Wesley United Methodist hosts beef, chicken dinner

The Wesley United Methodist Church in Fruitland will host its annual fried chicken and kettle beef dinner from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The dinner will consist of all-you-can-eat kettle beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, homemade baked bread, coleslaw and desserts. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger eat free. All proceeds from the dinner will go to benefit ministry projects. For more information, contact the church office at 243-5948.

VMY plans second annual mission box experience

The Vincentian Marian Youth will be holding its second annual mission box experience from Oct. 16 to Oct. 17 at the practice football field of St. Vincent High School in Perryville, Mo. Participants will spend a night in a cardboard box for a glimpse of what homelessness might be like. Participants are asked to bring their own box to the event, along with sponsorship money from friends and relatives to help provide assistance to those less fortunate. Participants must also bring a completed liability form, a pledge sheet of donors and contributions of $50 or more. No food, drinks or alternative shelter will be provided. The participant who collects the most money will win a free Vincentian Marian Youth weekend experience of their choice between now and the end of 2011. Liability forms and pledge sheets are available on the Vincentian Marian Youth website at vmy.us.

*** Ghost stories told at River Campus for third year

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau will host its third annual Cape Girardeau Ghost Storytelling event at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the east lawn of Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. Tellers for this year's event are Michael Reno Harrell and Jennifer Armstrong. Harrell is a Grammy-award winning songwriter as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer. Armstrong tells traditional and personal stories from her Celtic-American heritage and plays the bagpipe, fiddle, banjo and guitar. Tickets can be purchased at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau office. Anyone 12 and older can purchase a ticket for $10. Admission is free for children younger than 12 who are accompanied by an adult. More information about the Ghost Storytelling event along with ticket information can be found at capestorytelling.com.

Beginner trapper workshop offered at Duck Creek

The Missouri Department of Conservation and members of the Missouri Trappers Association will hold a two-day hands-on instructional course Oct. 16 and 17 at Duck Creek Conservation Area. This event is open to anyone 14 years old or older who is interested in learning how to trap Missouri furbearers. The course will begin with a morning classroom setting to cover benefits of trapping, ethics, regulations, trap types, sets, trap care and brief animal histories. In the afternoon, students will break up into smaller groups and follow their assigned instructor to the field to set traps. Participants younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants are asked to bring their lunch both days and to dress appropriately for time in the field. Waders or hip boots will be needed in order to make water sets. Participants 16 years old or older are required to purchase a valid Missouri Trapping Permit. Advance registration is required by Oct. 13 by contacting the Missouri Department of Conservation Southeast Regional Office at 573-290-5730.