Austin Rising: In 2015, Rural America’s largest drug-fueled HIV outbreak struck the tiny Southern Indiana town of Austin. The Courier Journal chronicled the public health disaster and the fight to control it. Now, Austin is recovering. Cases of HIV have leveled off, and the disease is well-controlled in most people. Needle sharing has plummeted and attendance at recovery meetings has skyrocketed. More kids are graduating high school. This report spotlights those behind Austin’s rise – a mother, a preacher, a teacher and others who are restoring their fragile community by educating its kids, nurturing faith and embracing a culture of recovery. For many other American cities and small towns plagued by addiction and despair, Austin is showing the way toward hope.

https://www.courier-journal.com/pages/interactives/austin-rising/