EXHIBIT 99 NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John W. Conlon, Chief Financial Officer - --------------------- (740) 373-3155 February 8, 2001 PEOPLES BANCORP ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER DIVIDEND -------------------------------------------- MARIETTA, Ohio - The Board of Directors of Peoples Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: PEBO) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share. The dividend is payable April 2, 2001, to shareholders of record at March 15, 2001. Peoples Bancorp Inc., a diversified financial services company with $1.1 billion in assets, offers a complete line of banking, investment, and insurance solutions through Peoples Bank's 39 offices and 26 ATM's in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Peoples Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol PEBO. Learn more about Peoples Bancorp or enroll in Peoples OnLine Connection, Peoples Bank's Internet banking product, at www.peoplesbancorp.com. END OF RELEASE