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Prepared and filed by St Ives Financial
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<p align="center"><b><font face="serif" size="3">UNITED STATES<br>
</font></b><b><font face="serif" size="3">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION<br>
</font></b><b><font face="serif" size="3">WASHINGTON, DC  20549<br>
</font></b><b><u><font face="serif" size="3">_______________________</font></u></b></p>
<p align="center"><b><font face="serif" size="4">FORM 8-K</font></b></p>
<p align="center"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>CURRENT REPORT<br>
</b></font><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the<br>
</b></font><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Securities Exchange Act of 1934</b></font></p>
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
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<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Date of report (Date of earliest
      event reported)</b></font><font size="2" face="serif"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;<u>July 25, 2006</u></b></font></td>
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<p align="center"><b><font face="serif" size="4">STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION<br>
</font></b><font size="2" face="serif"><b>(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)</b></font></p>
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<td width="31%" align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Pennsylvania</b></font></td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="31%" align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>0-16276</b></font></td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="31%" align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>23-2449551</b></font></td>
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  <td align="center" valign="bottom"><hr size="1" noshade>
    </td>
  <td align="center" valign="bottom"></td>
  <td align="center" valign="bottom"><hr size="1" noshade>
    </td>
  <td align="center" valign="bottom"></td>
  <td align="center" valign="bottom"><hr size="1" noshade>
    </td>
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<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif">(State or other jurisdiction of
    incorporation)</font></td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom">&nbsp;</td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif">(Commission File Number)</font></td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom">&nbsp;</td>
<td align="center" valign="bottom"><font size="2" face="serif">(IRS Employer Identification No.)</font></td>
</tr>
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<br>
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<td width="40%" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>101 North Pointe
    Boulevard<br>
    Lancaster, PA</b></font></td>
<td width="2%" align="left">&nbsp;</td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>17601-4133</b></font></td>
<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
  <td colspan="3" align="left"><hr size="1" noshade>
    </td>
  <td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">(Address of Principal Executive Offices)</font></td>
<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"> (Zip Code)</font></td>
<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
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<br><br>
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<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Registrant&#8217;s telephone number, including area code&nbsp;&nbsp;<u>(717) 581-6030</u></b></font></td>
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<p align="center"><font size="2" face="serif"><b><u>N/A<br>
</u></b></font><font size="2" face="serif">(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)</font></p>
<p align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:</font></p>
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<td width="4%" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;<img src="emptybox.gif"></font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act</font></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
  <td >&nbsp;</td>
  <td colspan="2" align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
<td ><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;<img src="emptybox.gif"></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"> Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act</font></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
  <td >&nbsp;</td>
  <td colspan="3" align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
<td ><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;<img src="emptybox.gif"></font></td>
<td colspan="3" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"> Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act</font></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
  <td >&nbsp;</td>
  <td colspan="4" align="left">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
<td ><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;<img src="emptybox.gif"></font></td>
<td colspan="4" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"> Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act</font></td>
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<td align="left" width="10%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Item 2.02</b></font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Results of Operations and Financial Condition.</b></font></td>
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</table>
<div style="margin-left: 10%">
<p align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">On July 25, 2006, Sterling Financial Corporation issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2006.  A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.  </font></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 10%">
<p align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, pursuant to Item 2.02, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &#8220;Exchange Act&#8221;), or otherwise subject to the liability of that Section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.  The furnishing of the information set forth under this Item 2.02 is not intended to, and does not, constitute a determination or admission as to the materiality or completeness of such
information.</font></p>
</div>
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<td align="left" width="10%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Item 9.01.</b></font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Financial Statements and Exhibits.</b></font></td>
</tr>
</table>
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  <td></td>
  <td width="6%">&nbsp;</td>
  <td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td width="3%"></td>
<td width="7%">
<font size="2" face="serif">(a)</font></td>
<td>
<font size="2" face="serif">Not Applicable.</font></td>
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<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td></td>
<td><font size="2" face="serif">(b)</font></td>
<td><font size="2" face="serif">Not Applicable.</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td></td>
<td><font size="2" face="serif">(c)</font></td>
<td><font size="2" face="serif">Exhibits:</font></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
  <td></td>
  <td>&nbsp;</td>
  <td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>
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<td width="3%"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td width="6%"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td width="6%"><font size="2" face="serif">99.1</font></td>
<td align="left">
<font size="2" face="serif"> Sterling Financial Corporation press release dated July 25, 2006</font></td>
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<p align="center"><font face="serif" size="2">2</font></p>
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<p align="center"><b><font face="serif" size="2">SIGNATURES</font></b></p>
<p align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.</font></p>  <table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tr valign="top">
<td align="left" width="50%"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION</b></font></td>
</tr>
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<br><br>
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tr valign="top">
<td align="left" width="45%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Date:   July 25, 2006</b></font></td>
<td align="left" width="4%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>By:</b></font></td>
<td align="left"><div style="margin-left: 9%;  text-indent: 0%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>/s/
        J. Roger Moyer, Jr.</b></font></div></td>
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<tr valign="top">
  <td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
  <td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
  <td align="left"><hr align="left" width="70%" size="1" noshade></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td align="left"><div style="margin-left: 9%;  text-indent: 0%"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>J. Roger Moyer, Jr.<br>
  President
    and CEO</b></font></div></td>
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<p align="center"><font face="serif" size="2">3</font></p>
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<p align="center"><b><font face="serif" size="2">EXHIBIT INDEX</font></b></p>
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<tr valign="bottom">
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Exhibit</b></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td width="40%" align="center"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>Page Number in Manually<br>
  Signed
    Original</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td align="left"><font size="2" face="serif">&nbsp;</font></td>
<td align="center">&nbsp;</td>
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  <td align="left"><b> <font size="2" face="serif">99.1</font></b></td>
  <td align="left"> <font size="2" face="serif"><b>Sterling Financial Corporation
    press release dated July 25, 2006</b></font></td>
  <td align="center"><font size="2" face="serif"><b>5</b></font></td>
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<p align="center"><font face="serif" size="2">4</font></p>
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Prepared and filed by St Ives Financial
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC  20549
_______________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest
      event reported)
July 25, 2006
STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Pennsylvania
0-16276
23-2449551
(State or other jurisdiction of
    incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
101 North Pointe
    Boulevard
Lancaster, PA
17601-4133
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code
(717) 581-6030
N/A
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act
Item 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On July 25, 2006, Sterling Financial Corporation issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2006.  A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, pursuant to Item 2.02, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liability of that Section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.  The furnishing of the information set forth under this Item 2.02 is not intended to, and does not, constitute a determination or admission as to the materiality or completeness of such
information.
Item 9.01.
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(a)
Not Applicable.
(b)
Not Applicable.
(c)
Exhibits:
99.1
Sterling Financial Corporation press release dated July 25, 2006
2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION
Date:   July 25, 2006
By:
/s/
        J. Roger Moyer, Jr.
J. Roger Moyer, Jr.
President
    and CEO
3
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Page Number in Manually
Signed
    Original
99.1
Sterling Financial Corporation
    press release dated July 25, 2006
5
4