CALEDONIA, Mich. — The city's newly elected village president spent election night in jail.
Todd Grinage won the office of village president on Tuesday, beating his opponent by more than 100 votes. He'd already been in jail for five days, however, after being sentenced last week to 60 days in jail for his third drunken-driving conviction -- a felony.
"I apologize for my mistake," Grinage told FOX 17 Thursday. He's on work release so he's able to go to his job. He returns to jail everyday after work.
Grinage was arrested for drunken driving June 11 near Cherry Valley and 84th Street. He entered a guilty plea Sept. 12 and was sentenced Nov. 3. He says he didn't keep his DUI a secret from the village.
"The people know who I am, they know what I'm about," Grinage said. "I have been involved with the village for years and care deeply about the community and the issues within the village."
Grinage has served Caledonia as a trustee since 2010. He says he has no plans of stepping down from his newly elected role.
"My conviction is a DUI. It has nothing to do with what I can do for the village and the people that live within there," Grinage said. "I have a deep compassion within that town. I've lived there all my life and there's issues there I think I can help resolve and make it a better place to live."
He is scheduled to be released from jail on Dec. 20. He says he's seeking counseling.
