EXHIBIT 99

NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        Contact:  John W. Conlon, Chief Financial Officer
---------------------                  (740) 373-3155
February 8, 2001


                            PEOPLES BANCORP ANNOUNCES
                             FIRST QUARTER DIVIDEND
                  --------------------------------------------

     MARIETTA,  Ohio - The Board of Directors of Peoples  Bancorp Inc.  (Nasdaq:
PEBO) today  declared a quarterly  dividend of $0.14 per share.  The dividend is
payable April 2, 2001, to shareholders of record at March 15, 2001.

     Peoples Bancorp Inc., a diversified  financial  services  company with $1.1
billion in assets, offers a complete line of banking,  investment, and insurance
solutions through Peoples Bank's 39 offices and 26 ATM's in Ohio, West Virginia,
and Kentucky.  Peoples  Bancorp's  common stock is traded on the NASDAQ exchange
under the symbol  PEBO.  Learn more about  Peoples  Bancorp or enroll in Peoples
OnLine    Connection,    Peoples   Bank's   Internet   banking    product,    at
www.peoplesbancorp.com.

                                 END OF RELEASE