Exhibit 99.1

          Press Release for FirstBank NW Corp. dated September 13, 2006




Press Release                                          FirstBank NW Corp. (FBNW)

Company Release - 09/13/06
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     FIRSTBANK NW CORP. DECLARES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.10 PER SHARE


CLARKSTON, WA - September 13, 2006 - FirstBank NW Corp. (Nasdaq: FBNW) today
announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of
$0.10 per common share. The dividend will be paid on October 11, 2006 to
shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 27, 2006. This
marks the thirty-seventh regular quarterly cash dividend since FirstBank became
a publicly traded company in July 1997.

On June 5, 2006, FirstBank announced that it had entered into a definitive
agreement for the merger of FirstBank NW Corp. with and into Sterling Financial
Corporation.

FirstBank NW Corp. (headquartered in Clarkston, Washington) is the holding
company for FirstBank Northwest, a Washington state chartered savings bank
founded in 1920, operating in the rural markets of eastern Oregon, eastern
Washington and central Idaho, in addition to the larger and growing markets of
Boise and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington. FirstBank Northwest is
focused on each community served, striving to deliver competitive financial
products and services through exceptional customer service standards, local
expertise and leadership. FirstBank Northwest operates 20 branch locations in
Idaho, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, in addition to loan centers in
Lewiston, Coeur d'Alene, Boise and Nampa, Idaho, Spokane, Washington, and Baker
City, Oregon. FirstBank Northwest is known as the local community bank, offering
its customers highly personalized service in the many communities it serves.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain matters in this News Release may constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements may relate to, among others, expectations of
the business environment in which the Company operates, projections of future
performance, including operating efficiencies, perceived opportunities in the
market, potential future credit experience and statements regarding the
Company's mission and vision. These forward-looking statements are based upon
current management expectations, and may, therefore, involve risks and
uncertainties. The Company's actual results, performance, and achievements may
differ materially from those suggested, expressed or implied by forward-looking
statements due to a wide range of factors including, but not limited to, the
general business environment, interest rates, the real estate market in
Washington, Idaho and Oregon, the demand for mortgage loans, competitive
conditions between banks and non-bank financial service providers, regulatory
changes, costs of implementing additional securities requirements, requirements
of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, the risk that the proposed merger with
Sterling may not be approved by shareholders of FirstBank or the necessary
regulatory approvals are not obtained, the risk that other closing conditions of
the proposed merger are not satisfied, and other risks detailed in the Company's
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Forward-looking
statements are effective only as of the date they are made and the Company
assumes no obligation to update this information.