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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners is expected on Monday night to accept the bid of a Harrisburg-based civil engineering firm to conduct an evaluation of two recreation projects.
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DeSales University professor Elisabeth Felten is in her second year teaching non-traditional, special needs adults to give them a college experience.
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Inclement weather created expected low attendance and revenues at this year's Celtic Classic festival, placing the future of the event in question.
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A local initiative to develop a sustainable farm food infrastructure was instrumental in Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding choosing to appear in Easton to announce the theme for the 2024 state Farm Show in Harrisburg.
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Musikfest, a 10-day festival of music, food, refreshments and more, celebrates its 40th year beginning on Thursday.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday morning for a seven-level, 731-space, state-of-the-art parking garage on Polk Street in South Bethlehem. It will greatly benefit those attending Musikfest, the 10-day, annual music festival that begins with a preview night Thursday.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night voted against a proposed zoning ordinance amendment by Lower Saucon Township Council regarding the controversial landfill expansion.
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The proposed 866,000-square-foot warehouse project in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg is inconsistent with FutureLV, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission determined on Thursday night.
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Upper Macungie Township has filed an application with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for a zoning ordinance amendment for minimum lot requirements for distillery, microbrewery and winery use.
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St. Luke's Hospital's Anderson campus proposed expansion is a five-story, 308,000-square-foot project that would add 146 beds and a more than 32,000-square-foot Sterile Processing Infill Development at 1872 Riverside Circle
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday reviewed plans for proposed warehouses — in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg Borough and another in Allen Township.
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Nearly 70 years after the late Ernest Kotsch Sr. purchased a grocery store at Third and Union streets in Whitehall Township, Kotsch's Market on MacArthur Road is closing its doors. An auction to sell the contents was held on Monday.
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The late Russell Gackenbach, of Allentown, took the first photos of the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.
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Allentown native Walt Groller learned to play the accordion at age 4 and became one of the premier polka musicians in the world.
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Rohullah Balkhi and his family fled Afghanistan to escape the oppression of Taliban rule. As they await a decision on their application for asylum in their apartment in Bethlehem, they face devastating challenges at every turn.
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The annual Kazoo Parade in Nazareth on Saturday celebrated America's military veterans, including Parade Grand Marshal and borough councilman Charles Donello.
