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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The 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Lehigh Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players.
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The Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute named its immunotherapy center in honor of philanthropists Peter and Odete Kelly, who gifted the institute $12 million on Tuesday.
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Some 51 acres of the Unangst Tree Farms in East Allen Township raised the total of preserved farmland in Northampton County to 21,000.
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Because of increased volume of traffic, Route 22 in the Lehigh Valley now qualifies for a designation change to an interstate.
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Organizers give residents food staples and dignity at a resource rally at the Salvation Army in Allentown on Wednesday.
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Zoning amendment regarding potential warehouses near residences in Hanover Township raises questionsA zoning amendment that would allow for the possibility of warehouses near a residential neighborhood in Hanover Township, Northampton County was reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday.
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Policy revisions to freedom of speech, educator misconduct and tobacco/vaping use were approved by the Whitehall-Coplay School Board on Monday night.
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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.
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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.
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More than 100 people attended a burial ceremony at Cedar Heights Cemetery in Wescosville for eight individuals who went unclaimed by family members.
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On Giving Tuesday, Essentials Café in west Bethlehem held its soft opening. The café provides free breakfast and lunch for those who cannot afford to pay.
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Boys & Girls Club of Allentown received a donated 2024 Honda Odyssey passenger van on Monday. The club purchased the vehicle with a $60,000 grant from Bridgestone Tire Co.
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The Northampton County Republican Committee's legal team is in discussions with the Pennsylvania Republican Committee's legal team on how to proceed toward decertifying the county's election machines.
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In an effort to ensure drivers in the Lehigh Valley abide by speed limits and remain mindful of not being distracted, Pennsylvania State Police plan to step up enforcement from Wednesday through Sunday in this Thanksgiving holiday period.
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Emmaus is among many Lehigh Valley communities to host Small Business Saturday events, to encourage residents to support locally-owned businesses.
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A 95,750-square-foot, 144-bed behavioral hospital planned for Hanover Township in Northampton County expected to create more than 300 jobs was among two development projects reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night.
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U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, hosted a webinar on Wednesday to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The federal funding will help repair crumbling infrastructure in the Greater Lehigh Valley.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's comprehensive planning committee on Tuesday reviewed plans for several area projects, including development of the former Allentown State Hospital site.
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Lehigh University hosted a DEI and global education expert, Amer F. Ahmed, Ph.D., at an International Education Week event on Monday.
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A Veterans Day panel discussion was held at ArtsQuest Center on Friday night. Among the four panelists was Artimus Pyle, former drummer for the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd who served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
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The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting attracted about 1,000 at Wind Creek Event Center Thursday afternoon.The event brought together members of the business community — colleagues, customers and competitors — to celebrate their collective mission of making the region a better place to work and live.
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Brian C. McGoldrick, 42, of Glenside, on Tuesday received a sentence of 5-to-19 years in state prison in the death of Catherine Ann Neelon in a September 2022 head-on collision.