NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A Nashville building on the National Registry of Historical places is getting a multi-million dollar makeover. Construction crews are working everyday bringing new life to the old Fall School building. "People are excited to see it returning to its former glory," says business neighbor William Walter. Walter admits the group moving in has raised curiosity. "They're just redoing the whole thing - doors, walls, windows. They took down the fixtures, so that should be a pretty impressive building ...

The Utah Legislature continued funding a Scientology-based treatment for police officers exposed to methamphetamine, despite a state-funded study that was unable to find a connection between the drug and officers' illnesses. As lawmakers were slashing funds for other state programs, they sidestepped public debate and appropriated $100,000 – enough cash for about 20 police officers to undergo the regimen of exercise, sauna time and large doses of antioxidants. The funding was added by Senate Republicans in the waning days of the ...

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A woman accuses the Church of Scientology of human trafficking, obstructing justice, employment violations, discrimination and violation of privacy. Laura Ann DeCrescenzo says she signed her first "contract" with the church when she was 12, and did not "escape" until she had suffered 13 years of forced labor at less than minimum wage. "There are two very different versions of Scientology," DeCrescenzo aka Laura Dieckman says in her Superior Court complaint. "There is the Scientology as presented ...

PART TEN Former Scientologist Maureen Bolstad continues her account of her years at the church headquarters near Hemet. "I was actually one of the older ones at 17. There were 13-year-olds, 12-year-olds," Bolstad recollects. "There was just one kid, 12-years-old that was given an executive responsibility doing something. He had a complete nervous breakdown." This is how Maureen spent her teenage years: making videos for the church. Looking at her social security tax forms, she says nobody ever told her about ...

CLEARWATER, Fla., March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —-In connection with the Church's rapid international growth and the continuing expansion of its spiritual headquarters in Florida, the Church of Scientology held the grand opening of the Fort Harrison, the second facility completed in just the last 18 months to accommodate the influx of thousands of parishioners to the Church's spiritual headquarters and religious retreat As part of its continuing expansion, on March 14, 2009 the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization ...

PART NINE The Church of Scientology believes one woman, Maureen Bolstad, is one of the worst people in the world. She is one of a few to be declared a "suppressive person." Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard declared so-called "suppressive" people "cannot be granted the rights ordinarily accorded rational beings." Her crime? Talking to the media about the church. Bolstad was recruited into the Church of Scientology at age 16. She was told she'd get an education, and the chance to ...

HuffPo's Rachel Weiner has already reported on Greta Van Susteren's defensive response to a Politico story today, which cited an anonymous source saying that one of the reasons that Sarah Palin has been caught up in a "series of public relations gaffes" is because she is "taking advice from Greta and her husband." In her Fox News blog, Van Susteren vehemently denied offering Palin any advice, and called the authors to task for not checking on this allegation. Let me give ...

PART EIGHT Up until the late 1990's, each person inside received five cards. There's a pay card, a berthing or "housing" card, a chow card, a social card, and, a bonus card. If the production statistics for a worker or their team go down, management took a card or two away. If you lost your chow card, you had to make do with rice and beans. If you lost your berthing card, you lost your apartment. If you lost your pay ...

Luxury lifts up church hotel March 22 story Money could go to better use In this time of recession, when people are losing jobs, houses are going to foreclosure and times basically are tough all over for everyone, it's nice to see the cult of greed spending $40 million on renovations to its lair — not for the good of the community or to help those less fortunate, but to add to its own excess. As a "religion" and a "church," ...

PORTLAND, Ore. – Jeff Hawkins is on a mission to expose what he says is a cult. "It's become too abusive," he said. Hawkins is referring to the fast growing, famous and mysterious religion known as the Church of Scientology. He says Scientolgy's California headquarters and other large facilities have turned into work camps for staff members. "They work underground, and sometimes they stay there sometimes for years," Hawkins said. "They're not allowed contact with anybody outside." Protestors demonstrate regularly oustide ...

Two former employees who worked more than a decade at the Church of Scientology's Golden Era Productions enclave near Hemet have filed lawsuits alleging the church violated federal and state labor laws and engaged in human trafficking. Church of Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis called the lawsuits "utterly meritless," noting that hundreds of staff would boast about working conditions at the nearly 700-acre compound in Gilman Hot Springs. "Working conditions at Gold Base are nothing short of spectacular," Davis said. In separate ...

NY state senator indicted on assault charges, accused of attacking girlfriend in jealous rage NEW YORK – A freshman state senator sworn in to office despite allegations he slashed his girlfriend's face with broken glass in a jealous rage has been indicted on domestic assault charges, prosecutors said Monday. A grand jury in Queens indicted Hiram Monserrate on three counts of second-degree felony assault and three counts of third-degree misdemeanor assault. Arraignment is expected later this week. He faces seven years ...

Authorities today announced a $10,000 reward for help in identifying those responsible for two apparently connected vandalism incidents at churches in South Los Angeles. The first incident was at the St. Mark United Methodist Church at 8305 South Gramercy Place, where police said someone "severely vandalized" and burglarized the church on Feb. 8. Police said one of the church's stained-glass windows was shattered, a drum set was stolen, fire extinguishers were sprayed inside the church and obscenities were spray-painted across several ...

[Picture of interior] [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times] [Caption:] The Crystal Ballroom at the Fort Harrison Hotel houses a 12,000-crystal chandelier. The hotel opened 82 years ago as the New Fort Harrison Hotel, and was a focal point of the community during the Great Depression and World War II. CLEARWATER — Marble floors from Spain. Gold leaf painted on elaborate crown moldings. Richly colored carpets from South Africa. Decorative plaster cornices. A 12,000-crystal chandelier for the ballroom. The Church of Scientology ...

Controversial religion wants more visibility in Nashville By Chris Echegaray Gannett Tennessee The Church of Scientology is expanding in Nashville, opening what the religion calls a "celebrity centre" at the historic Fall School Business Center on 8th Avenue South and Chestnut Street. Renovations are under way at the 36,000 square-foot building, with an opening expected before summer, said Gaetane Asselin and Wendy Beccaccini, who are overseeing the project. The current location at 1204 16th Ave. S. will close when the new ...

Published: March 21, 2009 Scientologist offers insight into beliefs Celebration to mark founder's birthday is today in Washington Last Friday marked the birthday of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who lived from 1911 to 1986. Today, in Washington and worldwide, a birthday celebration takes place. Dr. Mat Pastore, the mission holder for the Church of Scientology Mission of Richmond, which opened in Carytown in 2008, shared insight into a religion sometimes marked by controversy. Can anyone participate in the D.C. gathering? ...

Drug addiction has led to a proliferation of repeat criminal offenders in Hawaii, creating an unsafe environment for our families. Many of the drugs in circulation today, especially methamphetamine - commonly known as "ice" - are highly addictive and can't adequately be treated by community-based methods such as psychotherapy or 12-step programs. This is why I introduced House Bill 358, promoting a secure drug treatment option. As an ex-drug addict testified before the House Committee on Finance, "Drug addicts are stuck ...

When Second Chance officials hastily vacated the old West Side jail in January, they left more than an empty building and a lot of unanswered questions, according to city and county court filings. Second Chance owes more than $600,000 in tax liens, according to records in the Bernalillo County Assessor's Office. About $400,000 is due to the IRS, and more than $200,000 to the state. Second Chance also owes the city of Albuquerque more than $17,000 in unpaid utility bills and ...

Sarah Palin is seeking the advice of a Scientologist as she plots her 2012 presidential run, which just makes sense to us. John P. Coale, a prominent Washington lawyer and power-broker, is secretly running Palin's political action committee and working to "protect the Palin brand," according to the Washington Post. He is very, very good at doing that because he can walk through walls and read minds and leave his body and never gets sick because he is a Scientologist. Coale ...

Who knew? I find these Anonymous letters brutal, unthinking, indecent and disrespectful to the religious beliefs of others. It is easy to say whatever you want to say, even if it’s untrue, if you don’t sign your name to it. Is it really possible to hold on to so much hatred and evil? Doesn’t Anonymous know that Scientology is expanding at a much faster rate than ever before? Yes, it’s true. In the last 20 years, churches, missions and groups in ...

Parents oppose Narconon connection By Stephanie Bertholdo Bertholdo@theacorn.com Parents of Calabasas High School students complained to the school when they learned that the drug counselor scheduled to speak at a parent education night in midFebruary was a representative of Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program based on the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Narconon approach to drug education purportedly is based on Church of Scientology doctrine rather than proven medical interventions. An objection from parents, as well as an ...