United States
I spent the first three decades of my career as a managing editor, reporter, online content producer and social media coordinator for newspaper and multimedia publishing companies in Florida, Indiana, Texas, Missouri and Pennsylvania.
I made the transition into corporate journalism, marketing and SEO-friendly content creation in 2018 with my current role for a Florida-based retirement income and estate planning organization. Besides researching and writing articles about financial, retirement and estate planning matters, I also serve as editorial director for a network of a dozen freelance contributors. Our audience and market encompass 18 states.
I received a bachelor's degree with a double major in journalism and English, with an emphasis on intensive writing, and a minor in political science from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Throughout my media career, I have been regarded as a highly dedicated, versatile, productive and ethical journalist and manager who has earned the respect of colleagues, readers and rivals.
I spend most of my free time with my awesome family and wonderful dog, on the golf course or watching my beloved Cubbies.
These independently written articles by the Austin American-Statesman chronicle Thomas Alberts' role as an investigative journalist and plaintiff in the first-ever criminal prosecution of a public official for violation of the Texas Public Information Act.
For a variety of reasons, family members often are left to wonder about the military service of their loved ones. In many cases, stories and recollections about the contributions of these admired veterans go untold.
By Tom Alberts Many of us will need some type of highly expensive long-term care in the future. While Medicaid covers long-term care expenses, eligibility is based on strict income and asset limits. If you are like most Americans, you or someone in your family eventually will require some type of long-term care.
By TOM ALBERTS Some folks taking a stroll Tuesday in downtown Tampa may have done a double take while watching the traffic roll by. If those peering pedestrians looked again, what they would have observed was a vehicle driving itself with humans merely along for the ride. No steering wheel required.
By TOM ALBERTS Members of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office DUI unit spent Friday night broadcasting a real-time message on social media about the perils of drinking and driving. Deputies Mike Buehler and Tyler Fowler took Twitter followers on a virtual ride-along via video during what was billed as the SCSO's #TweetFromTheBeat "DUI Edition."
By TOM ALBERTS Not awesome, baby. That's how Dick Vitale feels about recent moves by Tampa Bay Rays management that have depleted the ranks of the team's prized players, just in time for the start of the Major League Baseball season. The longtime ESPN college basketball analyst and Lakewood Ranch resident has been a Rays fan and supporter since the franchise's inception in 1998.
By TOM ALBERTS Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jameson Taillon had a stellar outing in his 2018 spring training debut on Monday at LECOM Park in Bradenton. And his boss is beaming about the lanky right-hander. The Lakeland native struck out three and allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.
By TOM ALBERTS All 50 passengers aboard a casino shuttle boat were able to escape to shore after the vessel caught fire Sunday afternoon, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. Witnesses said passengers jumped for their lives into the chilly, 50-degree waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
By TOM ALBERTS Flames swept through a former flea market being used as a homeless camp in Oneco on Christmas Eve, causing homeless people to scatter into nearby woods and parking lots, but authorities said they've found no evidence so far of any injuries or fatalities. The two-alarm fire broke out shortly after 1 p.m.
By TOM ALBERTS The "Legendary Rockin' Weekend" at Buck Lake Ranch Friday and Saturday brought rock 'n' roll's immortals to Angola. Never before has such a prestigious group of musicians been assembled for a local rock festival, said Charles Bevington, whose ChaBev Productions produced the two-day concert.
By TOM ALBERTS In its signature sign-off, "CBS Sunday Morning" left its national viewing audience today with the sights and sounds from Myakka River State Park. For the last moments of the telecast, the network let the park, which includes sections in both Manatee and Sarasota counties, do the talking.
By TOM ALBERTS Kicking and screaming profanities, an angry driver in a fit of road rage damaged the doors of a Hillsborough County school bus, and investigators would like to public's help in her apprehension. The bus was transporting special-needs students. The driver, a female age 25-35, abruptly stopped her vehicle at about 4:25 p.m.
By TOM ALBERTS A baby eagle emerged from its shell on Saturday, just in time for New Year's Eve. The eaglet, known as E9, hatched at 7:33 a.m. for all the world to see.
By TOM ALBERTS Gale the manatee is no longer on the mend, and she's going with the flow - wherever she decides that may be.
By TOM ALBERTS A cool likeness of Donald Trump might be transformed into a majestic and massive monument. Some folks in Finland would like to bring awareness to America's 45th president and his rock-solid skepticism of global warming by sculpting his visage into an Arctic glacier.
By TOM ALBERTS It seems that a sense of humor didn't vanish into darkness when the lights went out on Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. The massive power outage that began Sunday afternoon and may last into the next day has thrown a major monkey wrench into travel plans for thousands of folks at the world's busiest airport.
By TOM ALBERTS The wall in the Prescribed to Death Memorial displays 22,000 pills, each intricately carved with the image of an overdose victim. The wall is a sea of row after row of white dots with haunting, miniature faces. Each pill represents a person who died from an overdose during 2015.
By TOM ALBERTS The caretaker of a 60-year-old woman is being charged with her murder after her body was found Friday - the suspect's birthday - at a Manatee County mobile home court.
By TOM ALBERTS A Florida woman shot her wife to death during an argument in their home and planned to bury the victim's body in nearby Charlotte County, according to Sarasota County investigators. Jessica Jaye Winkler, 48, of Englewood, is being charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the death of 51-year-old Rhiannon Layendecker, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office announced on Sunday afternoon.
By TOM ALBERTS A Steuben County man, in a violent fit of rage, killed three local residents early Sunday morning in a Lake James apartment, wounded a fourth and shot a police officer four times before taking his own life, authorities said.
By TOM ALBERTS Grief is hardly a traditional part of Thanksgiving, a holiday reserved for the celebration of family, friends and well-being. This year, however, grief has shaken the families and friends of the three Steuben County residents murdered Sunday at Lake James.
By TOM ALBERTS The director of the Steuben County Library resigned suddenly Monday, days after information surfaced alleging the he is a Nazi sympathizer who was convicted of stealing Third Reich artifacts from a state museum in 1988.
By TOM ALBERTS The feds want folks to know they are infiltrating the "dark web" to track down the sale of deadly opioids and other drugs on the internet. The FBI this month announced it has embarked on Operation Disarray: Shining a Light on the Dark Web.
By TOM ALBERTS A full-time Fremont deputy marshal is the latest casualty in a recent controversy involving the dismissal of a reserve officer. Thomas "Shane" Johnson, who has been with the force for nearly six years, submitted his letter of resignation to Town Council President George Close on Monday.
By TOM ALBERTS For many, the lure of lobster is the remarkable taste. Less appetizing are the whale-sized sums that are expended for the mouth-watering crustaceans. The good news is that Florida's spiny lobster recreational and commercial season in state and federal waters continues through the end of March.
By TOM ALBERTS Fox Lake residents and neighbors of Angola's southwest corner jammed Tuesday's City Council meeting, voicing strong opposition to a pending annexation plan. Tensions rose at times during a required public hearing over Angola's proposal to annex 260 acres along the city's southwest corner, including the Tri-State University golf course and areas contiguous to the city along U.S.
Articles Guardianship Guardianship abuse persists, despite strict rules, regulations by Tom Alberts Jul 26, 2019 Summary: The recent death of a Florida man has put the spotlight on abusive court-appointed guardianships and failures to prevent them. Florida, famous as a retirement haven with a large population of older residents, has adopted strict laws to combat elder abuse.
The ownership of rental properties can expose landlords - and their personal assets - to liabilities from legal judgments and put at risk not only their private bank accounts but also legacies intended for loved ones. Use of a limited liability company (LLC) for rental property is one way to protect personal assets.