West Virginia
W.Va. Father Celebrates Release Of Son Captured In Venezuela – West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Six Americans were released from jail in Venezuela over the weekend. One is a former West Virginia resident whose father, in Charleston, is celebrating the news.
“Not knowing what the circumstances were was horrendous,” said Steve Logan, a former teacher and a resident of Charleston. “Not knowing his welfare, or where he was even, even being held captive. Oh, it was terrible.”
Aaron Logan, 34, attended Elkview Middle School, Randolph Macon Academy in Virginia, went to West Virginia University then transferred to Marshall University where he graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with minors in German and Integrated Science and Technology. He was working as a network security expert for a U.S. bank when he was captured in Venezuela in September.
The government there – which doesn’t have diplomatic relations with this country – said Logan and other detained Americans were linked to plots to destabilize the country.
The New York Times reports Venezuela’s controversial President Nicolas Maduro has detained a slew of foreign prisoners in recent months and quotes experts who say he hopes to use them to negotiate with the United States and others.
Steve Logan reached out to anyone he thought could help. He credits Sen. Shelley Moore Capito with offering crucial assistance including contacting the U.S. embassy in Bogota, Colombia, which borders Venezuela and has contacts there.
“They didn’t know where he was located, or they didn’t know anything about his welfare, but they assured me that they now had taken my concerns about my son all the way to both houses of Congress, the United States Congress and to the White House,” Logan said.
We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.
They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him. pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2025
At the time, Logan said, he was told not to talk to the press.
“And I asked, ‘Why? Why not?’ And they said, ‘Because the more publicity he gets, the more valuable he becomes as a pawn in negotiations for his release. Maybe they were concerned that if Aaron became too valuable upon that [the Venezuelan government] would be trying to say, ‘Nope, we’re not releasing unless you lower sanctions.’”
The release was arranged by President Donald Trump through an envoy sent to Venezuela to discuss release of the Americans being held and to get Venezuela to take back deported migrants who’ve committed crimes in the U.S.
Logan said he is grateful and credits Trump with obtaining the release of his son and others he says were treated horrifically.
“He didn’t want to talk about the torture, but he was tortured. He said that they punched him in the face. They had bashed in his ribs and he didn’t want to pursue it. At this point, I understood, so I didn’t press him,” Logan said.
Aaron Logan, and the other former captives, were examined by a medic on the plane once they were en route back to the U.S., and spoke by phone to Trump, thanking him for arranging their release.
Now, Steve Logan said, his son begins the task of putting his life back together. It’s not clear if any of his belongings from his apartment in Utah are still available. Belongings he had in Venezuela are gone.
When he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, his older brother, who lives in Maryland, arranged for an Uber to bring him to their home.
“He didn’t have any money. He didn’t have a credit card. He didn’t have a cell phone. They took everything away from him, and he was just dressed in prison garb,” Logan said. “Over the weekend, they went out and bought him a cell phone and they bought him some street clothes and professional clothes.”
He may need those new clothes to find a new job, his father said. When he didn’t show up for work for seven days back in September, his employment was terminated.
We are home. 🇺🇸
God bless these Americans. pic.twitter.com/L36mNkvEom
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2025
It was a phenomenal year for the West Virginia Mountaineers on the diamond, and even with the season having been over for over a week now, the honors continue to roll in.
On Friday, second baseman/catcher Gavin Kelly and left-handed starting pitcher Maxx Yehl were both named First-Team All-Americans by D1Baseball.com. It is the first time in program history that two Mountaineers have been recognized as First-Team All-Americans in the same season.
Gavin Kelly
Kelly was essentially everyone’s pick to have a breakout season for the Mountaineers in 2026, but I’m not sure anyone expected him to do it the way he did. He hit nearly .400 all year and went on a power surge out of nowhere toward the end of the season, becoming one of the top home run hitters in the country over the last month or so of the year.
Kelly was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, the MVP of the Morgantown Regional, and is currently participating in the Team USA Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, North Carolina. For the year, he hit .382 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI, cementing himself as a top draft prospect in 2027.
Maxx Yehl
Maxx Yehl was one of the best stories in all of college baseball that didn’t get talked about nearly enough. He was forced to sit out the 2025 season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and prior to this season, Yehl worked exclusively out of the bullpen. The plan all along was to eventually stretch him out into a starter, and in his first year in the role, he was one of the best in the entire country.
Steve Sabins and Co. did a good job of playing it safe with him early, letting him only go two and four innings in his first two starts before turning him loose. There were a couple of moments where Mountaineer fans had to take a deep breath after he was removed from two starts, one of which was in the Morgantown Regional against Kentucky. He bounced back strong and two days later, pitched a gem against the Wildcats, helping the team advance to the super regionals for the third straight season.
Yehl finished the season with a 9-3 record, an ERA of 2.13, and 112 strikeouts to just 26 walks. He was also the first WVU hurler to win Big 12 Pitcher of the Year since Alek Manoah, who did it in 2019.
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West Virginia
Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past $1.6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief
West Virginia
West Virginia First Foundation advances key initiatives at second quarterly board meeting
Community Bulletin
A longtime State Farm agent on Buckhannon’s Main Street, Kelley Tierney offers home, auto, life and renters insurance — plus State Farm financial services — under the company’s “Here For What Matters” approach. Read more →
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) convened its second quarterly board meeting of 2026 at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston, continuing its work to advance prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across West Virginia through responsible stewardship of opioid settlement funds.
The meeting provided board members with updates on several key initiatives and strategic priorities currently underway.
Expert panel appointments
A significant focus of the meeting was the appointment of several volunteer Expert Panel members following the conclusion of certain panel terms. Expert panelists serve in advisory roles and provide regional knowledge, professional expertise and community perspective to help inform WVFF’s work and funding priorities. To allow time for all appointees to complete the necessary confirmation and onboarding process, names will not be publicly released until all appointments have been finalized.
“Expert Panelists play an important role in helping us understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing our local communities,” said Jonathan Board, Executive Director of WVFF. “We are grateful for the individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to support this work and help guide thoughtful, informed decision-making.”
Local government reporting and best practices
Board members reviewed progress on the 2026 Local Government Expenditure Report, which compiles annual spending data submitted by local governments receiving opioid settlement funds. Staff reported that more than 65% of eligible local governments have submitted expenditure reports to date, with the statewide report expected to be released in mid-July.
The board also received an update on new resources being developed to help local governments identify promising practices and learn from successful approaches being implemented across West Virginia. While WVFF does not direct how local governments spend their allocated settlement funds, the Foundation remains committed to providing educational resources that highlight allowable uses, share examples from around the state and support informed local decision-making.
![[CHAMBER] [2026-06-23] Hiring Executive Director](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/jqvoqa1wl63oqmzrnmeg)
In the coming months, WVFF plans to host regional learning sessions that will bring local government representatives together to share experiences, discuss challenges and explore opportunities to maximize the impact of opioid settlement investments within their communities.
Strategic priorities
The board received updates on the Community Catalyst Grant (CCG) program, which opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30. Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts.
Board members also received updates on the West Virginia Wayfinder, the statewide needs assessment project led by the West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute, in partnership with the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs, and Data Driven WV. Meetings and engagement activities are underway with WVFF staff, expert panelists and community stakeholders across the state, with data, insights and priority areas currently being gathered and analyzed to help identify needs, gaps and opportunities related to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services in West Virginia.
![[DHS] [2025-05-23] Pain Free Living](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/xswzc9oud10whhzr94hg)
“Our Board remains focused on ensuring these funds are invested responsibly and strategically for the benefit of West Virginia communities,” said Greg Duckworth, Chairman of the WVFF Board of Directors. “Each meeting provides an opportunity to review progress, strengthen accountability, and continue building on the work being done across the state.”
Direct funding request approved
The board also voted to approve a $4 million direct funding request submitted by the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.
Consistent with WVFF’s commitment to transparency and accountability, additional details regarding the project and funding agreement will be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. WVFF and RNI plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process has been finalized.
![[TWIN] [2025-08-08] Meadowlands](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/sueaeb3swu4g4qwmu3x2)
Hold the Line Tour stop at Rea of Hope
After the board meeting, WVFF board members and staff will visit Rea of Hope, an Initial Opportunity Grant awardee, as part of the Foundation’s Hold the Line Tour, which highlights organizations and programs working to make a difference in communities across West Virginia. The visit will provide an opportunity to hear directly from leadership about the impact of recovery-focused services and community support.
The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s board of directors is scheduled for September 17, 2026 (subject to change). Visit wvfirst.org to learn more.
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