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.
-
Two proposed school district land development projects were among projects advanced by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon. -
A special Mass to celebrate the life of Pope Francis was held at Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown on Monday. Francis died on Monday at 88 after 12 years leading the Catholic Church.
-
Nearly six years after it opened, the Downtown Allentown Market has closed due to lack of customers.
-
Commissioners voted to award a contract to Construction Masters Services LLC, of Berks County, whose $534,859 bid was the lowest of three firms that submitted proposals.
-
South Whitehall Township Commissioners advanced a transportation plan Wednesday identifying six priority areas. They represent specific locations where commissioners said crash history and roadway conditions warrant immediate action.
-
In 1989, Yusef Salaam and four other teenagers were imprisoned after being wrongly accused and convicted of raping a woman in Central Park in New York. At Northampton Community College on Tuesday night, he shared his story and the need to address inequities in the criminal justice system.
-
The Whitehall-Coplay School Board is considering a request to start a varsity girls wrestling program.
-
A property tax hike as high as 5.3% may be assessed to help close a nearly $7 million spending gap in the proposed 2025-26 Whitehall-Coplay School District budget.
-
The temporary closure of Water Street in Whitehall Township to address traffic calming measures is close but undetermined, Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr. said.
-
Giant Markets Feeding School Kids Program made a donation of $8,623.86 to the Allentown School District's Child Nutrition Department on Friday.
-
After nearly 40 years serving the Lower Milford Township community, the volunteer fire company is auctioning off its small but trusted fire truck.
-
Plans for the River Pointe Logistics Industrial Park Development Project in Upper Mount Bethel Township are inconsistent with those of FutureLV, according to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
-
Citing the financial concerns of taxpayers, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission member Richard D. Molchany suggests slowing down the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail project.
-
The proposed River Point industrial park project for Upper Mount Bethel Township has residents questioning unanswered questions by Bethlehem developer Lou Pektor.
-
Eighty volunteers helped lay 30,000 square feet of sod at the home of retired Marine Corps veteran Daniel Lasko, who lost his left leg in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2004.
-
An appreciative community packed Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown to bid farewell to Bishop Edward P. Cullen, 90, who died May 9. Cullen was the third Bishop of Allentown, having served from 1998 until his retirement in 2009 at age 76.
-
The first stage of the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis project will be completed by October, it was revealed on Wednesday during a Lehigh Valley Transportation Study committee virtual public meeting.
-
First-time candidate Cindy O'Brien won the Republican primary in the race for Bethlehem Area School Board.
-
Pedestrian safety continues to be the primary concern for residents regarding the Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor Project planned along the Lehigh River in Allentown and Whitehall.
-
The Parkland School District budget that was voted on and approved Tuesday night includes a 2.5% property tax increase. The tax hike is district's highest in the past seven years, but is still the lowest millage rate in Lehigh County.
-
Mattel has marketed a Barbie doll that represents those with Down syndrome.
-
Pennsylvania Youth Theatre has initiated a $1 million capital campaign as it searches for a future home. The organization will likely be displaced when the Banana Factory complex is demolished for a new cultural arts center.
