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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'Maine' ingredient: Father-son team open Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls at The Promenade Center ValleyRich Rudolph and son, Rich, opened Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls at The Promenade Center Valley this month. The Lehigh Valley natives are the first franchise owners of the chain in Pennsylvania. -
The Phillies Winter Caravan drew a sellout crowd at ArtsQuest on Thursday night. Phillies players Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson interacted with fans. Proceeds benefited IronPigs Charities.
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Lehigh Valley International Airport served a record number of passengers in 2024, according to a news release on Wednesday from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.The airport served 1,012,240 passengers last year, an increase of 8.7% from 2023.Also, Allegiant Air will resume service from ABE to Denver and Nashville starting in May.
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The Lehigh Valley housing shortage crisis will be examined by an engagement series called the Lehigh Valley Housing Supply and Availability Strategy. The first of the three-stage process will be held Feb. 5 at DeSales University.
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Letters of application for renewals of existing wastewater treatment plants and related discharges at Lehigh Township Municipal Authority-Pennsville and Lehigh Carbon Community College were approved by the LVPC Environment Committee on Tuesday morning.
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Nazareth-based Martin Guitar will showcase new guitars, including an acoustic double-neck, at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim this week.
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The fourth annual DeVonta Smith Celebrity Softball Game will be held on Saturday, June 28 at Coca-Cola Park.
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Francis Anonia, a former Parkland High School performing arts teacher, was arraigned in Lehigh County Court on Friday morning on charges he used his cell phone multiple times to secretly record a male student in a school changing room in 2022. If found guilty of all 19 charges, he could face up to 88 years in prison.
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South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night voted 3-2 against a text amendment request that would have allowed for the building of a 8,000-square-foot restaurant at the Ridge Farms mixed-use housing development.
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'I'm here to say I told you so': Whitehall traffic death, inaction, brings sorrow, frenzy at meetingAngry and frustrated family and friends of the late Edward Tomcics packed the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, imploring them to address the speeding epidemic on Water Street. Tomcics, 75, was struck and killed outside his home on Dec. 25. An investigation into the incident is underway.
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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.
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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.
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The Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about six hours in both directions between the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown exits.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Pardon Project is designed to help low-income residents convicted of nonviolent crimes who have pleaded guilty and completed their sentence at least five years ago to eventually have their record expunged.
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Monday's solar eclipse will not turn the skies in the Lehigh Valley pitch black, Moravian University astronomy professor Gary A. Becker said. Just a bit wonky. The ideal time in the Lehigh Valley to view the eclipse is 3:24 p.m.
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Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting consumers of scammers selling sunglasses to view the eclipse on April 8 that do not protect one's eyes from potentially permanent damage.
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More than 350 young students throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley participated in a mural painting event at Lehigh Valley Children's Center in Allentown on Thursday.The completed mural will appear on an exterior wall of the new Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown. The center is slated for a May 22 opening.
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Mack Defense, a subsidiary of Mack Trucks, provides heavy duty vehicles to not only the U.S. military but allied militaries around the world. David C. Hartzell Sr., president and CEO of Mack Defense, discussed the company's commitment during a Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce event.
