BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After six months of construction, Monroe Bank moved from its old Brownsburg location to its brand new Banking Center on the corner of SR267 North and County Road. The new Banking Center opened it doors for business on January 16, 2006. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, members of the public are invited to join in the Grand Opening festivities, particularly on February 2. There are many reasons to stop by. Visitors can enter prize drawings, try their luck in opening special sweepstakes treasure chests, take advantage of special product offers, try the new self-help coin counter, spin WKLU’s prize wheel, meet the banking center manager and staff, and attend the Grand Opening Reception at the end of the day. The Grand Opening Reception includes an official ribbon cutting ceremony, fabulous prize drawings and opportunities to enjoy live music and original Indiana artwork.

The opening of the new Brownsburg Banking Center marks the beginning of Monroe Bank’s transition from storefront locations in Avon, Brownsburg and Plainfield to freestanding, full-service banking centers featuring ATMs and drive-through tellers. This development reflects Monroe Bank’s expansion into central Indiana markets. With a history that spans more than 100 years, this community bank plans on being a leading Indiana bank in the future.

Monroe Bank’s new banking center is located in the heart of Brownsburg at 1490 N. Green Street. Long-time Hendricks County resident, Vickie Rader, was recently appointed as the new Banking Center Manger. She and her expert and friendly staff are on hand to help with personal banking, business banking, mortgage, loan, investment and wealth management needs. As Monroe Bank celebrates the opening of the new banking center over the next several months, banking hours have been extended from 9 am – 6 pm on weekdays and from 9 am – 1 pm on Saturdays.

Another Grand Opening bonus for Monroe Bank customers involves immediate increased access to ATM machines. Not only does the Brownsburg Banking Center provide the convenience of a drive-through ATM lane, but customers now have access to over 600 surcharge-free ATMs in the state of Indiana thanks to a new agreement signed in January with Alliance One, a network of ATM owners. This means no ATM owner surcharge fees (often up to $3.00 per transaction) and no Monroe Bank foreign ATM fees, either! In addition, Monroe Bank customers will have access to over 3,600 Alliance One ATMs across the country—all with no ATM owner surcharge fees. However, the $1.50 Monroe Bank foreign ATM fee does still apply for transactions made at Alliance One ATMs outside the state of Indiana. Customers need only look for the blue and white Alliance One logos around town and across the nation. A complete list of Alliance One ATMs can be found anytime by visiting www.allianceone.coop. (The Monroe Bank ATM machine will be the focus of a special promotion in the spring – watch for details!)

Monroe Bank is running a two-month Treasure Chest sweepstakes* (see Media Note for disclosure) campaign in Brownsburg and surrounding areas to coincide with the opening of the Brownsburg Banking Center. The campaign began mid-January and will end mid-March. The sweepstakes is open to everyone, not just Monroe Bank customers. Located inside our Brownsburg Banking Center are three treasure chests, each offering enticing prizes. If a key opens a padlock, the key holder could win one of these items: a DVD Player, an iPod Nano or an HD Flat Screen TV! There are 30 DVD Players, 5 iPod Nanos and one HD Flat Screen TV to be won. Many Brownsburg residents have been mailed keys with an invitation to stop by the new banking benter to try their luck! Anyone who does not receive a key in the mail and would like to participate should stop by the new Brownsburg Banking Center.

Another reason visitors should stop by the new Brownsburg Banking Center is to enter Monroe Bank’s special prize drawings. An iPod with Docker will be drawn during the Grand Opening Reception on February 2, as well as five special $100 prizes for teachers for classroom supplies. Another grand prize – a deluxe Weber Grill – will be drawn at a function in mid-March. Individuals can stop by anytime until March 16 to enter the prize drawing for the deluxe Weber Grill.

On February 2, people passing by the new Brownsburg Banking Center will see WKLU’s big red van in the parking lot between 12 noon and 2 pm. WKLU (101.9 FM) will be making a special appearance as part of the Grand Opening celebration. Stop by to meet DJ Crystal McKenzie and spin the WKLU prize wheel! Plenty of WKLU and Monroe Bank giveaways will be up for grabs!

Also featured at the Grand Opening Reception will be original artwork by local Hendricks County artists Lisa Pelo-McNeice and Keith Hampton. Pelo-McNiece specializes in blown glass and Hampton works in the acrylic medium. Harpist Jaymee Haefner, a graduate of the renowned Indiana University School of Music, will provide live music.

To commemorate the Grand Opening of the Brownsburg Banking Center, Monroe Bank is also offering Central Indiana residents special products and services. One of these is the “unbelievable 11-month Relationship CD” and the other is the “Free Checking with FriendlyREWARDS” program.

With the “unbelievable 11-month Relationship CD”, customers could get an APY of up to 5.07** (See Media Note for disclosure). It’s called a Relationship CD because the more a person banks with Monroe Bank, the better the CD rate will be. To qualify, individuals need to open a new Relationship CD and start using popular Monroe Bank financial products and services. They can start building the CD rate by opening a Free Checking account (with a free gift, too!) and using the online Bill Pay system. Switching direct deposits to Monroe Bank, opening a Money Market account, using mortgage loan services, and using Monroe Bank’s Credit Card all increase the rate. Each time one of these Monroe Bank products or services is used, Monroe Bank will add to the already high base APY of 4.50%.

The “Free Checking with FriendlyREWARDS” program gives customers benefits like a free check card, free online banking with free online bill pay, free first order of checks, and even free email alerts. The opening of a Free Checking account also includes a free gift — a very useful portable roadside emergency kit. Existing Monroe Bank customers can earn this gift easily by referring their family, friends, neighbors or colleagues to the Bank.

Join us for the hoopla! Mark Thursday, February 2 on your calendar. If there ever is a day to stop by our new Brownsburg Banking Center, this is it! Here is the Grand Opening event summary:

Monroe Bank’s Grand Opening Day
Thursday, February 2
9 am – 7 pm
Brownsburg Banking Center, 1490 N. Green Street, Brownsburg

9:00 am – 7:00pm: Tried your key? Unlock treasure!
Stop by our new Banking Center to see if your key fits any of the padlocks on our three treasure chests. You could win a great prize!

12 noon – 2:00 pm: Special Appearance by WKLU
Local radio station WKLU 101.9 FM, will be at the new banking center, talking to visitors, customers and staff! Look out for WKLU’s big red van in the parking lot and come in! Meet WKLU DJ Crystal McKenzie and spin the WKLU prize wheel to win WKLU and Monroe Bank goodies!

5:00 – 7:00 pm: Grand Opening Reception
You are cordially invited to the Grand Opening Reception for Monroe Bank's new Brownsburg Banking Center on at 1490 N. Green Street, Brownsburg. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Reception activities include:

• A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to officially open the Brownsburg Banking Center
• Grand Prize Drawing for an iPod with Docker and Accessories
• Special Grand Opening Prize Drawing for Teachers of five $100 gift certificates for school supplies
• Exhibition of work by Indiana artists Lisa Pelo-McNeice and Keith Hampton. Pelo-McNiece specializes in blown glass and Hampton works in the acrylic medium.
• Live Music by Harpist Jaymee Haefner

Media Note:
For more information, please contact:

Mark Bradford, President and CEO of Monroe Bank
(812) 331-3411; Bradford@monroebank.com

John Christy, President – Central Indiana Region
(317) 272-7822;christyj@monroebank.com

Vickie Rader, Banking Center Manager, Brownsburg
(317) 858-2723; raderv@monroebank.com

Disclosures:
Please note that Banks are required to disclose information about their products and services. Below are the disclosures related to the Treasure Chest Sweepstakes campaign and the “unbelievable Relationship CD” mentioned in the press release.

Key/Treasure Chest Sweepstakes:
*Sweepstakes is open to all. Prizes awarded are limited to one prize per sweepstakes entrant. You do not have to be a customer of Monroe Bank to enter. No purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. Monroe Bank employees, their immediate families, and its advertising agency are not eligible to win any of the prizes offered.

Unbelievable Relationship CD:
**Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is as of 12/9/2005 and is only available on the CD terms advertised. APY is subject to change without notice. The term of the Relationship CD is 11 months. The minimum CD balance to obtain the advertised APY is $1,000. Monroe Bank reserves the right to exclude brokered deposits and deposits greater than $100,000. Penalty for early withdrawal. Customer deposits FDIC-insured up to $100,000 per depositor. Maximum deposit of $100,000 per CD. The Relationship CD is available to new and current customers and is restricted to new deposits from funds not already on deposit with Monroe Bank. The Relationship CD is limited to one per individual. Retention of rate applied to the Relationship CD is based on monthly use of the Free Checking, online Bill Pay, and Direct Deposit products, application and approval of consumer and mortgage loans and Credit Card, and opening of a Savings/Money Market Account. A maximum of .10% APY per bonus product category is applied to the Relationship CD base APY.