Staff/Wire reports

A Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority employee was sentenced Friday to 100 hours of community service for taking cabinets that belonged to the agency and installing them in his own home.

William Larkin, 50, of Kennedy Heights was arrested in April on charges of bribery, theft in office and acting outside the restriction of a public employee. He was convicted of theft in office and the other two charges were dropped.

The cabinets were worth about $3,000, and Larkin made restitution before his sentencing.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker said Larkin is to be barred from public office and must be employed full time. If he violates any part of the sentence, he will be sent to jail for one year.

Condos damaged by lightning strike

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP - A lightning strike was blamed for sparking a fire that damaged two condominiums near the Walden Ponds golf course Thursday.

There were no injuries, but damage to the building at 2756 Ashton Circle was set at $250,000.

Firefighters were called at 10:03 p.m. and found fire in the roof, Fairfield Township Fire Chief David Downie said.

A woman who lives across the street told officials she heard a clap of thunder, felt electricity flow through her home, and saw smoke.

Two condo units were heavily damaged while two others sustained light smoke damage, Downie said. Firefighters from Hamilton and Liberty Township assisted Fairfield Township crews.

Two-alarm blaze damages vacant house

MADISONVILLE - A two-alarm fire heavily damaged a vacant home in Madisonville early Friday and caused $100,000 damage to the building, fire officials said.

Forty-two firefighters and nearly 15 vehicles and engines responded to 6418 Chandler St. around 3 a.m. It took crews nearly an hour to contain the blaze.