Joe Marusak (@MarusakJoe) profile picture

Joe Marusak

@MarusakJoe

Pulitzer Finalist reporter covering breaking news, Lake Norman and more for The Charlotte Observer. Grew up in Rhode Island, Tar Heel by choice since 1989.

 Mooresville, NC
charlotteobserver.com
Joined February 2021
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Crash closes Interstate 485 in Charlotte on Saturday, NCDOT says Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Crash closes Interstate 485 in Charlotte on Saturday, NCDOT says

Crash closes Interstate 485 in Charlotte on Saturday, NCDOT says

All lanes are closed, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said on social media site X around 5 p.m. “Please seek alternate routes,” police said.

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Ex-NBA star drops price of his Charlotte mansion by $2 million, listing shows Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
Ex-NBA star drops price of his Charlotte mansion by $2 million, listing shows

Ex-NBA star drops price of his Charlotte mansion by $2 million, listing shows

The All-Star forward announced his retirement in 2024 after 14 NBA seasons with four teams.

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Mystery surrounds missing man’s remains in a North Carolina quarry, police say Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Mystery surrounds missing man’s remains in a North Carolina quarry, police say

Mystery surrounds missing man’s remains in a North Carolina quarry, police say

“Investigators believe people in the community know more about what happened. If you know something, now is the time to come forward.”

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Fireball in North Carolina sky was a meteor, NASA says. Here’s where it was seen Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Fireball in North Carolina sky was a meteor, NASA says. Here’s where it was seen

Fireball in North Carolina sky was a meteor, NASA says. Here’s where it was seen

The piece of an asteroid was 2 inches in diameter and weighed 6 ounces, NASA said on social media late Friday.

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I-77 lanes to close near Lake Norman for construction of a 10-lane bridge Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
I-77 lanes to close near Lake Norman for construction of a 10-lane bridge

I-77 lanes to close near Lake Norman for construction of a 10-lane bridge

The closures will allow Charlotte-based contractor Blythe Development to build a new safety barrier wall, add pavement markings, NCDOT said.

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UPDATE Crash with injuries, overurned tractor-trailer backs up traffic at another Lake Norman exit Tuesday night. Biker killed trying to pass cars in I-77 toll lane near Lake Norman, trooper says Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

The biker entered the toll lane to pass a vehicle and hit a delineator trying to return to the general purpose lanes, troopers said.

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UPDATE Biker killed trying to pass cars in I-77 toll lane near Lake Norman, trooper says Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

The biker entered the toll lane to pass a vehicle and hit a delineator trying to return to the general purpose lanes, troopers said.

charlotteobserver.com
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Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

Biker crashes trying to pass in I-77 toll lane, stopping traffic for miles in Lake Norman

The biker entered the toll lane to pass a vehicle and hit a delineator trying to return to the general purpose lanes, troopers said.

charlotteobserver.com
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Faced with defeat, developers nix plans for 450 Lake Norman homes on jammed road Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Faced with defeat, developers nix plans for 450 Lake Norman homes on jammed road

Faced with defeat, developers nix plans for 450 Lake Norman homes on jammed road

The developments would have sprouted along one of the Charlotte region’s most bottlenecked highways, N.C. 150 in Mooresville at Lake Norman.

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Developers plan 450 Lake Norman apartments and townhomes along congested highway Read mt story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/b…
Developers plan 450 Lake Norman apartments and townhomes along congested highway

Developers plan 450 Lake Norman apartments and townhomes along congested highway

The developments would be located along one of the Charlotte region’s most bottlenecked highways, N.C. 150, near Lake Norman.

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Team to pay $50K a year at historic Lake Norman baseball stadium, legal ad shows Read my exclusive story at: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
Team to pay $50K a year at historic Lake Norman baseball stadium, legal ad shows

Team to pay $50K a year at historic Lake Norman baseball stadium, legal ad shows

Fan-favorite, longtime Mooresville Spinners team that played at the field had its final game in July at Mooresville High School.

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Popular gas station chain Sheetz to open third Lake Norman location Read my exclusive story at: charlotteobserver.com/charlo…
Popular gas station chain Sheetz to open third Lake Norman location

Popular gas station chain Sheetz to open third Lake Norman location

The Pennsylvania convenience store and gas station group is known for made-to-order food. Its site would have indoor and outdoor seating.

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Umpire faces fentanyl charges after police revive him in a bathroom before game Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Umpire faces fentanyl charges after police revive him in a bathroom before game

Umpire faces fentanyl charges after police revive him in a bathroom before game

The arriving officer administered Narcan to the ump in the Mazeppa Park bathroom around 8:10 a.m. Saturday, police said.

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Crash closes I77 SB lanes at Lake Norman. Daylong closures expected Read my updates at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
I77 S reopens near Lake Norman after crash closed lanes for hours Thursday

I77 S reopens near Lake Norman after crash closed lanes for hours Thursday

The crash closed the toll lane and the two left general purpose lanes just after 6:30 a.m., according to NCDOT.

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Garinger High employee charged with sex crimes after incident during school event Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Garinger High employee charged with sex crimes after incident during school event

Garinger High employee charged with sex crimes after incident during school event

The arrest came after officers received information Sunday about “inappropriate physical contact,” police said.

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Ex-Charlotte Checkers majority owner pleads guilty in $4.5M tax fraud scheme Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Ex-Charlotte Checkers majority owner pleads guilty in $4.5M tax fraud scheme

Ex-Charlotte Checkers majority owner pleads guilty in $4.5M tax fraud scheme

According to court documents, he transferred the money from his tax-exempt foundation to himself and failed to report the money as income.

charlotteobserver.com
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Hiker plummets off trail at popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/s…
Hiker plummets off trail at popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Hiker plummets off trail at popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Visitors view Lower Linville Falls from the trail, which ends at a viewing platform level with the top of the falls.

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Myers Park High graduate dies in motorcycle crash at busy Charlotte intersection Read my story at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
Myers Park High graduate dies in motorcycle crash at busy Charlotte intersection

Myers Park High graduate dies in motorcycle crash at busy Charlotte intersection

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police urge anyone who saw the wreck to call them or Charlotte Crime Stoppers.

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NASCAR drivers agent accused of ‘aggressive, reckless’ driving, police say Read my updates at: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
NASCAR drivers agent accused of ‘aggressive, reckless’ driving, police say

NASCAR drivers agent accused of ‘aggressive, reckless’ driving, police say

Two officers “and numerous other people standing outside” tried to no avail to convince the driver to stop, according to an arrest warrant.

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Ric Flair, Charlotte wrestling legend, hospitalized in Florida, report says Read my uodates at: charlotteobserver.com/news/l…
‘I will be okay!’ Ric Flair, Charlotte wrestling legend, hospitalized in Florida

‘I will be okay!’ Ric Flair, Charlotte wrestling legend, hospitalized in Florida

Hours earlier, Flair apologized to his fans for canceling a Seattle-area appearance due to a blood clot in his leg.

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