Distinguished KU grad, a fossil expert, dies

A Kansas University graduate known as an expert on ancient sharks died Saturday.

Michael E. Williams, who received his master’s degree and doctorate in geology from KU, died of a heart attack Saturday at his home in suburban Cleveland.

Williams, who was 62, had been curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History since 1975. He was a recognized expert on sharks that roamed the sea covering northeast Ohio during the Devonian period 360 million years ago.

He formulated his theories on the habits of ancient sea creatures by studying Cleveland shale fossils unearthed during the construction of Interstate 71 in the 1960s.

In the Journal of Paleontology in March 1994, Williams created a stir in scientific circles by challenging whether evidence existed to support the theory that dinosaurs became extinct through a catastrophic event.

Support group to meet

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance meets at 5:45 p.m. today in the second-floor conference room at the Community Health Facility, 200 Maine.

Featured speakers are Jo Ann Howley and Joel Stottlemire from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. For more information, contact Charlie Ross at 842-0714 or charlieross@sbcglobal.net.

World War II vets to recount war tales

Interviews from past shows with local World War II veterans highlight “River City Weekly” on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.

Guests will be Richard Schiefelbusch, an Army Air Force flight navigator and prisoner of war in Germany; Glenn Kappelman, whose photographs of everyday soldier life in World War II are chronicled in the film “Through My Sights”; Dick Hewitt, a fighter pilot and author of “Target of Opportunity,” which describes his experiences and those of the men with whom he served in Europe; and the late Bruce Beresford, who served as a photographer for the Army Air Force in England.

“River City Weekly” premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with encore presentations at 7:30 weeknights, 8:30 weekday mornings and 9 a.m. Saturdays.