A spaghetti dinner has been scheduled for tomorrow to help raise funds for the Christ United Methodist Church in downtown Tyrone.
The historic church at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street was heavily damaged after an arson-related fire in early June. The church has been in the process of being restored since the fire. In August, the congregation was able to resume services in the educational building.
The church had temporarily held services in the chapel at Epworth Manor while work was done on the educational unit. Work on restoring the more-heavily damaged sanctuary is continuing at the structure.
A September church bulletin said the outpouring of support from the community since the fire was “inspiring.” It noted churches, groups and individuals from throughout the area have sent their thoughts, prayers and financial support. A special fund to help with fire-related expenses was set up by church officials. So far, thousands of dollars have been raised through contributions. The spaghetti dinner is yet another part of the effort. It will be held at the church starting at 5 p.m. and running until 7 p.m. tomorrow.
The two Tyrone teens accused of setting fire to the church found out in August that they would be tried as juveniles.
However, they continue to wait to find out their legal fate according to the Blair County Juvenile Probation Office.
In September, deputy director John Dively said the case against the youths is on hold pending the results from a state police crime lab in Greensburg. He said he could not offer any estimate as to when the results from the crime lab would be available. He indicated officials in Greensburg prioritize the order of importance for that type of information. Dively was unavailable for comment this morning
However, a probation office spokesperson said nothing had been scheduled regarding the teens. A spokesperson said they didn’t expect anything regarding the case to be scheduled before the beginning of December.
The two male teenagers had been released back to their parents after having been detained for a period of time after they were taken into custody in June. At one point they were to appear before Judge Elizabeth Doyle in July for a certification hearing to determine if they would be tried as adults or in the juvenile system.
Dively previously told The Daily Herald the case was continued until August because a defense attorney had a scheduling conflict. The August hearing was held before visiting Judge John Reilly. He ruled the teens would be tried in juvenile court.
According to Blair County District Attorney Dave Gorman, one of the teens turned 18-years-old just days after the fire. The other suspect was 16 at the time of the fire.
The probation office said the 18-year-old is also facing unrelated charges in another case as an adult. Questions regarding that case were referred to the DA’s office. Gorman was unavailable for comment this morning.
