State officials say an unprecedented number of Ohioans now have licenses to carry concealed handguns. There are now more than 500 thousand valid concealed-carry license holders, more than 4 percent of the total population. The number of new permits issued in the first three months of the year - more than 36 thousand - is a record for any quarter, and a 132 percent increase over the same period last year. Officials have not stated a reason for the increase.