
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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The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission hosted a community forum on discrimination and other issues at the Allentown Public Library on Monday night.
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State Rep. Mike Schlossberg and mental health experts advocated for an increased investment in school-based health clinics at a news conference at Hays Elementary School in Allentown on Friday.
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Valley Youth House's THRIVE Program, which helps sex-trafficked folks, will receive $150,000 in state funding, Rep. Josh Siegel, D-22nd District, announced at a news conference on Wednesday.
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Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz wowed the crowd with a campaign speech at Freedom High School in Bethlehem on Saturday afternoon.
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Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, is making his first visit to the Lehigh Valley since Vice President Kamala Harris introduced him as her running mate against former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. JD Vance.
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Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong came out on the short end of a fundraiser challenge to benefit the Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab Center's auxiliary. So he had to kiss a pig.
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Artist Vaughn Randall's cast iron and bronze Locus sculpture was chosen as winner of the third annual Sculpture at SteelStacks national contest. An official ceremony was held outside the Bethlehem Visitor Center on Thursday evening where the sculpture will be displayed for one year.
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Parkland School District's Vision 2030 project to expand and renovate the high school and Orefield Middle School to address school overcrowding has increased by nearly $4 million from its original $210 million price tag.
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A developer’s plans to build a 150,400-square-foot warehouse along Route 100 moves on to Upper Macungie Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night.
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How to assist the homeless and food insecure in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley was the central message the New Bethany Souper Day Fundraiser luncheon at ArtsQuest Center on Friday.
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Plans for a Taco Bell with a dual drive-thru in Whitehall Township were approved by the township's planning commission on Wednesday night.
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Construction of a new Taco Bell was approved by the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night. The board also approved a zoning variance request, a zoning exemption, and tabled a discussion until May.
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Incumbent Rep. Zachary Mako and Slatington Borough Councilman Zachari Halkias are each looking to win the Republican primary and face Democrat Joseph Lenzi in the November general election for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
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The Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about six hours in both directions between the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown exits.
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The announcement this week by Volvo Group, parent company of Mack Trucks, to build a heavy duty truck manufacturing plant in Mexico has been met with disappointment and concern by UAW Local 677 and Lehigh Valley lawmakers.
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By a 3-1 vote, the Bethlehem Planning Commission approved on Thursday night a project for a 517-space, 64-feet-high, nearly 200,000-square-foot Walnut Street parking garage to replace the old one currently being demolished. The structure is expected to open sometime in 2025.
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The Lehigh Valley continues to be among the nation's leaders in economic development, it was revealed at the Lehigh Valley Real Estate Development Outlook event on Tuesday in Allentown.
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An extended view of the total solar eclipse that was promised in the Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon never materialized due to thick cloud cover, disappointing many of the approximately 1,000 at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.
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The Pardon Project is designed to help low-income residents convicted of nonviolent crimes who have pleaded guilty and completed their sentence at least five years ago to eventually have their record expunged.
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Monday's solar eclipse will not turn the skies in the Lehigh Valley pitch black, Moravian University astronomy professor Gary A. Becker said. Just a bit wonky. The ideal time in the Lehigh Valley to view the eclipse is 3:24 p.m.
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Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting consumers of scammers selling sunglasses to view the eclipse on April 8 that do not protect one's eyes from potentially permanent damage.
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More than 350 young students throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley participated in a mural painting event at Lehigh Valley Children's Center in Allentown on Thursday.The completed mural will appear on an exterior wall of the new Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown. The center is slated for a May 22 opening.