<p>Nicole Astra:<br />Happy new year, and welcome to Talking Cities, Aurora. I'm Nicole Astra. Let's take a look at today's top stories. Starting this week, Aurora's COVID testing site, located across from the Chicago Premium Outlets, is now open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 4:00. Drive through and walk up testings are free, regardless of age, symptoms or insurance status.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />With the new year comes new laws. Talking Cities' Eric Cox has the breakdown on what to look out for.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />Nearly 300 new laws are set to take effect at the start of the new year here in Illinois. It's a far cry from this time last year, when just three new state statutes were implemented. It was a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, with lawmakers barely being able to meet. Some of the most important new statutes coming into play on January 1 here surround children and schools in particular.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />SB633 requires school districts to keep track of the number of violent incidents that happen on school grounds or during school activities in their annual report cards.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />SB817 forbids public and private schools from creating dress code rules around hairstyles. The statute is better known as the Jet Hawkins Law, named after a four year old attending Providence St. Mel on Chicago's west side. The little boy was told he couldn't wear braids to school because the hairstyle was banned. But once local media and lawmakers caught wind of what happened, the groundwork for this legislation was born.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />HB576 allows students up to five days of excused mental or behavioral health absence, no doctors note necessary.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />SB512 is the Preventing Youth Vaping Act. It prohibits companies from marketing e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, no using cartoons or video game characters or movies in any advertising.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />And SB2122 amends the Juvenile Court Act, making confessions to crimes by people 17 and younger inadmissible in court if a police officer used deceitful tactics to make the minor talk.<br /><br />Eric Cox:<br />These are just a few of the 296 new laws set to hit the books on January 1. For more details, visit talkingcities.com. For Talking Cities, Aurora, I'm Eric Cox.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Thanks, Eric. Now through January 14th, real Christmas trees will be picked up for free during weekly trash and recycling. If you need to recycle your tree, make sure there's no plastic, and decorations are taken off, as well as the stand. After January 14th, trees left on the curb on collection day must have a sticker in order for it to be tossed. Wreaths and garland are not part of the recycling, so make sure you label them as trash.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />We didn't have a white Christmas, but there are certainly lot of white stuff out there now and volunteers are needed for Operation Senior Shovel. Volunteers must be able to provide their own shovels or snow blowers, be willing to serve throughout the season, and clear the snow within 48 hours after two inches or more has fallen. To sign up, visit aurora-il.org.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />'Tis the season where people are still thinking about getting healthy. Joey Thurman had the chance to visit a local spot that's helping people stay in shape. Joey, how'd it go?<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Nicole, I'm finally recovered from that workout. We did a kettlebell circuit. Kettle bells are great because you can do them at home or go to Legacy. Here's the workout.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />So why do you like kettle bells so much?<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />You can do it in your small apartment. You can do it in your garage. You can do it in a bathroom, if you like. As long as you learn the good movements to make it happen, it's endless possibilities you can do with the kettle bell. And you can build any part of the body that you want.<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />One of our favorites here at Legacy Nutrition and Fitness is a super six. We go into a clean, which is a hinge movement. Then you come into a rack position, which is a neutral position. You're going to press up and come right back down into a squat. Now it's three different exercises all combined into one round. Each round has six segments to one round, and we do it for six rounds in total. We try to get it done within six to seven minutes.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />What do you recommend for somebody just starting out who's going to get into kettle bell training as far as a program?<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />With a good program, I think 20 minutes, three to four times a week is really good.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Okay.<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />Yeah.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />So few minutes? An hour? Hour and 20 minutes?<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />At first, 20 minutes. And you can build on that, depending on the program. I've always done some that are as low as 15 minutes, but I try to do them at least five times out of the week. But on average, I would say about 45 minutes, three to four times a week would be crucial.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Okay.<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />Yeah.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />You ready to beat me up?<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />Let's go.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />All right, let's go.<br /><br />Rick Sanchez:<br />All right.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Ah, that's it for that kettle bell class at Legacy Nutrition and Fitness. Hopefully you did better than I did. Take these things, do them at home. Let's get in shape together, boom. Oh, my arms hurt.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />All right, Joey, you're upright. You survived. Welcome back.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Yeah. I was a sweaty hot mess on the ground, but I'm good to go now. Now, Legacy Fitness also has a nutrition bar. I was able to try a few of their delicious menu items. You can watch the second half on our website, talkingcities.com.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Have you brought your wife to see the Cinderella at Paramount yet?<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />Oh, I think I need to. We need to fly over there.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Yeah.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />She flies? Cinderella flying?<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />She does not fly. That's Mary Poppins. This is the last chance for you to see the spectacular show Cinderella at Paramount Art Center. Tickets are available on their website, as well as at the box office. Thank you for watching Talking Cities, Aurora. I'm Nicole Astra.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />And I'm Joey Thurman. See you next time.<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Does she fly? I mean, really.<br /><br />Joey Thurman:<br />I know [inaudible 00:05:52]. It's kind of like a tornado [crosstalk 00:05:54].<br /><br />Nicole Astra:<br />Cinderella, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. [crosstalk 00:05:57]</p>