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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Palmerton Area principal Ralph Andrews has declined an offer to become Hanover Elementary School principal, according to an agenda item on tonight's Bethlehem Area School Board meeting. -
The Downtown Allentown Alliance on Friday launched its Block by Block Ambassadors program in Center City.
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The $68 million, five-building expansion to the existing high school at 2700 N. Cedar Creek Blvd. will be voted on for final approval by the township board of commissioners in January.
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The debate over whether Lehigh County Commissioners can approve the formation of a Tourism Improvement District to help struggling hotels in the Lehigh Valley boils down to whether or not it would be violating state law.
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Four surplus male bison from the Lehigh Valley Zoo will be donated to the Wildlife Restoration Foundation for transfer to a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council in New York. The recent loss of the dominant male bison at the zoo necessitated the transfer.
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Despite concerns over potential safety issues regarding tractor-trailer traffic near the proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center, the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved the plan by a 4-3 vote on Monday.
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Another energized, entertaining and successful annual meeting and awards show of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce had ended.
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The Christmas tree for Bethlehem's annual display was delivered to Payrow Plaza on Wednesday. The 43-foot-tall spruce was donated by the Simoes family of Bethlehem Township.
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Potential tractor-trailer safety issues at a proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center near Range Road were addressed by the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners during a workshop session Monday.
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The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation have launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign to strengthen food access and deliver rapid relief to families in need.
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B Social, a state-of-the-art, multi-entertainment center and event venue, will hold its grand opening on July 15 at Saucon Square shopping center on Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township.
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The Lehigh Valley ranks as the eighth-highest industrial market in the U.S., it was disclosed at a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission roundtable meeting on Friday.
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US Rep. Susan Wild, D-7th District, and USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited the Greater Valley YMCA in Pen Argyl on Thursday for the kickoff of its Summer Nutrition Program.
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The City of Allentown held a Juneteenth Block Party celebration at Center Square on Tuesday, commemorating the last bastion of slavery in the U.S. in 1865.
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A continuance was granted for the sixth time this year to Paxos Group real estate company for a hearing before the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on charges it has violated a zoning ordinance prohibiting the renting or leasing of condominiums as apartments on Arey Lane.
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The Lehigh County funded Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services, or MARS, opened a new substance abuse-related treatment center in Allentown on Friday.The FORT program (Families Obtaining Recovery Together) will join the slate of treatment options offered, making this groundbreaking program available to more Lehigh County residents free of charge.
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On Sunday morning, the Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ in Allentown will hold its reopening worship service for the first time since it closed in 2022.
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Barnes & Noble at Lehigh Valley Mall on Wednesday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking a return to its original location. National award-winning author James McBride was on hand to sign copies of his latest novel.
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Bethlehem native Julianna Rodrigues, who has a form of muscular dystrophy, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborative at Moravian University, on Tuesday morning.
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Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday night gave final conditional approval to a proposed Wawa at MacArthur and Mickley roads.
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After a raging fire on Saturday night destroyed his Center Valley barn, tractors, trucks and equipment, Leroy C. Stahler Jr. vows to rebuild and continue the Stahler family legacy of farming, said his daughter, Tracy Beers.
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A Wawa proposed for MacArthur Road and Mickley Road received conditional approval from the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday night.
