A federal judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Aug. 27 blocked implementation in 13 states of the“Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) final rule that was issued May 27 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The final rule, which dramatically expands the scope of federal authority over water and land uses across the country, is still effective as of Aug. 28 for the states not covered by the decision. 

Koontz McCombs Construction, Ltd. was founded in 2000 as division of a large commercial real estate, leasing, and property management firm. Ranked as one of the top builders in the San Antonio, Texas area, Koontz McCombs is an $80 million general contractor with approximately 50 employees building commercial construction projects. 

ABC launched two new discount programs July 1 that are available to both ABC members and their employees. The programs include discounts with AutoZone and a new portal, ABC Marketplace, which provides discounts on everyday purchases with more than 20,000 retailers.

What's your best strategy or tool for delivering construction projects on, or under, budget? Send your 200-word response to Construction Executive to be featured in the magazine's September Viewpoints Q&A section or on ConstructionExec.com. 

At its first annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit, ABC brought together business owners, industry executives and ABC members from across the country to network and to explore why supplier diversity is key to the growth and the future of the construction industry. With more than 100 people in attendance, the summit sparked an open and honest conversation about why it’s important to embrace a diverse business culture and the value it provides businesses and the community.

ABC member companies are full of talented, innovative and hardworking employees—many of whom are still in the early stages of their careers. As the future generation of business leaders and executives, young professionals in the construction industry are very important to ABC and its members. That is why ABC wants to honor them and recognize the leading young professionals in the association with the new Young Professional of the Year Award. 

During ABC’s 2015 Legislative Week, ABC members have the chance to learn from top political experts, members of Congress and ABC National’s legislative team about key issues going into the 2016 presidential election, everyday regulations affecting the construction industry and ABC’s stance on some of the most recent happenings on Capitol Hill. 

For a limited time only, AIA is doubling the standard ABC member discount on its Documents-on-Demand® Plus program to 20 percent off through June 20. The offer is good for more than 200 of AIA’s legal forms and agreements for the construction industry including design-build documents, payment and change order forms, subcontractor agreements, and sustainability agreements.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a proposed rule April 20 related to employer wellness programs, which is open for public comments until June 19. The proposed rule amends regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide guidance on the extent to which employers may use incentives to encourage employees to participate in wellness programs that include disability-related inquiries and/or medical examinations. 

With less than 48 hours before the funds were set to dry up, President Obama signed a two month extension of federal highway funding on May 29. The extension of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which funds safety, highway, transit and other transportation related programs, comes at a time of great debate about how to fund improvements and repairs to America’s roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure. The extension will now expire on July 31.