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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Lehigh Little League 9-10-year-olds open state tournament play at 4 p.m. Monday against Section 1 champion DuBois in Drums, Luzerne County. -
Sammy Sasso, a former Nazareth Area High School state wrestling champion, is charged with possessing unlicensed guns and a controlled substance after police said they stopped the car he was driving because of an expired registration.
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A former Easton Area High School resource officer who pleaded guilty to sending a sexually explicit image of himself to a 16-year-old female student in 2024 was sentenced to 9-to-24 months in Northampton County Prison, it was announced on Wednesday.
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A zoning extension request by the developer of a proposed 689,000-square-foot warehouse at the former Coplay quarry was unanimously granted by the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night.
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A developer's request to split an expansion project at a retirement home complex was approved by Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday night.
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The Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit scheduled for the Lehigh Valley next week has been postponed due to mechanical issues until later this summer. The military themed, rolling interactive museum is designed to educate the public about service and sacrifice of veterans.
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Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has issued an alert regarding an intermittent 911 outage throughout the Commonwealth.
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Mayor Matt Tuerk called on the county's president judge to “issue a public and unambiguous policy” banning ICE agents from county courthouses, a move he said would “be a major step in restoring trust in government and faith in its fairness.”
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Lehigh County Board of Commissioners have Ok'd a four-year, $34.6 million contract with PrimeCare Medical to serve inmates in their corrections facilities.
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State Senators were urged to vote to fully fund public transportation in the state budget during a rally on Thursday in Bethlehem.
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The Whitehall-Coplay School District held its third annual Zephyr Holiday event at the Burlington store in Whitehall. Twenty-four elementary and middle school students from challenged families were given $200 gift cards to shop for holiday gifts for family members. Members of area law enforcement accompanied the children during the event.
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The Lehigh Valley is projected to have significant increases in employment and population up to 2050.
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The Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley was nominated for the grant by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
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The third time was the charm for LoriAnn Fehnel, who was sworn in as a Whitehall-Coplay School District director on Tuesday.
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Whitehall Township's proposed budget includes the first real estate tax increase since 2019. Township commissioners are expected to vote on the spending plan next week.
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Plans for a 105 single-family home land subdivision along Rising Sun Road received a recommendation for preliminary final approval from the North Whitehall Township Planning Commission.
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Macungie residents, including a long-serving corporal of the police department, packed a borough council meeting Wednesday morning to protest a revised police internal affairs policy.
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North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to reject Gene Weierbach's contention that a zoning ordinance pertaining to an auto repair shop operating in a residential zone is unconstitutional.
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The City of Allentown has partnered with Blue Zones Project-Allentown to promote no drinking and driving during the holiday season.
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La novena edición del Bob Price Memorial Turkey Drive ayudará a familias con inseguridad alimentaria en Lehigh Valley a celebrar un Día de Acción de Gracias más feliz.
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The ninth year of the Bob Price Memorial Turkey Drive will help food insecure families in the Lehigh Valley enjoy a happy Thanksgiving.
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On Thursday, one of the final pieces of timber was placed atop an outer wall of the $47 million, 188,000-square-foot, multi-functional indoor facility under construction at Grange Park.
