Ahead of Veterans Day observances on Saturday this year, the head of the Nevada County Veterans Services Office updated the Board of Supervisors on their activities at the meeting earlier this week. 10-percent of the local population consists of veterans. And David West said there continues to be progress in reaching the recently-declared goal of zero homelessness…

click to listen to David West

The local office’s current annual budget is 642-thousand dollars and they’re fully-staffed. But what West calls the most comprehensive bill to impact the Veterans Administration in recent times is still causing delays in claims processing. The legislation entitles generations of vets to receive compensation for diseases, due to toxic exposure. That includes Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. And with such a large claims backlog comes mistakes from VA errors…

click to listen to David West

West said other highlights of 2023 include the local services office being invited to participate in a University of Southern California study on connecting veterans to benefits. Local veterans have received six-point-six million dollars in federal benefits this year. Meanwhile, the annual ceremony at the Veterans Building in Grass Valley starts at 10am on Saturday.