Ball Corporation
                           Current Report on Form 8-K
                               Dated June 12, 1998



                                                                   Exhibit EX-99

Note  to  editors:

The following is a joint news release from  BallCorporation  and Reynolds Metals
Company  updating the status of the announced  acquisition by Ball of certain of
Reynolds'  aluminum  beverage  can  manufacturing  assets.  Please  feel free to
contact either company.

For Reynolds Metals Company                     For Ball Corporation
Contact Lou Anne J. Nabhan                      Contact S. Scott McCarty
Telephone:  (804) 281-2171                      Telephone:  (765) 747-6175
Home:  (804) 359-2986                           Home:  (765) 284-2351
http://www.rmc.com                              http://www.ball.com



                                  NEWS RELEASE


         June 9, 1998--Ball  Corporation (NYSE: BLL) and Reynolds Metals Company
(NYSE:  RLM) said  today that the  previously  announced  agreement  for Ball to
purchase  substantially  all of Reynolds'  global beverage can business now will
not include Reynolds' 34.9 percent interest in Latas de Aluminio S.A.  (Latasa),
a South American beverage can manufacturer.  As a result,  the purchase price of
$820  million  in that  agreement,  which  included  Latasa,  will be reduced to
approximately $746 million,  of which $50 million may, at the option of Ball, be
paid in Ball common stock.

Difficulties in obtaining the third party consents and waivers necessary for the
purchase of Latasa in a timely manner resulted in the decision to remove it from
the main transaction.  Reynolds intends to work with Latasa's other stockholders
to agree upon and  implement a process  that will  permit the sale of  Reynolds'
interest  in Latasa in the near  future.  Ball  continues  to be  interested  in
acquiring those shares.

Ball now will  acquire  Reynolds'  14 can plants and two end plants in 12 states
and Puerto Rico. As previously reported, the sale does not include Reynolds' can
machinery  business or its 27.5 percent  interest in United Arab Can Co.,  which
operates a can plant in Saudi Arabia. Closing of the transaction remains subject
to  certain  conditions,  including  completion  of  financing  by Ball,  and to
regulatory review. Ball and Reynolds have received second requests from the U.S.
Justice  Department for information  relating to the sale. Both companies are in
the process of complying with the second requests,  and based on the normal time
requirements  for completing  second  requests,  both expect the  transaction to
close during the second half of 1998.
                                     - end -

Note: This news release may contain forward looking  statements.  Actual results
could differ  materially  from those that may be projected.  Please refer to the
Form 10-Q filed by Reynolds  for the quarter  ended March 31,  1998,  and to the
Form 10-Q filed by Ball on May 13, 1998,  for a summary of key risk factors that
could affect actual results.