EXHIBIT 99

NEWS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            Contact:  Larry A. Holdren
November 2, 1999                           Vice President and Executive Officer
                                          (740) 373-3155


                    PEOPLES BANCORP ACQUIRES INSURANCE AGENCY
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        Lambert Insurance Agency of Pomeroy, Ohio, Joins Peoples Bancorp

         MARIETTA,  Ohio - Peoples Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:  PEBO) today announced
that Northwest  Territory  Property and Casualty Insurance Agency,  Inc.
("Northwest Territory Property & Casualty"), a division of Peoples Bancorp,
has acquired the Lambert  Insurance Agency in a cash transaction that is
structured as a purchase transaction by Peoples Bancorp.
         Located in Pomeroy, Ohio, the Lambert Insurance Agency is a full
service agency and seller of health, life, property and casualty insurance, and
has served the Meigs County area since 1986. Lambert Insurance Agency will
retain its name and operate as a division of Northwest Territory Property &
Casualty, which provides a complete line of high quality, competitively priced,
auto, home, business, life and mortgage protection products to consumers in Ohio
and West Virginia.
         Larry Holdren, Vice President and Executive Officer of Peoples Bancorp,
commented, "Our partnership with Lambert Insurance Agency is an exciting step in
the growth of our insurance operation. The Lambert Agency fits well in our
mid-Ohio Valley markets and allows us to increase financial service offerings in
Meigs County and the surrounding areas."
         In addition to continuing her employment at the Pomeroy office,
principal owner, Sally Lambert will serve as a board member of Northwest
Territory Life Insurance Agency, Inc., and will also serve as Vice President of
Northwest Territory Property & Casualty.
         David Mitchem, President of Northwest Territory Property & Casualty,
commented, "We plan to penetrate the insurance market more effectively due to
Lambert's increased number of insurance carriers, which brings added value to
our current and future client relationships."
         Peoples Bancorp Inc. is a diversified financial services holding
company head quartered in Marietta, Ohio, with over $1 billion in assets.
Peoples Bancorp, which is Y2K ready, operates 37 financial service locations in
the states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Peoples Bancorp's banking
subsidiaries include The Peoples Banking and Trust Company with offices in Ohio
and West Virginia; The First National Bank of Southeastern Ohio with three Ohio
offices; and Peoples Bank FSB, with four Kentucky offices. Through its
subsidiaries, Peoples Bancorp offers complete banking services and makes
available other financial services, such as trust services, and investment and
insurance products. Peoples Bancorp's common stock is traded through the Nasdaq
National Market System under the symbol "PEBO." Learn more about Peoples Bancorp
or enroll in Peoples OnLine Connection at www.peoplesbancorp.com.

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