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.
-
Fifty-five years after his signature victory at the 1969 Indianapolis 500, Nazareth's Mario Andretti, now 84, reflects on his triumphs, his life and the people who have made an impact on his illustrious career. The 108th Indianapolis 500 will be held Sunday. -
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation encourages Whitehall Township residents to review virtual plans for the replacement of the Fifth Street Bridge over Route 22.
-
The PennDOT Workers' Memorial honors the 90 employees who died while on the job since 1970. The memorial is displayed along North Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown Thursday through Friday.
-
Two Allentown School District teachers and a Salisbury Township School District teacher were chosen at random to participate in a shopping spree at Crayola Experience to help their students during Teacher Appreciation Week. The catch? They had just over a minute.
-
The grand opening of Sheetz on Fourth Street in Bethlehem on Thursday was well attended. One woman drove more than an hour for her first taste of Sheetz coffee.
-
The 36 individuals who lost their homes after a three-alarm fire on in Allentown on Tuesday are being offered shelter and assistance at the Allentown YMCA by the American Red Cross.
-
After more than five hours, a hearing before Bethlehem City Council regarding a New Jersey developer's request for a zoning variance to build 317 apartments on Hanover Avenue was suspended Tuesday night. A date and time for the resumption of the hearing was not immediately established.
-
The VFW Post 7293 (Egypt VFW), Whitehall, is conducting a fundraiser for a planned memorial to honor submarine veterans from World War II.
-
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Friday that six persons have been charged in a large-scale burglary ring throughout the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
-
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday approved a staff review of a Parkland School District proposal for a second floor being added to its new operations center currently under construction.
-
After closing its doors in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Bethany South Side Drop-in reopened on Monday.
-
Lisa Dente, 41, a teacher at Five Points Elementary School in Upper Mount Bethel Township, will run the Boston Marathon for the first time since the bombing in 2013 to raise money for PTSD victims.
-
Lehigh County Board of Commissioners propose new legislation that would provide property tax relief for volunteer firefighters.
-
As the Jewish people celebrate the start of Passover on Wednesday night, the observance is a reminder that the oppression of Jews and others continues today.
-
The Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild met at Lost Tavern Brewery on Tuesday to begin preparations for Lehigh Valley Beer Week on April 29-May 6.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
