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.
-
Due to its lease not being renewed for 2024, the Pines Dinner Theatre in Allentown will be relocating. -
Northampton County held a swearing-in ceremony for recently elected council members, others on Tuesday.
-
As 2023 draws to a close, lehighvalleynews.com offers a retrospective of a variety of stories about people, places and things that make the Lehigh Valley special.
-
Canine experts emphasize how dangerous and, in some cases, deadly, human foods can be to dogs.
-
All but one township zoning amendment application were reviewed without issue by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.
-
Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.
-
AAA anticipates an increase in road and air travel this holiday season.
-
Three Kings Day is returning to the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.Also known as Dia de los Reyes, the observance is a Christian feast day that commemorates the Biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child.
-
The City of Bethlehem and the Celtic Cultural Alliance will hold a joint news conference on Monday, Dec. 18 to impart details of their new partnership for the Parade of Shamrocks in March.
-
Hoagie-making contests, T-shirt giveaways and free coffee highlighted the grand opening of the Wawa on Hellertown Road in South Bethlehem on Thursday.
-
Allentown School District's OneAllentown Back-to-School Bash was designed to show parents the caring nature of those who will prepare their children for their future.
-
Improvements at aging Steckel Elementary School and Whitehall-Coplay Middle School will begin with window replacements.
-
Lehigh Valley's Darian Cruz lost his Olympic bronze medal bout to India's Aman Sehrawat, 13-5, on Friday evening at the Paris Olympics. Cruz, the Bethlehem Catholic and Lehigh University champion, was representing Puerto Rico in honor of his grandparents who are native to the US territory.
-
Bethlehem's Darian Cruz will wrestle for an Olympic bronze medal on Friday in Paris.
-
Bethlehem's Austin Shaffer downed five ears of corn in just over four and half minutes to win the Aw Shucks Corn Eating Contest at Musikfest on Wednesday night.
-
Allentown native and Bethlehem resident Darian Cruz begins his quest for an Olympic wrestling medal on Thursday at 5:21 a.m. The Bethlehem Catholic and Lehigh University graduate is in the 57 kilogram (125 pound) weight class.
-
Local state lawmakers joined members of the Legislative Latino Caucus in Allentown on Monday to celebrate how the new state budget. Specifically, they note the more than $1.1 billion in new funding for school districts, including about $526 million to correct inequities in public education.
-
While mid-afternoon rain on Friday forced postponement of Musikfest opening ceremonies, it did not deter folks from attending the festival — just as many food vendors expected.
-
The 41st Musikfest kicked off at SteelStacks with a preview night on Thursday. The 11-day, citywide festival features live music and a wide range of foods and drinks.
-
The 65-mile, day-long train ride will depart from Nesquehoning, Carbon County, to the Vosburg Tunnel, a 3,900-foot former Lehigh Valley Railroad tunnel north of Tunkhannock, Wyoming County.
-
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of PPL Tower in Allentown to Wilkes-Barre-based D&D Realty Group. The sale comes more than four months after PPL Corp. announced that its subsidiary, PPL Electric Utilities, had reached a tentative $9 million agreement to sell the building to D&D Realty Group.
-
North Bethlehem Little League is hosting the Pennsylvania State Little League Intermediate 50/70 Tournament through Monday. The local team dropped its opening-round game on Thursday night, but remains alive in the tourney.
