KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Nearly a year after a monument was stolen from a Knox County park, local officials gathered Wednesday for the unveiling of a replacement.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, State Rep. Sam McKenzie, and other local leaders came to Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville to celebrate the unveiling of the new statue.
How strict should Knox County Schools cell phone policy be? Parents weigh in
The original bronze statue depicting two children reading on a park bench was donated by Town Hall East in 2010. It was stolen in August 2024 and never located.
New security cameras have been installed at the park in partnership with the Knox County Public Library.
The park is located at 4618 Asheville Highway. It was named after Thomas “Tank” Strickland, a longtime community servant who was the first African-American chair of the Knox County Commission and worked under Knoxville mayors as Knoxville’s community relations director…