Infusion Therapy Center near Longmont, CO

The Colorado State Patrol is investigating a crash south of Longmont that claimed the life of a cyclist late Friday morning.

The CSP said the crash took place around 11:02 a.m. on Highway 119 and Niwot Road. The agency reported that the crash involved a dump truck and a bicycle.

The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a 75-year-old man from Lafayette and his name has not been released.

Authorities closed Highway 119 southbound at Airport Road while they investigated the scene. The preliminary results from CSP's investigation state that the dump truck was stopped on Niwot Road at a traffic light and turned right onto Highway 119 once the light changed. The cyclist was headed down Niwot Road at the same time and was hit by the truck when it turned.

The truck then stopped on the shoulder of Highway 119.

The Longmont YMCA closed at noon on Friday, ending fitness services for about 3,000 members.

LONGMONT, Colo. — The YMCA of Northern Colorado closed its Longmont fitness facility at noon on Friday, ending decades of service to roughly 3,000 members after years of financial challenges and a significant loss of federal funding, organization leaders said.

The Longmont location ceased fitness operations, though childcare programs will continue, according to YMCA officials. Memberships will end at that time.

Chief Financial Officer Marc Levinson said the organization faced a substantial budget shortfall this year.

“In 2025, we were short about just under $5 million dollars of funding,” Levinson said. "It really started several years ago with the prior administration. That really carried over to a greater extent a year ago with the current administration."

Levinson and Chief Operating Officer Jamie Holstein said ongoing financial struggles, compounded by the loss of federal funding, led to the decision to close the facility.

The Longmont YMCA serves about 3,000 members.

“About 90% of those are supported through insurance and third-party pay,” Levinson said. “There just aren't enough full-paying members to generate enough revenue.”

For many members, the closure marks the end of more than just a gym.

Mike Bloise, who has been a member since 1989, said the facility has been central to his daily life.

“I come here 7 days a week,” Bloise said.

“My wife Catherine and I met in this pool right here 30 years ago, so we have a lot of history here at the Y,” Brad said.

On Tuesday, Bloise and friends including Catherine and Brad finished what may have been their final workout at the facility.

During a Longmont City Council meeting, the city manager said the YMCA approached the city about a potential partnership that could involve the city acquiring the facility and keeping it open.

The city manager said Longmont is reviewing the potential costs and community impact of such a move. Officials have also identified issues with the property, including safety concerns about the roof over the pool and its ability to handle wind or snow loads.

No agreement has been reached, and discussions are ongoing, the city manager said.

Despite the end of fitness operations, YMCA officials confirmed that childcare programs at the Longmont location will continue.

Here is the full statement from Longmont regarding the YMCA:

"Many of you have reached out to share how much the Longmont YMCA means to you and your families. We appreciate every message, and we want you to know that your voices matter in this conversation.

We also want to make sure our community has accurate information. The City of Longmont is aware of the recent communication from the YMCA of Northern Colorado regarding its Longmont facility. In 2025, the YMCA approached the City about a potential partnership involving the future of the facility. While those preliminary discussions are ongoing, no agreement has been reached, and the City has made no commitments.

Any arrangement of this nature would require careful evaluation of costs, operations and community needs, as well as thorough public input and approval by the Longmont City Council.

We understand the YMCA's announcement may have created the impression that a transition is imminent. We want to be transparent with our residents; there is no timeline for such a decision.

Recreation and wellness are important to our community, and the City of Longmont will continue to evaluate options that serve residents' best interests. We are committed to keeping you informed as discussions develop.

For questions about current YMCA memberships or programs, please contact the YMCA of Northern Colorado directly."

During the final days of the Longmont YMCA, more than 100 residents have spoken to the city council and packed meetings to try and keep it open. As CBS Colorado first reported, the Northern Colorado YMCA decided to close the branch earlier this month.

Northern Colorado YMCA says 75 other YMCA associations are considering closures across the country right now, citing concerns around federal funding.

Northern Colorado CEO Chris Coker says about 3,000 members visit the Longmont YMCA, with a large majority of the population being older adults. The closure of this YMCA means members may have to drive further or lose their classes altogether.

Longmont YMCA staff member Danae Higdon found out about the closure two weeks ago, when this was her only source of income.

"We all have come together and put the best of ourselves into helping each other," Higdon said, "Not being here in the near future is going to be very hard."

After decades in the community, the branch will close on Saturday, Feb. 28, coming as a surprise to staff like Higdon.

"None of us knew how bad the situation was, and we've been operating in the building without even noticing all these problems," Higdon said.

According to CEO Chris Coker and CFO Marc Levinson of Northern Colorado YMCA, those problems include Longmont losing $3.2 million over the last four years.

Coker explained, "For 12 years, we've kept that Y afloat and open. And some years it's gotten closer to sustainability, and other years it's gotten further away."

"It's a horrible decision to have to make," said Coker.

Part of the problem, leaders say, comes from so many members being older adults on a discounted Silver Sneakers insurance program.

However, the Northern Colorado YMCA group has had another branch audited previously. The group is also currently being sued for alleged mismanagement around a summer camp.

Higdon says these actions have prompted questions and mistrust from the public about the reasons behind the decision to close the branch.

Northern Colorado YMCA shared a document, in part, with CBS Colorado regarding an assembly of the Longmont facility by a national representative of the YMCA of the USA. Part of the assessment done in November 2025 claims, "The YMCA of Northern Colorado has quality assets and strong community presence but requires decisive action to stabilize finances, grow membership, and ensure long-term sustainability."

One of the recommended actions in this assessment appears to include the sale of Longmont and Cheyenne, Wyoming, facilities.

Northern Colorado YMCA did not wish to share its detailed financial records but explained its situation to CBS Colorado.

"Sharing [financial records], you know, handing you a piece of paper. No, that's not appropriate for us. But like, what I said is that looking at those numbers," he went on to explain, "The average is $800,000 a year lost just in Longmont."

To save the Y, leaders say they have been working for months to sell it to the City of Longmont. More than 100 people came to talk to the city council about it this month at coffee chats and in council meetings.

At Tuesday's council meeting, after about an hour of public comment, city manager Harold Dominguez said the city still has questions before any sale can go through. Dominguez also noted repairs to the facility, including for the roof, could take up to two years if the purchase went through.

"My responsibility is to tell council what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear," Dominguez said, "I have to ensure that we're not taking on someone else's problem that we're putting on the back of the entire community."

For now, this leaves the Longmont YMCA community searching for a new home.

"It's very hard. It's very hard," Higdon said, "I'm trying to keep it together so that on Saturday... we enjoy, for the last time, being together in our classroom like we've been doing all these years."

Because the population at the Longmont branch is mostly seniors, Coker said he would consider A shuttle option to other Northern Colorado branches if enough people ask for it.

In Longmont, the local YMCA is closing down at the end of the month for financial reasons, even as residents say it stays busy.

Chris Coker, the CEO for Northern Colorado YMCA, says he can't afford to keep Longmont's doors open any longer as it has been losing money for years. However, some visitors shared that they are skeptical -- as Coker has been accused of mishandling funds in a past audit. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Just days after the closure was announced this week, the Longmont YMCA was packed. On Wednesday, Linda and Steve Andrews were just arriving for a fitness class for people with Parkinson's disease.

"Walking really well today, those classes help," Linda Andrews said to her husband.

Randy Pollard said the class is one of very few of its kind in the area, adding, "I've been coming here for so long. This has been home, you know. So we'd really miss it if it closes."

Another class member, Charlie Corsan, had just learned about the closure and possible end of his class, adding, "I don't know what we're going to do."

Across the parking lot, Danae Higdon was also struggling with the news after she said she taught Zumba at the facility for more than 30 years.

"We were, like, in shock to find out that Feb. 28 is our last day," Higdon said.

The closure means she will be losing her community and only source of income.

"It's been very hard because, you know, my class, my class is like family to me. We all get together here, we all laugh and we all share our problems and dance away all our pain, and very soon we're not going to have this," Higdon said.

Even though Higdon says the Longmont branch consistently reached membership and fundraising goals, CEO Coker says the Longmont branch has lost $500,000 over the last few years, leading to this month's closure.

Coker said he's gotten a lot of hate mail recently and understands that he "could have given more warning" but says he is financially forced to face the "reality of the situation."

Coker says alongside declining donations and less federal funding, the Longmont YMCA only has 300 full paying members while the rest are on a discounted SilverSneakers insurance program.

When CBS Colorado asked Coker if there were enough visitors, even with a full parking lot during CBS Colorado's visit, Coker said, "You can have a lot of people in there, but when they're all paying $4 for a 50,000 square foot plus building, it doesn't add up financially."

Coker estimates the organization would need a $250,000 donation for the Longmont location in order to stay open.

In an effort to save the Longmont YMCA, Coker says he's worked for months to sell it to the city of Longmont and has been working to negotiate a deal. However, the City of Longmont responded to the closure with a statement that they're considering the project but "...no agreement has been reached, and the city has made no commitments."

The city of Longmont does not have a clear timeline for when this project could be addressed next.

"Some of these (visitors) have been there for 40 years as members. It's their family, it's their friends, it's their social life, and we're ripping that away from them. It's not okay, but it's the reality of the situation we're in," Coker said.

Coker says the Longmont YMCA will look into if they can transfer any classes to other Northern Colorado YMCAs in the next few weeks. Northern Colorado YMCA says they will keep preschool and summer camps open.

Meanwhile, Higdon is holding out hope for a solution, sharing "We are very sad, but ... I know we're going to find a way to keep it going, to keep dancing."

Longmont residents gathered at Left Hand Brewing Thursday to cheer on hometown snowboarder Chase Blackwell during his Olympic halfpipe debut.

LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont residents left work Wednesday to cheer on hometown snowboarder Chase Blackwell as he competed in the Olympic snowboard halfpipe qualifier. Dozens gathered at Left Hand Brewing to watch his first Olympic run and support him together.

Blackwell, a Longmont native, competed for Team USA in the afternoon qualifier. He did not advance to the next round. Friends and mentors said this moment still marked a major milestone in a lifelong journey.

The watch party ran from 11:30 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. Supporters filled the brewery, many of whom have known Blackwell since childhood. They said they wanted to stand by him after years of hard work.

“Sounds like he’s feeling real good, so we’ll see,” one supporter said before his run.

Brie Michalik, who said she has taught yoga to Blackwell for more than a decade, attended the event.

"Right now we’ve been communicating through text and I’ve been making sure he continues to do his meditations and stretches,” she said.

Michalik helped organize the watch party.

“I don’t want to cry in the interview but I could right now,” she said, laughing. “It’s his first Olympics and hopefully won’t be his last.”

Friends described Blackwell as driven and determined.

“He’s busting his tail end for it. He’s worked hard. It’s been a childhood dream, childhood effort,” one friend said.

Another added, “He’s just a genuine human being, and he's so easy to root for. He's really humble too."

“So proud of him, oh my gosh, could not be more proud,” Michalik said. “Oh good job Chase, from here in Longmont, Colorado, we love you, we’re proud of you, you crushed it!”

Friends said they are already thinking ahead to the next Games.

“We will be here in four years cheering on Chase again,” one friend said.