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.
-
Policy revisions to freedom of speech, educator misconduct and tobacco/vaping use were approved by the Whitehall-Coplay School Board on Monday night. -
Lehigh University and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation are collaborating to create a more successful connection between rehabilitation applications and improvement for individuals with a range of injuries and conditions.
-
Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board heard from experts representing a developer that hopes to build a warehouse on South Church Street. The hearing ended after three hours and will resume next month.
-
More than 100 people attended a burial ceremony at Cedar Heights Cemetery in Wescosville for eight individuals who went unclaimed by family members.
-
Okatshe, a Japanese-themed restaurant/bar, expected to open next month.
-
The day honors American prisoners of war and service members who remain missing in action, along with their families, by emphasizing the ongoing commitment to find them and bring them home.
-
Easton resident Robert Morisie, 69, a retired New York City firefighter, shared his memories of responding to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center at an event in Hanover Township on Thursday evening.
-
Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley received a $35,000 donation from The Giant Company.
-
Tracy and Joshua Dechant, charged with attempting to starve their teen sons to death, have 60 days to find a defense lawyer, a judge said.
-
Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley was inducted into the Whitehall High School Hall of Fame on Friday night.
-
Discussion on the proposed construction of a Wawa at MacArthur Road and Mickley Road was among several projects tabled by the Whitehall Township Planning Commission last week.
-
Cedar Crest College held a groundbreaking ceremony on a $2.5 million softball field renovation project on Saturday, April 20, 2024. The current grass and dirt field will be replaced by an all-weather turf field, with lights installed.
-
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown will host its 39th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament on Monday, May 6 at Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville. Proceeds benefit BCGA youth programs.
-
A memorial sign dedication for the late Allentown Fire Department Assistant Chief Christopher Kiskeravage was held outside the Mack Southside Fire Department on Friday morning. A stretch of Lehigh Street outside the fire station is named in his honor.
-
Plans for a Taco Bell with a dual drive-thru in Whitehall Township were approved by the township's planning commission on Wednesday night.
-
Construction of a new Taco Bell was approved by the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night. The board also approved a zoning variance request, a zoning exemption, and tabled a discussion until May.
-
Incumbent Rep. Zachary Mako and Slatington Borough Councilman Zachari Halkias are each looking to win the Republican primary and face Democrat Joseph Lenzi in the November general election for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
-
The Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about six hours in both directions between the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown exits.
-
The announcement this week by Volvo Group, parent company of Mack Trucks, to build a heavy duty truck manufacturing plant in Mexico has been met with disappointment and concern by UAW Local 677 and Lehigh Valley lawmakers.
-
By a 3-1 vote, the Bethlehem Planning Commission approved on Thursday night a project for a 517-space, 64-feet-high, nearly 200,000-square-foot Walnut Street parking garage to replace the old one currently being demolished. The structure is expected to open sometime in 2025.
-
The Lehigh Valley continues to be among the nation's leaders in economic development, it was revealed at the Lehigh Valley Real Estate Development Outlook event on Tuesday in Allentown.
-
An extended view of the total solar eclipse that was promised in the Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon never materialized due to thick cloud cover, disappointing many of the approximately 1,000 at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.
