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.
-
The Allentown School District held Unity Day events at its 15 elementary schools on Wednesday. The message at each focused on bullying prevention, as October is National Bullying Prevention Month. -
Several sightings of black bears have been reported recently in residential areas of Bethlehem Township. Despite the animal not typically being aggressive toward humans, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises not to approach or entice a black bear.
-
A rare piebald deer, which has a distinctive white coat with patchy brown spots due to a pigmentation anomaly, has been seen in the Easton Cemetery. Such deer make up about 1% of the total whitetail deer population.
-
Rainy weekends have put a damper on attendance at fall festivals in the Lehigh Valley.
-
An incorrect set of instructions was included with mail-in and absentee ballots mailed to Lehigh County voters on Oct. 9. The error with the first ballot mailing has been corrected for subsequent mailings.
-
Limiting the influx of warehouses into Lower Nazareth Township is the key issue for all three candidates for Lower Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors.
-
Open space usage and preservation, zoning and the environment are the major concerns of all three candidates in the race for two open seats on the Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors.
-
The 13th Oktoberfest opened Friday night at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. The German-inspired festival will be held Friday, Oct. 6 through Sunday, Oct. 8, and Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 15. It features polka and other music, a variety of beer, food and entertainment.
-
Former space shuttle astronaut Terry Hart, of Lower Saucon Township, believes the psychological impact of spending more than a year in space on a mission to Mars is impossible to predict.
-
The Celtic Cultural Alliance, presenter of the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, vows to do "everything possible" to continue the event. Rainy weather severely impacted attendance and revenues during last month's event, casting uncertainty over its future.
-
The first of the five championship events at Saucon Valley will be the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur, followed by the 2032 U.S. Senior Open, 2038 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 2042 U.S. Senior Open, and the 2051 U.S. Amateur. The U.S. Women's Amateur event will be a first for the club.
-
A Thursday morning panel discussion at Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem focused on a new statewide report showing that early childhood care teachers earn less than $12 an hour and are planning to leave the industry for higher-paying jobs.
-
Fifty-seven residents and entities in and around Lower Saucon Township received status this week to join a legal battle against the proposed expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill.
-
Lower Saucon Township residents opposing the landfill expansion who received party status are permitted to ask questions of witnesses, present evidence, make arguments, and are allowed to participate in an appeal.
-
Bethlehem Freedom High School's new Wellness Center is an area where students dealing with any type of emotional issue can go to either decompress alone and/or speak to one of four on-site therapists.
-
For a second consecutive month, Allentown Parking Authority board members heard from residents on Wednesday who complained the parking ordinances are unfair and need to be amended. Complaints ranged from a perception of unfairness and, in some instances, predatory treatment by employees issuing parking tickets.
-
The proposed new roller coaster project at Dorney Park cleared another hurdle by receiving unanimous approval from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Tuesday afternoon.
-
DeSales University welcomed two members of the Pennsylvania Department of Education on Friday as it announced the state's awarding of two grants totaling nearly $200,000 to benefit projects in its education department.
-
Allentown City Planning Commission on Tuesday approved the construction of a 49-unit apartment building and parking garage on West Hamilton Street. The complex would house primary occupants 55-and-older and adults with disabilities. Representatives of the neighboring music school voiced concerns about increased traffic and the safety of students, parents, and staff.
-
The Allentown City Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans for the construction of the Archer Music Hall on Hamilton Street.
-
Andre Reed, the Allentown native, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, and four-time Super Bowl participant, offers advice to Eagles' young starting quarterback Jalen Hurts on how to deal with nerves during the game.
-
Allentown native and three-time Grammy Award-nominated jazz singer, Denise Donatelli, recalls how the music of legendary composer Burt Bacharach she first heard as a teenager inspired her to record an album of his songs. Bacharach died Wednesday at age 94.
