BATON ROUGE -(WBRZ)  Five more people have applied to take the civil service exam to become Baton Rouge's next police chief.

The deadline is this afternoon.

The Advocate reports the new candidates - all veteran Baton Rouge police officers - brought to nine the total number of applicants seeking to succeed ousted Police Chief Dewayne White.

The Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board will approve applications at its April 18 meeting. The two-part test will be given on May 22.

A new survey finds that while Americans like the bible and think it is important very few of them read it on a regular basis. The American Bible society conducted the survey through phone interviews and online surveys to about two-thousand people. More than half of participants said they think the Bible has too little influence on culture, yet only one in five participants said they read the Bible on a regular basis. Seventy-seven-percent said they believe the nation's morality is headed downhill, and 88-percent said they they own a bible. Eighty-percent said they believe the Bible is sacred, and 61-percent wish they read the bible more often. They survey found that the average household has 4.4 Bibles. Fifty-seven-percent admitted they only read the bible four times per year or less, while 26-percent said they read their Bible four or more times per week. (Huffington Post)

BATON ROUGE-(WBRZ) Representative Barry Ivey from Central wants to allow your concealed carry permit to last for a lifetime.

He authored a bill that would do just that, if it becomes law. Currently, a concealed carry permit must be renewed every five years. If this law passes, it would never have to be renewed.

Critics are worried because there would be no periodic training once someone receives a lifetime permit.

"Somebody who carries regularly is proficient," Ivey said. "Someone who only shoots their weapon once every five years at a paper target, that doesn't qualify you for being truly prepared."

Pam Robertson-Hotard was once a victim of a violent crime. She owns a convenient store downtown and has stared down the barrel of a gun at one point. She is on the fence about whether it's a good idea to allow people to have lifetime permits.

"I can understand the reasoning behind wanting to do that for life, but I think there is a check and balance system and keeping the law as is would be reassuring," Robertson-Hotard said.

Rozetta Jones also knows people who were victims of violent crime. She supports Ivey's bill.

"I think it's a good idea because everyone needs a gun to protect themselves," Jones said.

Although there's no guarantee a concealed carry permit will protect you, people say they are armed and ready if danger comes their way.

"People just get it (guns) off the streets," Winter Carey said.

Indiana is the only state in the nation that allows lifetime concealed carry permits. If approved, the same laws would apply to revoke the permit if the permit holder violates the permit guidelines.