By Kara Kimbrough They're hard to miss: purple, green and gold sugar-encrusted king cakes are piled high on supermarket displays and in bakeries. That can mean only one thing: Mardi Gras season is upon us. Mardi Gras is growing in popularity, with revelers flocking to parades or at the very least, celebrating with the iced pastry rings filled with cream cheese and other flavorings. Side note: I have a recipe for easy homemade King Cake, but realizing how easy it is to pick up one at the supermarket or bakery, I’m not sharing the recipe here. However, if your local store’s supply is running low or has been on the shelf a little longer than you’d like, drop me an email and I’ll share it with you. But back to Mardi Gras. Mississippi’s Gulf Coast has been hosting Mardi Gras celebrations for years, complete with a spectacular coronation ball at the Coast Coliseum and parties rivaling those in nearby New Orleans. And, family-friendly parades, including a children’s walking parade and Krewe of Barkloxi’s PAWrade for pets roll in every city and town along the beach until Fat Tuesday. Even better, the Coast’s family-friendly parades lack the craziness of NOLA. For a complete lineup of parades, check out the schedule at: https://www.gulfcoast.org/events/mardi-gras-events/ Additionally, a Mississippi-style Mardi Gras promises non-stop feasting. Personally, I enjoy Cajun and Creole food (and yes, I know they’re different, but equally delicious) 12 months of the year and Mardi Gras season is no exception. I rarely share family recipes given to me by my Coast friends, but in the spirit of Mardi Gras, I’ll make an exception. Here are a few of my favorites to make Mardi Gras ’23 one to remember. Last, I rarely share my family’s recipe from shrimp Creole with anyone except special friends, but I’ll send it to anyone that requests it. “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Biloxi Barbecued Shrimp 3 pounds large shrimp, peeled 2 sticks butter or margarine, melted separately ½ cup olive oil Garlic salt Celery salt Lemon 1 cup barbecue sauce Black pepper ½ cup of tangy liquid: white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice or apple cider vinegar (optional) Turn oven to broil, high heat. Cover bottom of heavy ovenproof skillet with one stick of melted butter. Place unpeeled shrimp in pan. Pour remaining melted butter on shrimp. Sprinkle olive oil, garlic salt, celery salt, lemon and barbecue sauce on shrimp. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper. Place shrimp under broiler pan for about 5 minutes. Turn shrimp and broil other side for 5 more minutes, watching to make sure shrimp don’t burn. Remove from oven and sprinkle with your choice of tangy liquid (optional step). Put back under broiler for one more minute. Serve with plenty of crusty French bread – it’s delicious dipped in the butter sauce! Quick One-Pan Jambalaya 12-ounce package of favorite sausage 2 cups uncooked instant rice 2 cups water ½ cup frozen bell pepper, defrosted 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes 12-ounce package cleaned raw shrimp ¼ teaspoon thyme 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon or two cubes 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon chili powder Cut sausage into 1-inch diagonal slices. Place in large skillet. Brown as directed on package. Add remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Shrimp Remoulade 2-3 pounds shrimp ½ cup horseradish mustard 2-1/2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt ½ vegetable oil ¼ cup finely minced celery 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons ketchup ¾ teaspoon red pepper 1/3 cup tarragon vinegar Boil shrimp, peel and marinate in sauce made with remaining ingredients. Serve in a large boil with marinade, using toothpicks to spear the shrimp. Can be used as a dressing for salad. The flavor improves after marinating overnight. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

#DidYouKnow: Tougaloo College Alumnus Bennie Thompson is the longest-serving African-American elected official in the State of Mississippi and the first African-American to chair the House Committee on Homeland Security. He began his grassroots political activism being a civil rights champion through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Tougaloo College – a private historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi. He organized voter registration drives for African-Americans throughout the Mississippi Delta on behalf of the organization before graduating and following in the footsteps of his mother by becoming a school teacher. During his tenure educating the youth of Mississippi, a fire inside of Thompson was ignited pushing him to be a voice to the voiceless through elected office. #WeLoveThee #BlackHistoryMonth

By Bob Garver I had never seen a “Magic Mike” movie before “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.” The franchise’s first two installments both missed out on the domestic box office crown in their respective opening weekends in 2012 and 2015, thus not warranting reviews from me. Ironically, “Last Dance” made less money in its opening weekend then either of its predecessors, but those opened in the more blockbuster-y summer season instead of the void that is Super Bowl weekend. If the first two entries in this series are anything like the third, then not only am I glad I missed them, but I have to wonder why this property was even allowed to have three movies. The film opens with former exotic dancer Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) bartending in Florida, his relationships and business ventures all having fizzled out since the second movie. Lonely philanthropist Maxandra “Max” Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault) hears that Mike can provide certain services, and he agrees to give her a lapdance that turns into much more. Taken by his talent and charm, Max invites Mike to London to become the director of a one-night-only strip show at a theater she owns. Again, he reluctantly agrees, though the relationship has to be strictly professional from that point forward. The rest of the movie is mostly what you’d expect from the “Let’s Put on a Show” genre. Mike balks at the new setting at first, but he quickly adapts. He doesn’t get along with Max’s daughter (Jemalia George) or butler (Ayub Khan Din) at first, but of course they come to like him. There’s a montage of auditioning dancers and some antics with a stuffy city official (Vicki Pepperdine). It looks like the show will be shut down, but they pull out all the stops and put it on anyway because they just love performing so much. The Mike/Max relationship deepens, by which I mean there is one, apparently. Proponents of this film say that the best thing about it is the chemistry between the two leads. I was not picking up on any such movie-saving chemistry. Even with a grand gesture toward the end of the film, I was having a hard time buying that either Mike or Max has commitment to the other in their future. Maybe this belief in their chemistry comes from the lap dance sequence early in the film. They do nail that scene, though it seems to involve a lot of physical exertion from Max. I thought lap dances were supposed to be relaxing for the recipient? The film is surprisingly restrained on the sexuality front. I’d say that for about 80% of the dances in this movie, the dancers wear pants – that’s full-legged pants. Mike and a female partner share a dance sequence toward the end of the movie for a supposedly-ravenous, mostly-female audience, and she’s way more scantily-clad than he is. The movie’s advertising didn’t exactly promise heaps of male nudity, but it was certainly implied. I’d bet that this movie could clean up its language, make no cuts visually, and get a PG-13 rating. Were the other “Magic Mike” movies this tame? “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” isn’t particularly funny, romantic, or interesting, nor does it work as a visual spectacle outside of some acrobatic feats that viewers of any sexuality will likely find more impressive than tantalizing. I know it wants to be a date movie for Valentine’s Day, but it has to contend with yet another rerelease of “Titanic.” That movie may as well be Kate Winslet floating on a suspiciously-roomy door, because this movie is dead in the water. Grade: C- “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” is rated R for sexual material and language. Its running time is 112 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

The Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy is honored to host an interview with U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) on February 27, 2023, at 4pm ET. The interview will focus on the Representative’s long and distinguished career and in particular on his legislative oversight work he has led culminating in his recent chairmanship of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. The interview is part of Wayne State University’s Black History Month programming and will be livestreamed on the Levin Center’s YouTube channel. Jim Townsend, director of the Levin Center, will conduct the interview.

Looking for another way to celebrate those you love during the month of February? Come join the members of the Metro Chamber Orchestra as they present “Music and Romance”, St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral, downtown Jackson, February 19, 2023, 3 p.m. In the spotlight will be violin soloist Vince Massimino, performing Antonin Dvorak’s “Romance in F minor, Op. 11”. Published in 1879, it is one of the most popular romances in the orchestral repertory. Mr. Massimino is a member of the Mississippi Symphony and serves as Assistant Concertmaster. The Chamber orchestra will also perform “Overture:Abduction to Seraglio”/W.A. Mozart; Suites from “Dardanus”/J.P. Rameau; and “Military March in C major”/L.van Beethoven. The MCO has been offering the gift of classical chamber music to the Jackson community free of charge since 1984. Made up of around 40 non-professional and professional musicians, the group offers three concerts each season under the direction of Artistic Director Wayne Linehan and Concertmaster Ryan Rogers.

Hello everyone, I hope you and your families are well! We, Restitution of Hope, Inc., are inviting our Bolton residents to an afternoon of free educational information and food! We will be discussing Emotional Wellness at the Bolton library on Saturday, Feb.11th at 11:00 am! We would love to see you there! Feel free to contact Mrs. Tamara Johnson @ 769-243-2465. God bless.

By Hu Meena A firm focus on the future is endemic to the culture of every successful technology company. At C Spire, we don’t spend much time reflecting on the past. Ask any of my 1,900 coworkers, and they’ll likely tell you some version of the same thing. As we approached our latest milestone anniversary, though, I began to reflect on the truly wild ride of the past 35 years—beginning in 1988 as Cellular South, when we were the first company to offer wireless on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and since 2011 as C Spire, when our name was changed to reflect who we are and what we strive to be—Customer inSPIREd. We’re a Mississippi-based company founded, led and driven by Mississippians, competing shoulder-to-shoulder against multinational corporations that answer to shareholders, not their employees or customers. At C Spire, we are indeed inspired by our customers. We are driven by the dedicated people who lay fiber to your home, maintain networks, answer the line when you call and proficiently execute in a wide variety of technology-based disciplines. They’re your neighbors, friends and family members, and they’re invested in you. To say we have skin in the game is an understatement. Together, we are the largest privately owned wireless company in the country, and the sixth largest overall. Customers across Mississippi rely on our LTE and 5G wireless network every day. Our Gigabit fiber keeps homes and businesses speeding ahead with internet at the speed of light, enabling homes to become smarter and more entertaining. Every step of the way, our team’s determination and accomplishments have added to the foundation that allows us to invest back into our communities. We have accelerated our course through a planned three-year, $1 billion investment in fiber infrastructure and network enhancements we began in 2021. We are bringing broadband internet to a growing number of cities and rural areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. And at the end of every fiber line and 5G connection is a real person or family, a new business getting off the ground, and innovators turning their ingenuity into the communities and economies of the future. We believe it is incumbent upon the leaders of today to create that future for the next generation. Nearly 90 percent of students attending public schools in Mississippi have access to issued laptops or tablets, creating a huge demand for network resources. That’s why our engineers are using artificial intelligence to identify network usage increases at cell sites near school campuses around the state and redistribute traffic where it’s needed most, at a moment’s notice. We maintain the vital Mississippi Optical Network, also known as the MissiON network, to support research and education at every public university and community college in the state, and to facilitate collaboration among educators and students at these institutions. This network also supported distance learning for more than 200,000 students in the community college system during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through our Tech Movement initiative, we host our annual C3 Coding Challenge and support Base Camp Academy, both of which immerse students in the world of coding languages and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow. In 2021, we supported legislation to make computer science part of the curriculum in every K-12 public and charter school in the state by 2024 and donated $1 million toward training teachers for the task. The aggressiveness of our leadership made us among the first carriers in the U.S. to offer the iPhone 4 to customers over a decade ago. In 2013, when only four cities in the U.S. had Gigabit fiber internet available to homes, we started an ambitious fiber-to-the-home initiative that carries ultra-fast internet to homes and businesses now available in more than 100 communities. We plan to double that number across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee by 2025. In our shared future, we envision networks with zero downtime and seamless app integrations that intuitively connect any space. Automated systems with machine learning that find and fix issues before there's a problem. Biometric and AI applications that help us think one step ahead. And, of course, the wireless and fiber networks to make it all hum. If past is prelude, together we have an exceedingly bright future. Forward thinking—it’s one way we stay customer inspired. Hu Meena is President and CEO of C Spire in Ridgeland, Miss.

You hear a lot of ‘loving’ being mentioned. “I love my truck…my chocolates, my family… playing golf…going to the movies, drinking beer, etc.” You name it, each one of us has someone or something that we say we love. Really? The dictionary explains the word ‘love.’ Here it is: ‘A strong feeling of affection and concern for the welfare of another person, as in a friendship.’ Or it can be this: ‘A strong feeling of affection and concern for their welfare toward another person, accompanied by sexual attraction.’ And it lists another version; ‘A feeling of adoration and affection toward your God.’ That’s it. Strong feelings for a person or God. Somehow, that definition just doesn’t seem to fit when it comes to loving a thing. Can you hear someone say with a dramatic sigh, “I have strong feelings of affection and concern for its emotional welfare toward my truck.” Or, “I have strong feelings of affection and concern for its welfare toward my chocolate bar.” Or this one… “I have a strong concern for the emotional welfare of my beer.” Nah. Truth is, you use your truck, you devour your chocolate bar, and you slug your beer. So according to old man Webster, don’t tell me that you love those things. Reality check? You enjoy using that truck. And you lust after that chocolate bar or that cold beer. That is a completely different relationship with those things in your life than with your family, your friends, or your God. Men, when it comes to the lady in your life on Valentine’s Day, you want to give her things that show how you feel about her. Be it flowers, chocolate, a night out, or….an ice cold can of beer. Whatever you think might say to her, “Hey, I am concerned about you and your emotional welfare.” But your can of beer, or your truck? You couldn’t care less whether they feel loved by you. You are not there to make them feel special. You know good and well that they are in your life only to make you happy. And ladies, that hunk of Godiva chocolate that keeps calling your name? You don’t care how it’s feeling emotionally - be honest, you simply lust for it. Or that new pair of jeans you find so irresistible that you pull out your credit card without a second thought? That’s not love – that’s for your own sake! Don’t confuse ‘lusting’, ‘using’, or ‘enjoying’ with truly loving. Toys, jobs, places, food, and experiences are all just things. It is only the people in your life and your Creator who are to be loved. “I enjoy and use my truck” makes a lot more sense than “I love my truck.” And spending the bulk of your time and attention on the people you love makes even more sense. Happy Valentine’s Day! Put a smile of love on someone’s face today.

The media is invited to attend as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson kicks off the 54th annual Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions with a press conference on Thursday, February 9, at 10:30 a.m. in the Atrium of the Mississippi Trade Mart. The Sale will begin at 11:00 a.m. in Trade Hall C of the Mississippi Trade Mart. Commissioner Gipson will be joined by Dr. Steve Martin, Interim Director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service; Gary Blair, Chairman of the Sale of Junior Champions Promotion Committee; two recipients of the Sale of Champions Scholarships, Emma Grace Koger from the Humphreys 4-H and Calden Ratliff from the Stone 4-H/Stone County FFA; Phillip Morgan, CEO of Southern AgCredit; and Rorey Lemmel of Harper & Morgan Rodeo. The Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions is one of the highlight events of the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 2022, 1,538 4-H and FFA members from across Mississippi participated in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows showing 2,262 head of various livestock including pigs, sheep, cattle and goats. The Junior Round-Up participants winning Champion and Reserve Champion for their market animals have the opportunity to sell their livestock at the Sale of Junior Champions auction. Last year, the sale of 46 animals grossed $448,500, and 39 scholarships totaling $61,500 were awarded. Over the past 53 years, the sale has grossed $8,524,244.40. Since the first scholarships were given in 1993, over 797 scholarships have been awarded to various 4-H and FFA members totaling $1,071,200. This sale promotes both 4-H and FFA livestock programs in Mississippi as well as other economic, educational and personal development opportunities for the youth in state. The Sale of Junior Champions helps students earn money for college, as well as helps them to develop a wide host of skills. The youth participating in the livestock show spend months raising and caring for their livestock, teaching them the value of hard work and responsibility.

By Kara Kimbrough As host or guest, it’s time to get ready for the biggest football game of the year this Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Even if you don’t follow football or just watch for the commercials, who doesn’t like a day when eating all the wings, burgers and fattening appetizers and dips is considered OK? I’m don't favor either team, but may root for Philadelphia and here’s why. “Philadelphia” is on the box of a key ingredient in almost every appetizer and dip in my Super Bowl food repertoire. I’m talking about Philadelphia Cream Cheese, without which no decent Super Bowl spread is complete. Still need a little inspiration? Here are a few more of my favorite Super Bowl recipe and decor ideas. 1. Football Brownies — Make a batch of brownies and use a football cookie cutter (found at the party store – or do what I did and bend a round biscuit cutter into a football shape) to cut brownies into snacks with at least a semblance of the pigskin’s shape. Top with chocolate frosting; then use white frosting to pipe lines and stitches on each “football.” 2. Super Bowl Selfies — Create your own “selfie corner” or photo booth for guests that “live” to share their party pics. Hang a green cloth on the wall to resemble a football field (let a few feet extend to the floor for selfie-lovers to stand on). Buy large wooden “57” numbers at the craft store (or use cut out cardboard), spray with gold glitter paint and attach to the backdrop high enough to show in photos. Find color photos of the faces of your favorite players on the internet, print and glue onto cardboard and attach to wooden craft sticks so guests can pose with their favorites. Snap photos with phones or an old-school Polaroid. 3. Quick & Delicious Snack Mix — Toss together party-size bag of regular potato chips, 2 cups each Cheez-Its, Goldfish crackers and mini pretzels, ½ stick melted butter and a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning. Bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes, stirring once. Serve in a large bowl with a scoop with small bags for guests to help themselves. 4. “Crack” Sausages — Roll ½ of a bacon slice around a cocktail sausage. Warning: plan on preparing a lot of these, as they’re always eaten quickly. Place wrapped sausages on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar; refrigerate at least 4 hours before baking to allow flavors to meld. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes prior to serving. 5. Chiefs/Eagles Rice Krispies - Prepare Rice Krispies Treats using a favorite recipe, separate into two bowls and tint each mixture with food coloring to reflect team colors. Press into two pans, then use a football or “jersey” cookie cutter to shape each treat. Add player numbers with white icing. 6. Super Shrimp Spread — Beat 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth. Drain 2 6-ounce cans of shrimp, then mash shrimp with a fork and fold into cream cheese. Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and teaspoon of minced onion and mix well. Serve with crackers. 7. Hot and Spicy Wings – Place 2-3 pounds of wings on a greased baking sheet and bake in 425-degree oven for an hour, turning frequently. In a bowl, mix together a four-ounce bottle of hot pepper sauce, half cup of melted butter and two teaspoons of white vinegar. Place cooked wings in a bowl and toss with sauce. Serve with blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce. 8. Shortcut Texas Caviar Dip — Stir together cans of drained black beans and black-eyed peas, kernel corn and jar of prepared salsa. Refrigerate several hours. Serve with tortilla chips or Scoops. 9. Creamy Ham Roll-Ups — Mix 2 packages of cream cheese with 5 teaspoons of prepared horseradish, then spread mixture evenly over several slices of deli ham. Roll up, slice each roll into 4 pieces and secure with toothpicks. 10. Layered BLT Dip — Combine a package of softened cream cheese with ½ cup of mayonnaise and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, then spread mixture into the bottom of a serving dish. Top with torn lettuce, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Serve with pita chips or toasted thin slices of Italian bread. 11. Last-Minute App - Whisk together 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning and tablespoon of salt. Pour a 28-ounce bag of frozen curly (or regular) French fries on a foil-lined baking sheet; coat fries with seasoning mixture. Place the pan 6 inches from oven broiler, and broil for 9-11 minutes, flipping once, until fries are brown and crispy. Serve hot from the oven with ketchup or dipping sauce. 12. Super Easy Baked Chili Cheese Dip — Combine a large can of mild chili, 8-ounce package cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix and teaspoon of minced garlic. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cup of shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced green olives and dollops of sour cream. Last, my new friends at Ocean Spray sent me a recipe containing a delicious variation of buffalo chicken dip, a staple on many Super Bowl tables. I’d dropped them an email telling them how often I use whole cranberry sauce in desserts. I’d never thought about adding fruity Craisins, or dried cranberries, to the meat-based dip, but all I can say is…like Philadelphia Cream Cheese…it works! Sweet and Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded 1/3 cup Buffalo sauce 1/3 cup bleu cheese dressing 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup shredded cheese, plus more for topping 1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries or Craisins® 50% Less Sugar Dried Cranberries, roughly chopped, plus more for topping 1 scallion, sliced (optional for garnish) Bleu cheese, crumbled (optional for garnish) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients and pour into a baking dish. Top with extra cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and top with extra Craisins® Dried Cranberries and scallion, if desired. Serve with chips, celery sticks, carrots, snap peas, cherry tomato, and peppers. Recipe courtesy of Ocean Spray. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkrpco@yahoo.com.

By NAPSI Spring is coming, and as we get out our lawn mowers and other outdoor power equipment from storage to work in our yards, businesses and other green spaces, it’s important to put safe practices in place. “Think safety first,” says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing outdoor power equipment, small engine, utility vehicle, golf car and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. “We’re all eager to get back outside in the spring weather but I can’t stress enough to read your owner’s manuals before starting up any equipment—especially your lawn mower.” OPEI offers these tips to get your outdoor power equipment ready, especially mowers: Know not all lawn mowers are the same. Whether your mower is a garden tractor, zero-turn mower or other, it has a unique design, requirements, weight classification, and other differences that impact how to use it safely. The newest machines have the latest safety standards. Know your specific machine. Many mowers may look similar but the technology is ever evolving, with evolving safety systems. They vary in design, power supply, performance, operating parameters, and more. Your manufacturer-supplied owner’s manual will guide you in these differences. Read your owner’s manual. When using mowers on slopes follow the manufacturer’s guidance to the letter. Do not disable or alter manufacturer-installed safety equipment. Walk your yard before mowing. Slopes, wet grass and weather may impact the equipment’s performance, as well as safe handling procedures. Pick up sticks and limbs that may have fallen to the ground over the winter and any loose objects that could be hit by a mower. Inspect trees for damaged limbs that may get in your way when mowing. Look over equipment before use. Check the air filter, oil level and gasoline tank. Watch for loose belts and missing or damaged parts. Replace any parts needed or take your equipment to a qualified service representative. Check to be sure that you have the appropriate, manufacturer-recommended batteries, if needed. Protect your power. Use only E10 or less fuel in gasoline-powered outdoor power equipment if it is not designed for higher ethanol blends. Add a fuel stabilizer if you don’t use up all the fuel in the tank right away. Burn off any fuel before storing the mower more than 30 days. Also, for battery-powered equipment, only use battery packs specified by the manufacturer. Follow all charging instructions as outlined in the owner’s manual. Be sure to store fuel and batteries safely. Keep batteries away from other metal objects, store them in a climate-controlled area, and never stack batteries. Keep children and pets away from machines during operation. Keep your mower clean. It will run more efficiently and last longer. Always remove dirt, oil or grass before using and storing, and store equipment in a dry place, avoiding damp or wet environments. For information on safe fueling, go to www.LookBeforeYouPump.com. For more safety information visit www.opei.org.