Exhibit 99

                                 JSB JOINS OVBC

For release
Wednesday, December 16, 1998
Contact:  Bryna Butler or Phyllis Wilcoxon
1-800-468-6682 or 446-2631


     Yesterday  afternoon,  the Ohio Valley Banc Corp. finalized the acquisition
of the Jackson Savings Bank based in Jackson, Ohio. Harold A. Howe, president of
Jackson  Savings  Bank,  was elected to the Board of  Directors  of the The Ohio
Valley Bank Company.
     Just last month, Jackson Savings Bank shareholders  overwhelmingly approved
the  acquisition  of their  company by the Ohio  Valley Banc Corp.  (OVBC).  The
transaction was approved by 96 percent of the  outstanding  Jackson Savings Bank
shares.
     This decision comes eight months after the OVBC Annual Shareholders Meeting
where the agreement to acquire  Jackson Savings Bank was made public by James L.
Dailey,  chairman and chief executive officer of Ohio Valley Bank. On that date,
the OVBC Board of  Directors  approved the  execution  of a Definitive  Purchase
Agreement for OVBC to acquire The Jackson Savings Bank.
     Under the terms of the  Agreement,  each of the  19,400  shares of  Jackson
Savings  Bank will be  exchanged  for 74,195  common  shares of Ohio Valley Banc
Corp.  in the  aggregate,  in a ratio  3.8245  shares of OVBC for each  share of
Jackson Savings Bank.
     James L. Dailey,  chairman and chief executive  officer of Ohio Valley Bank
expressed his enthusiasm for the transaction. "At OVB, we're proud to be part of
the Jackson Savings Bank  tradition."  Jackson Savings Bank, a  state-chartered,
FDIC insured  savings bank with total assets of $15.5  million and  shareholders
equity of $2.7  million as of March 31, 1998 will be operated as a  wholly-owned
subsidiary of Ohio Valley Banc Corp.
     "We are very  excited  to join  Ohio  Valley  Banc  Corp.  and to remain as
Jackson  Savings  Bank as we begin our 100th year of  business,"  said Harold A.
Howe, President of The Jackson Savings Bank, referring to yesterday's closing of
the transaction.
     Currently,  Jackson  Savings Bank is planning  several  events to celebrate
their 100th anniversary during 1999. The bank was established on June 29, 1899.
     Ohio Valley Banc Corp. is a bank holding company operating Ohio Valley Bank
with offices in Meigs, Gallia,  Jackson,  Pike and Franklin counties in Ohio and
Mason and Putnam  counties  in W. Va. OVBC also has a consumer  finance  company
offices in Gallipolis, Jackson and South Point, Ohio operating under the name of
Loan Central.  Ohio Valley Banc Corp. common stock is traded on NASDAQ under the
symbol OVBC.