Blitzen Powers passed away on Jan. 5, 2010. Often confused with the better known Blitzen of Santa's reindeer fame, Blitzen was the Powers' family Beta fish. He lived in the Powers home from Dec. 25, 2009 until the day of his passing. The circumstances of his death are still under investigation and one Emma O'Bryant, 3-years old and previously of Mount Pleasant, was brought into the kitchen for extensive questioning by her mother and Blitzen's owner, Mrs. Lizzie Powers of Greenwood, Mississippi. When asked about the circumstances leading up to Blitzen's untimely death, Miss O'Bryant said, 'But Momma, him just wanted me to tickle him.'

Blitzen was seen flying through the air only minutes before the coroner's suspected time of death, but Miss O'Bryant maintains that Blitzen was flying of his own accord and not, as this reporter suspects, being tossed about in the air by a mischievous toddler.

'Blitzen was a good fish, but he had been on his last fin for a while. We knew his time was coming, we just didn't realize it would be so soon,' Mrs. Powers stated.

Blitzen was preceded in death by Dorothy Powers, the Powers previous family fish and is survived by Pride Powers, the Powers family dog, and Elizabeth, John Heston and Annie Powers. In keeping in accordance with Blitzen's final fish wishes, he was flushed. There will be a joint memorial service for Dorothy and Blitzen at the Powers' family home and Dorothy will finally be laid to rest after waiting for several months in the Powers' family freezer to be joined by Blitzen in that Big Fish Bowl in the Sky.

In lieu of flowers, the Powers family requests that donations be made to FAEO. Fish Against Emma O'Bryant, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness to family fish everywhere that Emma O'Bryant is lurking out there and no fish is safe.

At press time, Miss O'Bryant's charges had been reduced from 1st Degree Murder, to involuntary fish slaughter. Sentencing is scheduled for after naptime.

(Robin O'Bryant is a former Mount Pleasant resident and mother of three. Read her blog online at www.robinschicks.com or e-mail her, zebandrobin@hotmail.com.)