Cherry County Veterans’ Service Office

The office. The Cherry County Veterans' Service Office is at 202 N. Main Street, Suite 2, Valentine, NE 69201, phone (402) 376-2680 (cell (402) 322-1813), [email protected], open Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon (8:00 a.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m., in the State's directory, updated October 26, 2026). The Veterans' Service Officer is Ashley Blume-Vackiner, whom the Board appointed from August 12, 2024 to succeed Shawn Hamling; she "serves under the direction of the Veterans' Service Committee appointed by the Board of Commissioners". The page lists the county's own benefits as the County Veterans' Aid Fund "to meet immediate emergency financial needs" (see that entry), a flag holder "for placement on the grave of every veteran buried in Cherry County", and help requesting the VA eligibility letter for the homestead exemption, beside the State's aid fund, tuition waiver, discharge replacement, grave registration and Veterans' Home applications and the federal claims. The Board's year. The Board renewed the VetraSpec memorandum of understanding with the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs for two more years on October 28, 2025. On February 10, 2026 Ms. Blume-Vackiner reported more veterans coming to the office, veterans bills she was watching in the Legislature and plans for more local outreach clinics, and on May 5, 2026 "a substantial rise in Veterans assistance being provided since she began employment with Cherry County"; that day the Board appointed LeRoy Semin to the office's board. On August 25, 2026 it let the office open fuel charge accounts at the Conoco and Speedee Mart so its drivers no longer claim reimbursement. On December 9, 2025 the Veterans Memorial Committee, whose memorial was "solely funded by donations", gave the Board its picture to hang in the courthouse. Homestead certification. The Assessor's homestead FAQ, under "How do I qualify as a Disabled Veteran or their Widow?", lists the exemptions for a veteran totally disabled by a non-service-connected illness or accident, each "(annual certification required)", and sends the veteran to the Veterans Service Office first for a physician's form and the office's certification. The application under section 77-3508 is annual, but 77-3508(1)(c) says the medical certification need not be repeated when the condition has not changed, though the assessor may ask for it again (see the Nebraska entries). The money. The office (0100-803) spent $55,652.51 in 2023-2024, $63,440.60 in 2024-2025 and $65,534.09 in 2025-2026, and the 2026-2027 budget adopts $71,350.00: the officer's $55,000.00, $2,500.00 of clerical wages, $4,500.00 of travel and $3,500.00 for grave markers and flags ($2,391.08 spent in 2025-2026).