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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Pediatricians say teen twin boys who were severely malnourished in their parents' care likely would have died in weeks or months if not for medical attention. District Judge Michael J. Faulkner determined that there was enough evidence to send the case to Lehigh County Court. -
The Catasauqua School Board voted to continue the football team's annual Thanksgiving Day game against Northampton. The rivalry on the gridiron is 101 years old.
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Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners will consider a request by Fellowship Community retirement community to complete its proposed expansion in three phases instead of one, as was originally proposed. The change is because of lack of funding.
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Sone Ntoh, an Emmaus High School graduate, will look to impress the Baltimore Ravens at its rookie camp the first weekend of May. The former Monmouth University star running back signed a free agent contract with the team.
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Fellowship Community, an independent living community in Whitehall Township, announced expansion plans to construct three luxury apartment buildings on the 67-acre campus at Mauch Chunk Road and Schadt Avenue.
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop federal funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Lehigh Valley Public Media receives more than $1 million per year in CPB funding, according to the interim CEO.
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Carol Obando-Derstine will enter the 2026 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional primary. The battleground district is held by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican serving his first term.
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Allentown teen among was among honorees at the 2024 Pennsylvania Registered Apprenticeship & Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Awards held at Northampton Community College on Wednesday afternoon.
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Whitehall-Coplay School Board approved a $103 million budget proposal on Monday night. Residents told the board they can't afford another property tax hike.
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Local healthcare providers and legislators appeared a press conference at Valley Youth House in Bethlehem to shed light on children’s mental health issues and to advocate for continued state and federal funding.
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The PennDOT Workers' Memorial honors the 90 employees who died while on the job since 1970. The memorial is displayed along North Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown Thursday through Friday.
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Two Allentown School District teachers and a Salisbury Township School District teacher were chosen at random to participate in a shopping spree at Crayola Experience to help their students during Teacher Appreciation Week. The catch? They had just over a minute.
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The grand opening of Sheetz on Fourth Street in Bethlehem on Thursday was well attended. One woman drove more than an hour for her first taste of Sheetz coffee.
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The 36 individuals who lost their homes after a three-alarm fire on in Allentown on Tuesday are being offered shelter and assistance at the Allentown YMCA by the American Red Cross.
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After more than five hours, a hearing before Bethlehem City Council regarding a New Jersey developer's request for a zoning variance to build 317 apartments on Hanover Avenue was suspended Tuesday night. A date and time for the resumption of the hearing was not immediately established.
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The VFW Post 7293 (Egypt VFW), Whitehall, is conducting a fundraiser for a planned memorial to honor submarine veterans from World War II.
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Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Friday that six persons have been charged in a large-scale burglary ring throughout the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday approved a staff review of a Parkland School District proposal for a second floor being added to its new operations center currently under construction.
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The Lehigh Valley Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday agreed to add new definitions for ordinances in Plainfield Township addressing the keeping and raising of chickens at residential properties.
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Incumbent state Rep. Zach Mako defeated newcomer Zachari Halkias, a Slatington councilman, in the GOP primary in the 183rd District. He will be opposed by Democrat Joseph Lenzi in the November general election.
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The Lehigh Valley Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved an application from the Parkland School District for a 12,832-square-foot addition to the second floor of the new operations center currently under construction at 2619 Stadium Road in Orefield.
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The unknown cause of a massive fire that destroyed Doctor Diesel trucking company in North Whitehall Township early Monday morning is under investigation.
