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All 95 Tennessee counties benefiting from recent $140 million SRO grant

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One of the steps taken after the Covenant School tragedy led to millions of dollars being spent on adding school resource officers at schools in Tennessee. $140 million was awarded to the state last year.

An update on the program shows every county in the state is now benefiting from the grant. It's allowed them to get money upfront to find candidates and train them.

Deputy Commissioner of Homeland Security Gregory Mays recently provided an update. He said that of the $140 million, $98 million has been dispersed since July 1.

More than 1,300 schools entered into an agreement to receive the money and of that, 94 percent now have an SRO assigned. This means six percent are still working on hiring and training someone.

The law is helping to fill the gaps in certain areas of security that were missing before, especially helping in more rural counties across the state that didn't previously have the budget.

"We think we have made tremendous progress with the SRO Grant. There are at least four counties in the state that I'm aware of that went from zero SRO's to fully staffed," said Mays. "We believe that SRO money is money well spent and it's benefiting the communities."

She's carrying her husband's legacy to raise money for Alzheimer's research

I am so inspired by Sheila Gann's love for her husband and her resilience. Anyone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer's knows how cruel this disease is - not only for the patient but also for those who love and care for them. Mike and Sheila clearly had a remarkable love story, and she is now honoring that in the most beautiful way. Thanks to Forrest Sanders for sharing their story.

-Carrie Sharp