Hooker County Veterans Service Officer

The office. The State's directory (updated October 26, 2026) lists Todd Peters as Hooker County's Veterans Service Officer at the courthouse, 303 NW First Street, Mullen (mail PO Box 184, Mullen, NE 69152), [email protected], by appointment. The county's Veterans Services page lists him at 308-546-2293 and [email protected], and says the office "assists veterans and their dependents in obtaining information about any V.A. benefits", helps them work up the applications and gather the supporting documents, and helps them apply to have their eligibility for treatment at a VA Medical Center determined. Call or write to set a time. The County Clerk records a DD 214 brought to the office (see the Nebraska entry on the Discharge Record). 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). Rides to VA care. On November 5, 2025 Jonnie Kusek, Director of Transportation at Open Plains Transit, asked the Board to have Hooker County Transit provide "transportation for Veterans to and from medical appointments", the trips reimbursed through the VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant that Open Plains Transit coordinates, and the Board signed the Memorandum of Agreement between Hooker County Transit and Open Plains Transit for Veterans Transportation Services. Hooker County Transit's page offers trips to Alliance, Broken Bow, North Platte and Valentine, giving priority to non-emergency medical visits and access to benefits and services not available in the county, at $40 a trip shared among riders ($10 each for four or more) and $5 for village and local trips; it does not say how the veterans' trips are charged. To book, call the driver, Doug Boyer, at 402-322-0277 or 308-546-9000, and tell him the trip is to VA care. The money. Hooker County's filed 2025-2026 budget pays the officer from its own Veterans Service budget (0100-803): a $1,200.00 official's salary in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, and $1,300.00 for 2025-2026 with the county's share of FICA. The budget's interlocal report lists no veterans service agreement with another county.