Gretchen Eichenberg

Gretchen Eichenberg

Writer • Reporter • Storyteller


Wacoan® | Waco’s Magazine™ •

Woman of Interest: Amanda Suenkel

“We have a higher mission … to be of service to [animals] wherever they require it.” The words of Saint Francis of Assisi describe the philosophy of Amanda Suenkel, 38, licensed veterinary technician Cameron Park Zoo. Alongside zoo veterinarian James Kusmierczyk, VMD, Suenkel quite literally cares for all creatures great and small — more than 2,000 of them to be exact. And she does not take lightly the unique responsibility she has to protect and advocate for her patients on a daily basis.
Fox News •

Truck driver intervenes in highway shootout, wins Goodyear Highway Hero Award

Commercial truck drivers can be crucial to the country’s supply chain, but some serve as champions of safety on the road, acting as first responders in tough situations. Timothy VanNostrand, 64, an owner/operator of his own logging transport company in Northville, New York, found himself springing into action while driving along Interstate 88 in June 2023."It happened so fast," VanNostrand told Fox News Digital.
Oklahoma Magazine •

Oklahomans of the Year

To ensure any effort succeeds, a leader must emerge to pioneer the way. Someone intelligent and driven, but also kind, charismatic and trustworthy. Oklahoma has a multitude of such leaders – people who are passionate about our state and those within it. They are transforming Oklahoma through their work, whether it’s in healthcare, government leadership, law, education, tribal affairs or community development. We shine a spotlight on eight of these innovators, those who truly deserve the title of Oklahoman of the Year.
Fox News •

'Christmas gas' joke goes viral as women prank the men in their lives with disastrous auto error

Hannah Crawford, an Alabama resident, called her husband to say she used special "Christmas gas" because it had a green pump and the other options were not available. It led him to panic, thinking she put diesel fuel in the car.You've heard of a Christmas tree, Christmas gifts and Christmas carols, but what about Christmas gas? That’s what holiday jokesters are telling their loved ones that they pumped into their cars as part of a viral TikTok prank."Hey, it’s Hannah," one prankster says to her...
Oklahoma Magazine •

Creating Community

In 2022, nearly 60,000 Oklahomans were unemployed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. Yet, there were 36,000 more job postings than people searching for work, according to the State Chamber Research Foundation. That didn’t add up, so the Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) decided to dig in and solve the problem. “We found Oklahoma is experiencing mass shortages in areas like nursing, truck driving, early education and software de...
Oklahoma Magazine •

An Exercise in Global Empathy

In a time of global unrest and uncertainty, perhaps no educational endeavor is more relevant than one where students represent different countries and come together to solve world problems. That’s exactly what Model United Nations (MUN), a competitive collegiate program, is all about: an exercise in global empathy. “Model United Nations is just the absolute perfect [way] to cultivate empathy,” says Helen Fullerton, a 2024 graduate of Oklahoma State University and former participant. “It compl...
Wacoan® | Waco’s Magazine™ •

Celebrating Waco — 175 years strong

One hundred seventy-five years after Shapley Prince Ross, Jacob De Cordova and George Erath established the Central Texas city along the Brazos River on the site of a village first settled by the Waco (sometimes spelled Huaco) tribe — one has to wonder if the founders could ever imagine the Waco of today. A city that was built on such economic promise faced two world wars, the Great Depression, crushing racial violence and a devastating natural disaster that set the city back decades — but its citizens have continued to survive and thrive despite hardship and division.
Oklahoma Magazine •

Gathering & Giving

The season of gathering and giving is here — and Oklahomans have myriad opportunities to celebrate and give back. Decking the Halls Bundle up and head to our major metros for two winter wonderlands that bring a bit of the North Pole to Oklahoma. More than 600,000 twinkling lights will illuminate Oklahoma City as Downtown in December dazzles community members with ice skating, festive food, shopping, entertainment and more. “Downtown Oklahoma City is the place to celebrate the holiday...
Oklahoma Magazine •

Making Connections

Finding beauty in the details of ordinary things: that is the theme of Tulsa artist Jeanie Gooden’s new book Findings: Translations, released in November.  “I love the small things,” Gooden says. “I love to encourage people to look around them. Somebody might be looking at a waterfall and I might be looking at a rock in the other direction because I like the pattern on it. I’m very attuned to details.” Gooden has been living and working between Tulsa and the colonial city of San Miguel de...
Fox News •

Hot travel gifts for the vacationer in your life: Top picks ahead of Christmas

If you'd like to give an amazing vacation to the traveler in your life — but your budget won’t allow it this holiday season — consider gifting him or her a useful travel accessory.The right gift could help make the next adventure easier, more comfortable, more fun — or all of those. Below, see some picks — from stylish luggage to carry-ons, cozy slippers and more — organized in a few key categories. A small, w...
Fox News •

Airline passenger shares photo of 'reclined' seat debacle: 'Dude is in my lap'

Trapped in first class sounds like a first-world problem, but that’s actually what happened to an American Airlines passenger on a flight from Dallas to Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday, according to his post on X."First Class." Dude is in my lap," user @av_COVA posted along with a photo of the seat in front of him reclined so far back it appeared to be pressed into his knees."You continue to be awful @AmericanAir."AIRLINE PASSENGER'S 'AWKWARD' SEATING ARRANGEMENT GOES VIRAL: 'NEVER GOING TO RE...
Oklahoma Magazine •

Hard Work Pays Off

It’s been said that good food is not just fuel for the body, but also the soul — and Oklahoma chef and entrepreneur Dequayon Server, 28, takes that belief to heart.  “Cooking is my passion,” says Server, affectionately known as Chef Dee. “Sometimes people are like ‘Bro, I can see the love, the passion you put into your food.’ And they can feel that – versus a person that just wants to get paid for cooking. It’s like soul food.” As the owner of Chef Dee’s Creations, Server offers Creole and...
Oklahoma Magazine •

Going Long

Coming off a stellar performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, OSU alum Jacob Fincham-Dukes of Harrogate, England, is still relishing in a dream come true. He represented his country in the long jump and placed in the top five. “It has been something that I’ve been dreaming about for almost the last decade,” Fincham-Dukes says. “The energy was other-worldly. The village environment is cool, but nothing beats stepping out into that stadium, hearing [and] feeling the energy of 80,000 pe...
Fox News •

Texas man invents 1.5K-mile adventure trail for hikers, bikers and horseback riders

For hikers and bikers who’ve conquered the Triple Crown — the Pacific Crest, Appalachian and Continental Divide trails — there’s a new adventure route in town. It spans the entire Lone Star State, and it’s going to be traversable by spring."This is a route that is rugged, remote, rural and therefore, romantic," Charlie Gandy, a retired community design consultant and former state representative, told Fox News Digital.
Fox News •

This rural destination is paying people $16K to move there, work remotely

A rural region in Spain is paying remote workers $16,000 to relocate and conduct business in a rolling green valley, just under three hours from Madrid. And it’s not the only country offering workers and entrepreneurs money to move — the list of countries seeking "digital nomads" is growing.Last month, the Regional Government of Extremadura, an autonomous community located in the central-western Iberian Peninsula, announced its new "Live in Ambroz" program, designed to attract remote workers by...
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