The HIV public awareness campaign, You Are Not Alone, is now being expanded to include messages aimed at reaching travelers and truck drivers along Interstate-65 between Louisville and Indianapolis. The messages encourage drivers to know their HIV status and to protect themselves by avoiding risky sexual behavior.

“While we know the majority of cases in the current HIV outbreak have been spread through intravenous drug use, we also know that HIV can easily be spread through sexual contact,” said State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H. “We have evidence that over-the-road truck drivers are particularly susceptible to HIV-infected persons. When you factor in that Interstate-65 passes right through the epicenter of the current outbreak, the risk is even greater. We are concerned about the health and safety of all travelers, including truck drivers, as well as the spread of HIV. Our hope is to continue to raise awareness about HIV prevention through these targeted messages.”

State health officials are reporting that 145 individuals have now tested positive for HIV in southeastern Indiana (143 confirmed/2 preliminary). Health officials are cautiously optimistic that the outbreak could be slowing down since the rate of new cases reported has recently been less than in weeks’ past, but say it’s too soon to tell.

The You Are Not Alone campaign, which focuses on knowing one’s HIV status, getting tested, avoiding drugs/sharing drug paraphernalia, getting HIV treatment and practicing safe sex, is already running on radio, TV, online digital, social media and in some print publications. These messages include the phone numbers for the HIV Service Hotline and the National Addiction Hotline. The Indiana State Department of Health has invested approximately $300,000 in reducing the spread of HIV through the You Are Not Alone campaign, which started in March and is currently set to run through June.

The new arm of the campaign encourages travelers and truck drivers to get tested for HIV, limit their number of sex partners, avoid hiring commercial sex works, and practice safe sex by using condoms. It includes posters, door decals, flyers and digital Wi-Fi messages in areas where truck drivers spend time, such as in the restrooms, shower areas, and restaurants within southeastern Indiana travel plazas. The messages include the HIV Services Hotline.

State health officials are working to get the new messages placed with the support of the Indiana Motor Truck Association, the American Trucking Association, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and Hirons & Company, who created the radio and TV portion of the campaign. On April 22, Dr. Adams sent a letter to the owners of the 15 travel plazas along Interstate-65 between Louisville and Indianapolis asking them to support the Indiana State Department of Health and Governor Pence in ending the outbreak of HIV in Indiana by placing messaging where truck drivers will see it.

“INDOT is already using their electronic message signs to promote the HIV testing hotline and is planning to place signage at the rest stops near Henryville and Taylorsville,” said Dr. Adams. “We are grateful for their support and that of so many others. This truly has been and continues to be an all-hand-on-deck response.”

According to INDOT, Interstate-65 stretches from Mobile, Ala., to the Chicago area and is one of the Crossroads of America’s heaviest truck routes. In the rural areas between Indianapolis and Louisville, trucks make up a quarter of the traffic at last count.

Other response measures continue in Scott County, including the One-Stop Shop and needle exchange program, both at the Austin Community Outreach Center. The Scott County needle exchange program has now distributed 7,912 syringes and approximately 7,106 syringes have been brought in by program participants and community members. The One-Stop Shop Info Line is (317) 605-1480.

Visit the Indiana State Department of Health at www.StateHealth.in.gov. Follow the Indiana State Department of Health on Twitterat @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/isdh1. Use the hashtag #INstopHIV to follow the outbreak response on Twitter.

Hoosiers who do not have health care coverage or access to a doctor are encouraged to check availability for the new Healthy Indiana Plan—HIP 2.0—by visiting www.HIP.IN.gov or calling 1-877-GET-HIP-9.

The Department of Natural Resources released a new version of its mobile application. The redesigned app is now available for both the Apple and Android platforms.

“The new app builds on the success of our previous iPhone application and adds new features,” DNR director Cameron Clark said. “It’s meant to be a portable field guide to information people frequently use off the main DNR website. We’re especially pleased that we can offer it at no cost to those who enjoy the Indiana outdoors.”

In addition to an interactive map that locates DNR properties and spots for camping, hunting and fishing, it also includes the most popular information from the dnr.IN.gov website, such as fishing and hunting seasons, camping fees and property rules.

Users also can access a calendar of events at DNR properties, the latest news releases, and contact information for Indiana Conservation Officers.

DNR partnered with the mobile technology group in the state’s Indiana Office of Technology to redesign the interface to appeal to a broader and younger audience.

“The opening menu is quite different from those normally found with other state natural resources applications,” said Scott Davis, DNR senior webmaster. “We really wanted to appeal to a younger audience to get them interested in the outdoors. We’ve incorporated a lot of user feedback into this version.”

The partnership with IOT provides a good framework to grow features, he said.

The application is available for free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Users of the existing Indiana DNR mobile app will simply need to upgrade through using the app store.

The previous DNR app was launched in March 2011 and was downloaded nearly 33,000 times.

A North Vernon woman has been arrested and charged with armed robbery for her involvement in a downtown homicide early Thursday morning.

According to Police Chief Bill Abbott Andrea M. Hollin, 25,  of North Vernon has been arrested.

Gilbert Engle, 42, Seymour was found shot and killed in the 200 block of North Chestnut Street.

Police say two other suspects involved are still being sought by police — 32-year-old Daniel Combs and 21-year-old Jessica Jarrell, both of North Vernon.

The couple is possibly driving a stolen blue PT Cruiser with the license plate 802LWP and are considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone who has information should call police at (812) 522-1234.

Engle  was found dead by his roommate around 5:45 a.m.

“There were some life-saving measures taken initially, once the ambulance and everyone responded it was determined he was deceased,” Abbott added.

The man’s name is not being released pending notification of relatives.

Police believe the victim was robbed of cash and those involved left the area in a stolen 2006 dark blue metallic PT Cruiser with black after-market rims and the license plate 802LWP, which was the scene at the 200 block of North Chestnut Street. They were last seen in the Columbus area.

Combs and Jarrell were talking about getting rid of the PT Cruiser when the one witness left them in Columbus. So it is possible they aren’t still in that car, Abbott added.

The vehicle is registered to Amanda Grajales of North Vernon who witnessed the shooting.

Police say there were five people in the apartment at the time of the incident.

Investigators believe marijuana and methamphetamine may have been a factor in the crime.

Police say two people inside the apartment complex left, heard gunshots, and then saw Combs and Jarrell come out with a handgun.

Both suspects have criminal histories. Combs criminal history includes convictions for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Jarrell has been convicted of battery of a police officer and resisting arrest.

State Superintendent Glenda Ritz says the legislature changed her mind, and she is now considering a run for governor next year.

“After this session, there is absolutely nothing off the table,” Ritz said when asked by the Indianapolis Star‘s Tom Lobianco whether she would run for the Democratic nomination in 2016. Ritz has repeatedly said in the past that she would seek re-election to the superintendent‘s office, as her name has often been mentioned as a possible challenger for Governor Pence. When I asked when she changed her mind, Ritz reiterated that this year‘s session was her breaking point. “It‘s caused me to have pause and to actually look at how I might want to reframe what I do to move education forward.” Ritz says she will discuss a run with her family before making a final decision by June.

Before saying a run for governor was a possibility, Ritz again complained about what she believes are efforts to reduce the power of her office and that of her Department of Education, efforts she says began soon after she upset Tony Bennett in the November 2012 election, the same election that put Pence in the governor‘s office. “Despite what he claims, Governor Pence‘s only education agenda is preventing me from doing the job that voters elected me to do,” Ritz said. “The governor has brought his Washington-style of politics to Indiana to accomplish his agenda.”

This year, the legislature passed a bill (SB 1) that initially sought to remove Ritz as chair of the State Board of Education – Indiana is one of two states where the elected superintendent automatically chairs the board. While the bill was amended to delay having the board elect its own chair until after the next election, it did create a vice-chair position and also reduced some of Ritz‘s authority over the agendas of board meetings.

Another measure that was eventually abandoned was language in the state budget that would have shifted rulemaking for the state‘s school voucher program from Ritz‘s office to the State Board. Ritz was originally a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the legality of the voucher program before she was elected – the state Supreme Court eventually ruled the program was legal. Some conservatives don‘t trust her to operate the program effectively. The planned shift was removed from the budget before lawmakers passed it, despite Pence‘s support of the change. “In the last few days, the governor has made it a priority to bring back language in bills that had already been voted down. He has ignored his fellow Hoosiers and worked to centralize control of education in one unelected and politically-appointed board,” Ritz said.

No other Democrats have formally announced a run for governor. John Gregg, the 2012 nominee who narrowly lost to Pence, Tweeted Wednesday night that he would “have some news to share” on Thursday. Other Democrats believed to be considering a run include former Congressman Baron Hill and House Minority Leader Scott Pelath. Pence is almost assuredly running for re-election.