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Sun. Headlines: Volvo coming to S.C.?

Swedish auto maker Volvo apparently has picked a site in South Carolina for its first U.S. plant.  Georgia was the other finalist, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that officials there learned Friday the state won’t be home to the $500 million plant.

Volvo had narrowed its choices to a site in Savannah, Georgia, and another in Berkeley County, South Carolina, about 40 miles northwest of Charleston. Governors from both states flew to the carmaker's North American headquarters in New Jersey last week to make final pitches.  The company hasn’t confirmed the decision.

Volvo would become the second European automaker to locate in South Carolina. BMW opened its first U.S. plant in Greer in 1994.

NO BAIL FOR SPYING SUSPECT

A federal judge has denied bail for a Charlotte man accused of selling corporate trade secrets to the Chinese government. The indictment against Xi-wen Huang remains sealed, and government lawyers have not said publicly what he’s charged with.  At a hearing Friday, prosecutors told U.S. Magistrate David Keesler the investigation continues and that the case extends to two unidentified companies.   Huang is in the Mecklenburg County jail and is listed as a federal inmate.

STORM ANA HITS SC COAST

The official Atlantic Hurricane Season doesn’t start for a few weeks (June 1), but a surprise tropical storm popped up this weekend off the Southeast Coast.  Tropical Storm Ana is bringing several inches of rain and high surf this morning to the area around Myrtle Beach. At 8am, the storm had weakened just a bit, but still 40 mile per hour winds. It was about 15 miles Northwest of Myrtle Beach, heading north-northwest at about 5 miles per hour. A Tropical Storm Warning is active for an area from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

GRADUATION SEASON

Universities along the Carolinas coasts were watching the storm as they prepared for graduation ceremonies. Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, moved its commencement Saturday from Brooks Stadium indoors.    UNC Wilmington was able to hold its commencement as planned indoors but urged students and family to keep an eye out as they made their travel plans.

The weather did not affect other graduations. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory gave the commencement address Saturday morning at historically black Elizabeth City State University.           And in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. Senator Tim Scott and women's basketball coach Dawn Staley delivered addresses.

UNC CHARLOTTE HONORS RICHARDSON

Three graduation ceremonies were held Friday and Saturday at UNC Charlotte, where about 3,750 students received degrees. During the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ceremony, the college gave an honorary doctorate to Jerry Richardson, owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and a major donor who helped bring football to of UNC Charlotte.

And it’s graduation day today at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where about 3,800 undergraduates will get their degrees. 

JOHNSON WINS KANSAS RACE

Jimmy Johnson grabbed his third win of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season Saturday night, crossing the line first in the rain-delayed 400 mile race at Kansas Speedway. Johnson held off second-place finisher Kevin Harvick for the victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third.  Harvick still leads the points race, ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Johnson in third.