DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, was elected Wednesday to serve as Iowa Senate majority leader, taking over the role from Sen. Jack Whitver. Republicans, who hold a 33-17 majority in the Iowa Senate, met Wednesday and elected Klimesh to take on the top Senate leadership job. Klimesh was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and defeated Democratic challenger Brian Bruening in the 2024 general election. Previously, he served as mayor of Spillville for 22 years, in addition to having worked as plant manager for Graphics, Inc. in Calmar. In the 2025 legislative session, Klimesh was chairman for the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, in addition to serving as vice chair for the Local Government Committee and for the Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee. Whitver announced that he was retiring from the leadership position, which he has held since 2018, and would not seek reelection in 2026. The 45-year-old Grimes resident was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2025, and has said treatment was ongoing.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – In a matter of minutes, the Johnson County board of supervisors ended months of planning for a possible joint law enforcement building with Iowa City. Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel was a key driver of Wednesday’s vote. Following a contentious Iowa City City Council Meeting, he announced he wouldn’t support a combined law enforcement building with the city. “I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the county to be in a relationship with elected officials who see no value for law enforcement,” Kunkel said. The Sheriff says the county doesn’t need to start from scratch with its new plans. Kunkel said the county already has a concept for what the jail and Sheriff’s Department might look like, but he said it still needs to finalize the details and find a new location. Once that’s done, he said the priority will shift to drumming up voter support. Kunkel has pushed for a new jail for years, saying the current building is overcrowded and deteriorating. While voters have denied funding for a new jail in the past, the sheriff said he’s confident a new jail can win over 60% of the vote when the county plans to put it on the ballot in November 2026.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in federal court on Wednesday. 43-year-old Rose Beranek, of Cedar Rapids, was found guilty of conspiring to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. In February 2024, police say Beranek acquired nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in Arizona. Police say Beranek admitted to driving to Cedar Rapids for the purpose of distributing the methamphetamine. Following a traffic stop in Oklahoma, officers executed a search warrant and found methamphetamine packaged in vacuum-sealed bags inside the car. Beranek faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.
ELGIN, Iowa (KCRG) – An Elgin woman is facing multiple drug charges after a second apartment bust in six months. At approximately 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers executed a search warrant at an apartment at 240 Center Street. Officers seized methamphetamine, other illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, baggies, and a variety of pills during the search. 40-year-old Kimberly Fisher, of Elgin, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of other illegal drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interference with official acts. This is the second time that illegal drugs have been found at this location during a narcotics search warrant in six months.
