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr. said.
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Giant Markets Feeding School Kids Program made a donation of $8,623.86 to the Allentown School District's Child Nutrition Department on Friday.
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Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania celebrated its 100th anniversary at a luncheon at Lehigh Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.
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The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners heard results of a recreation center feasibility study from engineering and architectural firms. The proposed $13 million project would be at Jefferson Street Park.
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The high school students competing at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Robotics Championships at Lehigh University this weekend are not merely building robots. They're building character.
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Walmart will layoff 597 workers at its South Bethlehem distribution center at 3215 Commerce Center Blvd. The cuts were anticipated for a few months. The official number of employees to lose their jobs was confirmed Monday from a Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry WARN notice.
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Hawk Music co-owners Phil Hawk and his sister, Pat Hawk Paulus, recalled the relationships made with customers at the store their late father founded 50 years ago.
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DeSales University recognized, honored, and thanked Vietnam War veterans and their families during a special ceremony on Wednesday morning. The event was in conjunction with the observance every March 29 of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
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Bethlehem Township Planning Commission reviewed on Monday night a preliminary plan for a proposed 34-room hotel, restaurant, spa, and banquet complex at William Penn Highway and Bethman Road.
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U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) held a news conference at Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehabilitation on Friday to officially announce $525,000 in federal funding he secured for the nursing home's $67 million expansion project.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday voted to accept recommendations of its Comprehensive Planning Committee for a Bethlehem apartment complex and three area warehouses.
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A national nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops, donated a home to Easton native, retired Marine Corps Cpl. Lasko, on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Wind Gap. Cpl. Lasko lost part of his left leg and sustained a traumatic brain injury during an explosion in Afghanistan in 2004.
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Contrasting points of view are at issue with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's decision to relocate its headquarters.
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A Northampton County Judge found the Tally Ho Tavern to have implemented necessary remedies to past violations, thereby reversing a ruling by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board denying renewal of its liquor license.
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Allentown City Council unanimously voted on Wednesday night to approve Mayor Matt Tuerk’s ordinance to appropriate $10,000 for an analysis of the embattled parking authority.
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Allentown City Planning Commission on Tuesday gave preliminary final approval for a proposed five-story, 140-room boutique hotel, with ground-bar and restaurant at 949 Hamilton St.
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The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved the demolition of existing buildings at 949-959 Hamilton St. in the Downtown West section of the city, where a five-story hotel, bar and restaurant are planned.
