CLAS Classic Bancshares (MM)

City Holding Company and Classic Bancshares, Inc. Announce Approval CHARLESTON, W.Va., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- City Holding Company (Cross Lanes, West Virginia) (NASDAQ:CHCO) and Classic Bancshares, Inc. (Ashland, Kentucky) (NASDAQ:CLAS) announced today they have received all required regulatory approvals of their pending merger. The governing agencies of the Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC) and the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions issued their approvals on April 1, 2005. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the transaction on March 26, 2005. The special shareholder meeting of Classic Bancshares is scheduled for May 16, 2005, at 4:00 pm, at Park Place Auditorium, Ashland, Kentucky. If approved by shareholders, the closing and complete Business Integration will be finalized on May 20, 2005. "We are very pleased that Classic and City Holdings have formed a tremendous Business Partnership," stated Skip Hageboeck, President and Chief Executive Officer of City. "Classic is the perfect institution to enable us to strengthen our retail and business presence in the Huntington-Ashland MSA and surrounding areas. We look forward to working with the staff at Classic to grow in the markets of Boyd, Greenup, Carter and Johnson Counties, Kentucky and Lawrence County, Ohio." The merger of City and Classic solidifies City's market share in the important Huntington-Ashland MSA. City currently is the fourth largest banking institution in the MSA while Classic is the 11th largest. On a combined basis, City will become the largest banking franchise in this $3.5 billion market with deposits of $361 million, 14 branches and 15 ATMs. "We are thrilled to be joining such an excellent organization," said David B. Barbour, President and Chief Executive Officer of Classic. "City has a solid track record of delivering quality services and products to its customers while achieving extraordinary results for its shareholders. Their culture completely fits our community banking model and we share the same core values of dedication to our customers, employees and community." DATASOURCE: City Holding Company CONTACT: Charles Hageboeck, Chief Executive Officer and President of City Holding Company, +1-304-769-1102 Web site: http://www.cityholding.com/

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