The Indiana State Police would appreciate media support informing the public about the 8^th Annual National Forensic Science Week occurring September 20-26, 2020.

National Forensic Science Week brings recognition to the role that proper forensic science plays in the investigation of crimes throughout the nation, from exonerating the innocent to identifying the guilty.

For more information about National Forensic Week, visit: http://www.forensicscienceweek.org/

For information about the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division and the services they provide, visit: http://www.in.gov/isp/labs/

Below are some interesting stats from the past year (2019):

• There were 24,517 new cases submitted for analysis at the four Indiana State Police laboratories
• Crime Scene Investigators responded to 1,263 different crime scenes throughout the state
• Polygraph Examiners conducted 770 polygraph tests
• The total number of Indiana offender samples being searched in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) was more than 351,500.  In 2019, there were 958 cases in Indiana linked to a potential suspect by a CODIS DNA match

There are four Indiana State Police laboratory facilities statewide and for additional information, please contact the Public Information Officer (PIO) listed adjacent to the named laboratory location:

• Indianapolis Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. John Perrine at jperrine@isp.in.gov or F/Sgt. Ron Galaviz at rgalaviz@isp.in.gov
• Lowell Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Glen Fifield at gfifield@isp.in.gov
• Fort Wayne Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Brian Walker at bwalker@isp.in.gov
• Evansville Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Todd Ringle at tringle@isp.in.gov

Below is the text of Governor Holcomb’s Proclamation: (Image is attached)

Whereas, forensic science is a vital public service; and

Whereas, access to quality forensic analysis dramatically improves the investigation of criminal activity, leading to the exoneration of the innocent and the prosecution of the guilty; and

Whereas, forensic science plays a critical role in public outreach and crime prevention, and is evolving in its role as an important member of the criminal justice community; and

Whereas, crime scene investigators, forensic examiners, and forensic scientists provide unbiased, accurate, and reliable analyses of evidence recovered from across the nation; and

Whereas, numerous professional organizations have recognized September 20-26, 2020, as National Forensic Science Week; and individuals across the country will be celebrating; and

Whereas, individuals all across the country will be celebrating this event; and

Whereas, the hard-working people that comprise our forensic science organizations deserve universal regard and appreciation for their commitment to proper scientific investigations for the cause of justice;

Now, therefore, I, Eric J. Holcomb, Governor of the State of Indiana, do hereby proclaim September 20-26, 2020 as Forensic Science Week in the State of Indiana, and invite all citizens to duly note this occasion.

In Testimony Whereof, I hereto set my hand and cause to be affixed the Great Seal of State.  Done at the City of Indianapolis, this 4^th day of September the year of our Lord 2020 and of the Independence of the United States 245.

By The Governor: Eric Holcomb

The Indiana Department of Health announced plans to conduct the aerial application of pesticide to control the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus in northern Indiana.

The state Department of Health has reported a lab-confirmed case of EEE virus disease in a LaPorte County resident. The state Board of Animal Health (BOAH) has recorded probable EEE cases in two horses in LaGrange County, one horse in LaPorte County, and one horse in Kosciusko County. BOAH suspects EEE in three additional horses in LaGrange County.

Health officials plan targeted mosquito control to help protect residents from EEE beginning Tuesday evening and continuing Wednesday if needed, as weather permits.

“Although it’s rare, Eastern equine encephalitis can cause serious illness and is fatal in about a third of people who contract this disease,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “We are taking this step to protect Hoosiers in the affected areas, but I urge everyone to take precautions to guard against mosquito bites and to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds until we have the first hard freeze.”

Mosquitoes that carry EEE virus have a flight range of up to five miles. As a result, the affected area includes approximately 375,000 acres in portions of Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall and Noble counties.

Mosquito control professionals will apply an approved pesticide, Dibrom, as an ultra-low volume (ULV) spray. ULV sprayers dispense very fine aerosol droplets that stay suspended in the air and kill adult mosquitoes on contact. Dibrom has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 1959 for use in the United States.

People who wish to minimize exposure may choose to stay indoors for several hours, beginning at dusk on the treatment dates. People may also choose to bring animals indoors and cover their ornamental fishponds prior to the spraying. Evening application of Dibrom is not expected to be harmful to bees, but beekeepers may choose to cover their hives overnight and prevent bees from exiting during the application as a precaution.

In 2019, northern Indiana experienced a significant outbreak of EEE virus activity, resulting in 14 horse cases, one fatal human case and one positive mosquito sample. The Indiana Department of Health also conducted spraying during the 2019 outbreak.

All key sectors, unemployment rate continue to recover

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 18, 2020) – Indiana’s unemployment rate drops to 6.4 percent for August, and the national rate is 8.4 percent. The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.

Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 41,752 over the previous month. This was a result of a decrease of 46,693 unemployed residents and an increase of 88,445 employed residents. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.36 million, and the state’s 63.5 percent labor force participation rate is above the national rate of 61.7 percent.

Learn more about how unemployment rates are calculated here: http://www.hoosierdata.in.gov/infographics/employment-status.asp.

Employment by Sector

Private sector employment has decreased by 103,000 over the year and increased by 32,700 over the previous month. The monthly increase is primarily due to gains in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities (7,200), the Private Education and Health Services (6,300) and the Professional and Business Services (6,000) sectors. Total private employment stands at 2,631,000, which is 118,300 below the January 2019 peak.

Midwest Unemployment Rates

  

EDITOR’S NOTES:

Data are sourced from August Current Employment Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

August employment data for Indiana Counties, Cities and MSAs will be available Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, at noon (Eastern) pending U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics validation.