NNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings died early Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said. He was 68. A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his district that encompassed a large portion of Baltimore. Cummings hadn’t returned to work after having a medical procedure that he said would only keep him away for about a week.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local): Vice President Mike Pence says that Turkey has agreed to a cease-fire in Syria. Pence spoke after a high-level delegation of U.S. officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH’-jehp TY’-ihp UR’-doh-wahn) in Ankara, Turkey. Pence says there will “a pause in military operations for 120 hours” to allow the U.S.-allied Syrian Kurds to withdraw. The vice president says the U.S. and Turkey have “mutually committed to peaceful resolution and future for the safe zone.”

Freedom United Federal Credit Union is celebrating its 80th anniversary today, which also just happens to be International Credit Union Day. Zelda Smith is the president treasurer of the Rochester location. She says several special activities are taking place today…and one of them is the delivery of a complimentary birthday cake:

She says there’s also a scavenger hunt for members…

She says there’s also a contest where you can guess the weight of the pumpkins on display…

She says there’s also free refreshments being offered at all the locations today…

Smith talked about how the two celebrations fall on the same day this year…

Smith says there’s no fee to participate in any of the special activities today. However, you do need to be a credit union member…

Smith says they’ll be giving out cookies and special gifts throughout the day at all three locations.

More motorists are stranded by dead batteries in winter than in any other season. So says AAA, as we hear in this report from Beaver County Radio News intern Alex D’itri. Click on ‘play’ to hear Alex’ report…

Officials in Daugherty Township are starting their leaf collection next week.  Crews will pick-up on a planned route from Monday through Thursday running through November 29th.  Leaf piles containing garbage, grass clippings, or brush and tree branches won’t be collected.

An Instagram photo announcing the opening of Chipotle in Beaver is being called a hoax.  Borough officials say the photo discussing plans for a Third Street restaurant in Beaver is not accurate and may be part of a phishing scheme.  The fake post was encouraging people to apply for a job at the new restaurant set to open across from Huntington Bank.

President Trump has a stop in Pittsburgh next week.  Trump will deliver the keynote address at next Wednesday’s Shale Insight event at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  The event brings together the Ohio Oil and Natural Gas Association, the Marcellus Shale Coalition, and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.

ExxonMobil is reportedly drawing up plans for its own cracker plant in Beaver County.  Published reports indicate the company is scouting locations for the plant, which would convert fossil fuel byproducts into plastics.  ExxonMobil is making the move to compete with Royal Dutch Shell, which is building its own cracker plant near Monaca.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A former western Pennsylvania church administrator has pleaded guilty to stealing 1.2 million that prosecutors say he and his wife used to pay for vacations, sports tickets and other personal expenses. Fifty-year-old David Reiter pleaded guilty Wednesday to receiving stolen property, theft, forgery, access device fraud, tampering with records and unlawful use of a computer. He pleaded no contest to conspiracy and has been ordered to pay the money back.

A former Aliquippa resident has been sentenced in federal court to serve a total sentence of 10 years’ in prison on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws. 24 year old Landon Alexander Gatta, formerly of Aliquippa, was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The charges stem from a search of Gatta’s residence back in November of last year during a drug investigation.