A West Chester man, Gary Peace, a motor carrier enforcement inspector for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, has been selected for the 2003 North American Inspectors Championship.

Peace, a 1973 graduate of Lakota High School, will represent the Wilmington District and the state of Ohio in the event at the Columbus Convention Center, Aug. 18-22. He was chosen from the 10 district nominations through written tests and interviews.

"This will be my fourth time making it to the championship competition," Peace said. "I have been doing this 16 years. It is almost like a worldwide competition."

During the competition, inspectors from across the United States, Canada and Mexico will compete for awards in three categories: Level I Vehicle and Drive Inspection; Hazardous Material and Cargo Tank, and Motor Coach.

Peace won first place in his division in 1993 in Denver. He won third place in Motor Coach Inspection in 1997 in Long Beach, Calif.

Participants take written tests, answer questions in an interview, and inspect trucks and drivers to test their ability to discover safety violations.

The championship competition is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Support for the competition is given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian government, the Mexican government, and members of the trucking and motor coach industries.

The event is held in conjunction with the American Trucking Association's Truck Driving Championship.

Peace has two children, Jennifer, 21 and Adam, 18.

To support its neighborhood watch programs, Silverton's Neighborhood Block Watch Association will hold its second annual yard sale Sept. 6 in the municipal parking lot at Montgomery and Plainfield roads.

Booths open sale Friday at the Silverton Police Department, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, said Officer Jim Replogle, crime prevention officer with the department.

For information, call 936-6220.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News'' column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.