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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Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners discussed several aspects of the temporary Water Street closure during a workshop session on Monday night. -
At one point, Bethlehem Steel's namesake mill employed 31,000. Its last steel beam was cast 30 years, but the work lives on in the generations of steelworkers who translated a tough job and difficult conditions into a better life.
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The club’s youth, known as the Space Cadets, participated in NASA’s VIRTEX program—Virtual Field Trips to Extreme Environments—which connects students nationwide with NASA scientists through hands-on STEM learning.
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Former Phillies Steve Carlton and Ricky Bottalico were at a meet-and-greet event at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday. The event was sponsored by St. Luke's University Health Network, of which Carlton is a community ambassador.
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The 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Lehigh Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players.
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The Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute named its immunotherapy center in honor of philanthropists Peter and Odete Kelly, who gifted the institute $12 million on Tuesday.
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Some 51 acres of the Unangst Tree Farms in East Allen Township raised the total of preserved farmland in Northampton County to 21,000.
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Because of increased volume of traffic, Route 22 in the Lehigh Valley now qualifies for a designation change to an interstate.
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Organizers give residents food staples and dignity at a resource rally at the Salvation Army in Allentown on Wednesday.
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Zoning amendment regarding potential warehouses near residences in Hanover Township raises questionsA zoning amendment that would allow for the possibility of warehouses near a residential neighborhood in Hanover Township, Northampton County was reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday.
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Lehigh Valley Health Network Childcare Center at River Crossing YMCA observed its 100th day of operation. Services are available for LVHN employees and other community families.
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Brenda Rodriguez, 51, of Palmerton is charged with criminal solicitation/criminal homicide and conspiracy-aggravated assault in the shooting death of her husband, Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46, of Palmerton on Dec. 7.
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Continued economic growth for the Lehigh Valley was predicted during at “Sizing Up 2025: Lehigh Valley Economic Outlook” at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Tuesday. The event, presented by Truist and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, featured speakers who shared a positive economic picture of the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
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'Maine' ingredient: Father-son team open Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls at The Promenade Center ValleyRich Rudolph and son, Rich, opened Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls at The Promenade Center Valley this month. The Lehigh Valley natives are the first franchise owners of the chain in Pennsylvania.
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The Phillies Winter Caravan drew a sellout crowd at ArtsQuest on Thursday night. Phillies players Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson interacted with fans. Proceeds benefited IronPigs Charities.
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Lehigh Valley International Airport served a record number of passengers in 2024, according to a news release on Wednesday from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.The airport served 1,012,240 passengers last year, an increase of 8.7% from 2023.Also, Allegiant Air will resume service from ABE to Denver and Nashville starting in May.
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The Lehigh Valley housing shortage crisis will be examined by an engagement series called the Lehigh Valley Housing Supply and Availability Strategy. The first of the three-stage process will be held Feb. 5 at DeSales University.
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Letters of application for renewals of existing wastewater treatment plants and related discharges at Lehigh Township Municipal Authority-Pennsville and Lehigh Carbon Community College were approved by the LVPC Environment Committee on Tuesday morning.
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Nazareth-based Martin Guitar will showcase new guitars, including an acoustic double-neck, at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim this week.
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The fourth annual DeVonta Smith Celebrity Softball Game will be held on Saturday, June 28 at Coca-Cola Park.
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Francis Anonia, a former Parkland High School performing arts teacher, was arraigned in Lehigh County Court on Friday morning on charges he used his cell phone multiple times to secretly record a male student in a school changing room in 2022. If found guilty of all 19 charges, he could face up to 88 years in prison.
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South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night voted 3-2 against a text amendment request that would have allowed for the building of a 8,000-square-foot restaurant at the Ridge Farms mixed-use housing development.
