AP
 
Reeves (Louisiana, US), Jan 1: It's taken 40 years, but this southwest Louisiana village no longer bears the mark of the beast.

Beginning this month, residents and businesses can change the first three digits of their phone numbers from 666 — depicted in the Bible as the mark of the beast - to 749.

Mayor Scott Walker said one of the biggest hangups he's had, both as mayor and as a lifelong resident of Reeves, is the reaction he's gotten when giving people his number. He describes it as a pause, followed by the admonition: "Y'all have to change that."

"That's what we're trying to get rid of," he said. "This is a good town."

He worked with the phone company, CenturyTel, and the state Public Service Commission, among others, to make the change.

The switch is set to be official for City Hall on January 2, 2008 and Walker said he'd had people contact him on Friday morning about changing as well.

"This boils down to, this is a very, very religious community," Walker said.