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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The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting attracted about 1,000 at Wind Creek Event Center Thursday afternoon.The event brought together members of the business community — colleagues, customers and competitors — to celebrate their collective mission of making the region a better place to work and live. -
Brian C. McGoldrick, 42, of Glenside, on Tuesday received a sentence of 5-to-19 years in state prison in the death of Catherine Ann Neelon in a September 2022 head-on collision.
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Hundreds visited Holy Infancy Church in South Bethlehem on Tuesday to pay homage to the relic of St. Jude, which is making a North American tour. The Apostle’s arm was removed from a tomb at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome years ago and bone fragments were placed in a wood reliquary carved in the shape of an arm imparting a blessing.
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U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, hosted a roundtable discussion on the child care crisis at Bethlehem YMCA on Tuesday.
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After 40 years with the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown, CEO Deb Fries-Jackson is retiring. The Allentown native and former school teacher was instrumental in the merger of the local Girls Club and Boys Club in 2002.
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The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office on Monday announced the recovery of more than $115,000 to a Salisbury Township man who was scammed during an online real estate transaction earlier this year.
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When word went out from a Bethlehem church ministry that it needed a clothes dryer for its pay-as-you-can community cafe, its prayers were answered by the generosity of a fellow city church.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Nazareth High junior Brody Muthard will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a playground he created for autistic children at the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in Bethlehem. Muthard received intervention and therapies for autism at the I.U. as a child.
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A mural reflecting the dreams of young Allentown teenagers was unveiled at the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown on Wednesday.
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Pediatricians say teen twin boys who were severely malnourished in their parents' care likely would have died in weeks or months if not for medical attention. District Judge Michael J. Faulkner determined that there was enough evidence to send the case to Lehigh County Court.
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The Catasauqua School Board voted to continue the football team's annual Thanksgiving Day game against Northampton. The rivalry on the gridiron is 101 years old.
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Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners will consider a request by Fellowship Community retirement community to complete its proposed expansion in three phases instead of one, as was originally proposed. The change is because of lack of funding.
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Sone Ntoh, an Emmaus High School graduate, will look to impress the Baltimore Ravens at its rookie camp the first weekend of May. The former Monmouth University star running back signed a free agent contract with the team.
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Fellowship Community, an independent living community in Whitehall Township, announced expansion plans to construct three luxury apartment buildings on the 67-acre campus at Mauch Chunk Road and Schadt Avenue.
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop federal funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Lehigh Valley Public Media receives more than $1 million per year in CPB funding, according to the interim CEO.
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Carol Obando-Derstine will enter the 2026 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional primary. The battleground district is held by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican serving his first term.
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Allentown teen among was among honorees at the 2024 Pennsylvania Registered Apprenticeship & Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Awards held at Northampton Community College on Wednesday afternoon.
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Whitehall-Coplay School Board approved a $103 million budget proposal on Monday night. Residents told the board they can't afford another property tax hike.
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Local healthcare providers and legislators appeared a press conference at Valley Youth House in Bethlehem to shed light on children’s mental health issues and to advocate for continued state and federal funding.
