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.
-
Less than a year after its celebratory opening, the Wawa drive-thru-only convenience store at 6216 Hamilton Blvd., Lower Macungie Township, closed on Jan. 5. No reason for the closure has been given. -
Citing safety concerns, Lehigh Valley Mall management has notified LANTA that bus service may not be permitted on the mall grounds as of June.
-
A 76-apartment and retail development project on the site of the former SouthSide Boys & Girls Club on Fourth Street in Bethlehem is expected to be completed during the first half of 2025.
-
Ronald Diehl Jr., of Quakertown, is among 18 individuals nationally who will receive a Carnegie Medal for acts of heroism. In 2022, Diehl pulled a pilot from a crashed and burning plane in Salisbury Township.
-
There are those Christmases that remain clear and crisp as a cold Nebraska night. For an 11-year-old boy, this one in the late 1960s is near the top of the Christmas list.
-
Palmer Township's Aiden Hess, 20, is in need of a donor kidney. A rare condition necessitates his use of a dialysis machine for nine hours every day.
-
The fourth and final phase of the $58.7 million Parkland High School expansion project was approved by the South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night.
-
A proposal to construct a more-than-270,00-square-foot warehouse in Williams Township will advance to a review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night.
-
Emmaus residents packed council chambers on Monday to complain about a 26% tax increase for 2025. Council voted 6-1 to approve the increase.
-
Plans by Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley to construct a 1,200-square-foot addition to its existing administrative offices at 4501 Crackersport Road were approved by the South Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Thursday night.
-
At its annual meeting, Community Action Lehigh Valley learned it will be the recipient of a $30,000 gift from a fundraiser held by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce in February.
-
En dos semanas, 75 empresas, organizaciones e individuos aportaron $677,000 para combatir la inseguridad alimentaria en Greater Lehigh Valley.
-
In just two weeks time, 75 businesses, organizations and individuals contributed $677,000 to address food insecurity throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley.
-
The state Public Utility Commission will conduct hearings in December to gather public input on a proposed rate increase by PPL Electric Utilities Corp.
-
Palmerton Area principal Ralph Andrews has declined an offer to become Hanover Elementary School principal, according to an agenda item on tonight's Bethlehem Area School Board meeting.
-
The Downtown Allentown Alliance on Friday launched its Block by Block Ambassadors program in Center City.
-
The $68 million, five-building expansion to the existing high school at 2700 N. Cedar Creek Blvd. will be voted on for final approval by the township board of commissioners in January.
-
The debate over whether Lehigh County Commissioners can approve the formation of a Tourism Improvement District to help struggling hotels in the Lehigh Valley boils down to whether or not it would be violating state law.
-
Four surplus male bison from the Lehigh Valley Zoo will be donated to the Wildlife Restoration Foundation for transfer to a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council in New York. The recent loss of the dominant male bison at the zoo necessitated the transfer.
-
Despite concerns over potential safety issues regarding tractor-trailer traffic near the proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center, the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved the plan by a 4-3 vote on Monday.
-
Another energized, entertaining and successful annual meeting and awards show of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce had ended.
-
The Christmas tree for Bethlehem's annual display was delivered to Payrow Plaza on Wednesday. The 43-foot-tall spruce was donated by the Simoes family of Bethlehem Township.
