EXHIBIT 28


                                                           Thomas H. Neuschaefer
                                                           (715) 345-4427

                                                           Kenneth F. Csinicsek
                                                           (715) 345-4352

                  FIRST FINANCIAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES SECOND
                            STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Stevens  Point,  Wisconsin,   April  22,  1997...  First  Financial  Corporation
(NASDAQ/NMS: FFHC) announced today that it intends to repurchase up to 1,850,000
shares  (approximately  5%) of its  outstanding  common  stock from time to time
through March 31, 1998 in open market and privately negotiated transactions.

The  company's  first   repurchase   program  recently   expired.   A  total  of
approximately  1.4  million  shares,  or  75%  of the  amount  authorized,  were
repurchased  during  the  first  program.   These  share  repurchases  represent
approximately 3.8% of the shares outstanding at the onset of that program.

John C. Seramur, First Financial's president and chief executive officer stated:
"Our Board of Directors  continues to consider  First  Financial  stock to be an
attractive  investment.  Our  objective in  authorizing  this second  repurchase
program is to continue to increase the  company's  earnings per share and return
on shareholders' equity."

First  Financial,  which  presently  has 36.2  million  shares of  common  stock
outstanding,  is  headquartered  in  Stevens  Point,  Wisconsin.  The  principal
business of First  Financial  is the business of its banking  subsidiary,  First
Financial Bank. As of March 31, 1997,  First Financial  reported total assets of
$5.8 billion and stockholder's equity of $406 million.  First Financial operates
128 consumer banking offices throughout Wisconsin and Illinois.