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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Walmart will layoff 597 workers at its South Bethlehem distribution center at 3215 Commerce Center Blvd. The cuts were anticipated for a few months. The official number of employees to lose their jobs was confirmed Monday from a Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry WARN notice. -
Hawk Music co-owners Phil Hawk and his sister, Pat Hawk Paulus, recalled the relationships made with customers at the store their late father founded 50 years ago.
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DeSales University recognized, honored, and thanked Vietnam War veterans and their families during a special ceremony on Wednesday morning. The event was in conjunction with the observance every March 29 of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
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Bethlehem Township Planning Commission reviewed on Monday night a preliminary plan for a proposed 34-room hotel, restaurant, spa, and banquet complex at William Penn Highway and Bethman Road.
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U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) held a news conference at Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehabilitation on Friday to officially announce $525,000 in federal funding he secured for the nursing home's $67 million expansion project.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday voted to accept recommendations of its Comprehensive Planning Committee for a Bethlehem apartment complex and three area warehouses.
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A national nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops, donated a home to Easton native, retired Marine Corps Cpl. Lasko, on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Wind Gap. Cpl. Lasko lost part of his left leg and sustained a traumatic brain injury during an explosion in Afghanistan in 2004.
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Contrasting points of view are at issue with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's decision to relocate its headquarters.
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A Northampton County Judge found the Tally Ho Tavern to have implemented necessary remedies to past violations, thereby reversing a ruling by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board denying renewal of its liquor license.
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Allentown City Council unanimously voted on Wednesday night to approve Mayor Matt Tuerk’s ordinance to appropriate $10,000 for an analysis of the embattled parking authority.
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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.
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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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Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley has joined a group of local organizations and schools that plans to partner with local farmers to develop a strong local and sustainable food infrastructure to provide balanced, nutritious food to the region’s ever-growing population.
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Members of United Auto Workers Local 667 have voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike against Mack Truck Lehigh Valley if a new contract is not reached by Oct. 1.
