EXHIBIT 99

NEWS RELEASE
------------


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   Contact:  Robert E. Evans
---------------------                             Chairman and CEO
November 14, 2003                                 (740) 373-3155


        MARIETTA, Ohio - The Board of Directors of Peoples Bancorp Inc.
(Nasdaq: PEBO) yesterday declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share.
         The fourth quarter dividend represents a 5.9% increase compared to the
previous quarter's cash dividend of $0.17 per share, and will be paid on January
2, 2004, to shareholders of record at December 15, 2003.
         "Dividends are now more valuable to investors, and we have responded by
raising our dividend payout in the second half of the year," commented Robert E.
Evans, Chairman and CEO. "This year will mark the 38th consecutive year of
increased dividends at Peoples Bancorp, and we will continue to look at raising
dividends as an effective method of reaching our goal of enhanced shareholder
return."
         At November 7, 2003, Peoples Bancorp had 10.6 million shares
outstanding. Including the fourth quarter dividend of $0.18 per share, Peoples
Bancorp will have increased its dividend 15.4% over $0.56 per share paid in
2002.
         Peoples Bancorp Inc., a diversified financial products and services
company with $1.8 billion in assets, makes available a complete line of banking,
investment, insurance, and trust solutions through Peoples Bank's 49 sales
offices and 32 ATMs in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Peoples' common shares
are traded on the NASDAQ national market under the symbol "PEBO." Peoples
Bancorp is a member of the Russell 3000 index of US publicly traded companies.
Learn more about Peoples at www.peoplesbancorp.com.

                                 END OF RELEASE