EXHIBIT  99.1




                               FIRST CITIZENS BANK



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT
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                                        FIRST CITIZENS BANK
                                        Janice C. Burt
                                        Phone:   (803) 931-8539
                                        Fax:     (803) 213-8850
                                        Email:   jan.burt@fcbsc.com
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COLUMBIA, S.C., MARCH 31, 2003- First Citizens Bank and Trust Company of South
Carolina and First Banks, Inc., a two-bank holding company with banking
headquarters in Carnesville and Toccoa, Georgia, have consummated their merger.
Effective April 1, 2003, the subsidiaries of First Banks, Inc. -- First Bank and
Trust and The Bank of Toccoa - will officially become divisions of First
Citizens Bank.

First Bank and Trust has a total of three offices in Carnesville, Lavonia, and
Hartwell, Georgia. The Bank of Toccoa has two offices, both in Toccoa, Georgia.
In the immediate future, there will be no change in name for either of these
banks, and management at each of their five offices will remain the same.  Andy
Dove, president and CEO of First Bank and Trust, and Kirby Rutherford, president
and CEO of The Bank of Toccoa, both emphasize that customers can look forward to
the same friendly faces and personal service in their local offices.

Toby Goodlett, an executive vice president of First Citizens, has moved to
Toccoa to facilitate the integration of these banks into the First Citizens
family.  Goodlett notes that the origin of both First Bank and Trust and The
Bank of Toccoa as community banks fits right in with the operating principles of
First Citizens. "We all share the same strong foundation in community banking
and personalized service," Goodlett explains. "I anticipate that a great deal of
synergy will be derived from our working together, and I am excited to lead this
great team of bankers."

First Citizens Bank offers services in commercial and retail banking through its
144 offices in South Carolina.  First Citizens Bancorporation of South Carolina,
Inc. is the parent company of First Citizens Bank and Trust Company of South
Carolina, The Exchange Bank of South Carolina, and Citizens Bank.  The Exchange
Bank operates four offices in South Carolina; Citizens Bank operates two offices
in Georgia. As of December 31, 2002, First Citizens Bancorporation had total
consolidated assets of $3.8 billion.


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