SUAMICO Third-grader Erin Whitman, 9, will surprise her 11-year-old sister Meghan with a new laptop today thatll help the fifth-grader keep in touch with friends, family and classmates as she undergoes treatment for leukemia.

Annual Benson Economic Forum Luncheon upcoming The 12th Annual Benson Economic Outlook Luncheon will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at 11:30 a.m. at Cochise College Benson Center (doors open at 11 a.m.). CER Director Robert Carreira, Ph.D. will give an overview of the local, state, and national economy. Glenn Nichols, Benson City Manager, will speak on current and planned projects within the city. Log …

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BREAKFAST 8 a.m. to noon second Sundays at Somers Point Volunteer Fire Company No. 2. Call 609-653-6503.

Banned Books Week: Sept. 28-Oct. 28, Mokena Community Public Library District, 11327 W. 195th St. in Mokena. Learn more about the books that have been challenged. To register, call 708-479-9663 or visit www.mokena.lib.il.us.

Youngsters 5 to 17 who have never experienced riding a horse are being given an opportunity to saddle up. The Kiwanis Club of Calistoga is inviting young Calistogans to apply for three horseback-riding lessons at Diamond Mountain Stables in Calistoga — and the Kiwanis Club will pick up the tab.

The USCA recognizes outstanding businesses throughout the country. Each year the USCA identifies businesses that they believe to have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local communities.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. The Franklin County 4-H Therapeutic Riding Center has offered horseback riding lessons to children with autism for more than a year.

Sustained weight loss and wellness are possible with the simple and effective techniques developed by Nina Smiley, Ph.D., co-author of The Three Minute Meditator.

In a horseback-riding region dominated by gate-jumping, fox-chasing, English-style riders, a beacon of the Old West exists in a small town near Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Marcy L. Heepke of Edwardsville was honored recently by the American Riding Instructors Association for her outstanding contributions to the horseback riding lesson industry by being named as one of their “Top 50 Riding Instructors in America.” She is the owner and operator of Triangle H Farm, LLC. She has been giving riding lessons for 16 years.