The inspector general of the Minnesota Department of Human Services is on leave after a legislative auditor's report on fraud within the state's Child Care Assistance Program. The department says Ham continues to hold the title of inspector general. The report last week found a "serious rift" between Ham and the department's child care fraud investigators. Ham told Minnesota Public Radio News she is being treated as a scapegoat for problems in the department. The report by Legislative Auditor James Nobles found fraud is a problem with the program but no proof that money from it found its way to terrorist organizations overseas. Republican lawmakers have called for Ham's resignation.
In addition to water damage, some Minnesota homeowners fighting flooded basements and leaky roofs have now been dealing with fire and smoke damage. Flooding indirectly led to a fire in Golden Valley on Friday. "The homeowner was in the process of drying out a wet basement," said Golden Valley Fire Chief, John Crelly. "Either the dehumidifier or the box fan that was being used to dry the carpeting out, one of those devices, caught on fire." And it's not the only time, or way, the wet weather has contributed to fires. Heidi Kingman says her home in Blaine started fire last week. She says a fire investigator told her an ice dam on the roof, may have seeped into the fuse box. If water is seeping in near electrical circuits, Crelly says it's important to call an expert. If your water problem is coming up from below, he says you want to monitor your equipment. Frequently check on or test your sump pump, change filters on dehumidifiers so they're not overworked, and make sure fans are plugged directly into the wall and are up to the task.
With the 2018 federal tax filing deadline looming many people are busy number crunching and getting their financial house in order. Monday, April 15 is the deadline for filing. And to help out, the popular Taxline phone bank is returning to KARE 11 for its 25th year. Experts from the Minnesota Society of CPAs will take your tax questions FREE of charge! Get your tax questions answered by calling the KARE 11 Taxline at 1-888-546-8811. The phone bank runs March 19-22 from 4-7 p.m. and March 23 from 8-10 a.m.