NIU glassblower dies in motorcycle accident

The Northern Illinois University community lost one of its own Wednesday when glassblower Daniel Edwards was killed in a motorcycle accident near Rochelle. Edwards, 60, joined the faculty of the NIU chemistry department in 1991, creating unique flasks, cylinders and beakers for scientists at the university. He was known for holding a public glassblowing demonstration each fall to support the NIU Chemistry Club. Edwards' final demonstration was last November. He was scheduled to retire at the end of this academic semester, and had planned to move back to his home state of Wisconsin to fish and to create art glass in a small garage shop. “It's a shock. We've not quite wrapped our brains around it,” NIU associate professor David Ballantine sai