Exhibit 99.a

          [LOGO] FIRST BANCORP

                                  News Release

For Immediate Release:                                     For More Information,
September 13, 2005                                      Contact: James H. Garner
                                                                    910-576-6171

         First Bancorp Announces Election of New President of First Bank

      TROY, N.C. - The Board of Directors of First Bancorp (NASDAQ - FBNC),  the
parent company of First Bank,  announced  today that Jerry L. Ocheltree has been
named  President of First Bank,  the company's  principal  subsidiary.  James H.
Garner has previously  served as both President and Chief  Executive  Officer of
First Bank, and Mr. Garner will remain as Chief  Executive  Officer of the bank,
as well as President and Chief Executive Officer of First Bancorp.

      Mr. Ocheltree joined First Bank in 1998 and has most recently been serving
as Senior Vice  President  and  Regional  Executive  in First Bank's High Point,
North Carolina  office.  In that capacity,  he has managed a four-county  region
with ten  offices  in North  Carolina  as well as the  bank's  four  offices  in
southern Virginia.

      Prior to joining First Bank, Mr. Ocheltree was President of First Virginia
Bank, Southeast,  in Wytheville,  Virginia and was President and Chief Executive
Officer of Premier Bank South,  N.A.,  also of Wytheville,  before that bank was
acquired by First Virginia Bank.

      Mr. Garner  commented on the  announcement,  saying "I am pleased that our
board has chosen Jerry  Ocheltree for this important role. He brings a wealth of
talent  and  banking  experience  to this new  position.  He has been a valuable
member of the First Bank team since he first  joined us seven years ago,  and he
has excelled at everything we have asked him to do. I look forward to continuing
to work with Jerry as we lead First Bank into the future."

      First Bancorp is a bank holding company based in Troy, North Carolina with
total  assets of  approximately  $1.7  billion.  Its  principal  activity is the
ownership and  operation of First Bank, a  state-chartered  community  bank that
operates 60 branch  offices,  with 54 branches  operating  in a nineteen  county
market  area in the central  piedmont  region of North  Carolina,  3 branches in
Dillon County,  South Carolina,  and 3 branches in Virginia (Abingdon,  Radford,
and Wytheville), where First Bank does business as First Bank of Virginia. First
Bancorp's  common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol
FBNC.

      Please  visit  our  website  at   www.firstbancorp.com.   For   additional
information, please contact:

                  Mr. James H. Garner
                  President & Chief Executive Officer
                  Telephone: (910) 576-6171