**Exhibit      99.1**

|                        | ***NEWS***                    |
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|                        |                          |
| FOR                RELEASE: | April                27, 2006 |

**WESTSTAR      FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION**

**REPORTS      RECORD EARNINGS FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 **

| **For                Further Information, please contact:** | **Randall                C. Hall**                          |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                        | **Executive                Vice President and Secretary**   |
|                                                        | **Chief                Financial Officer**                  |
|                                                        | **Voice                (828) 232-2904; Fax (828) 350-3904** |
|                                                        | **e-mail****rhall@bankofasheville.com**                     |

----

|   **Weststar                Financial Services Corporation and Subsidiary**                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Financial                Highlights**                                                                                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   | **3/31/2006** |   | **3/31/2005** |   | **%****Change** |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Assets                                                                                                                                                                                                               |   | $ | 144,290,002 |   | $ | 128,862,409 |   |   | 11.97 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Deposits                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   | $ | 124,087,200 |   | $ | 108,273,457 |   |   | 14.61 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Loans                (Gross)                                                                                                                                                                                         |   | $ | 105,453,650 |   | $ | 87,317,004 |   |   | 20.77 | % |
| Allowance                for Loan Losses                                                                                                                                                                             |   | $ | (1,844,887 | ) | $ | (1,655,160 | ) |   | 11.46 | % |
| Loans                (Net)                                                                                                                                                                                           |   | $ | 103,608,763 |   | $ | 85,661,844 |   |   | 20.95 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Investments                                                                                                                                                                                                          |   | $ | 26,512,936 |   | $ | 22,392,349 |   |   | 18.40 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Shareholders'                Equity                                                                                                                                                                                  |   | $ | 10,978,270 |   | $ | 9,718,415 |   |   | 12.96 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |  **Three                Months Ended** |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |  **3/31/2006**  |   |  **3/31/2005** |   |  **%****Change** |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Net                interest income                                                                                                                                                                                   |   | $ | 1,521,175 |   | $ | 1,195,081 |   |   | 27.29 | % |
| Provision                for loan losses                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   | 90,850 |   |   | 240,505 |   |   | -62.23 | % |
| Net                interest income after                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |  |   |   |   |   |
|  provision                for loan losses                                                                                                                                                                       |   |   | 1,430,325 |   |   | 954,576 |   |   | 49.84 | % |
| Other                income                                                                                                                                                                                          |   |   | 274,014 |   |   | 336,475 |   |   | -18.56 | % |
| Other                expenses                                                                                                                                                                                        |   |   | 1,114,500 |   |   | 1,137,461 |   |   | -2.02 | % |
| Income                before taxes                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   | 589,839 |   |   | 153,590 |   |   | 284.03 | % |
| Income                taxes                                                                                                                                                                                          |   |   | 206,650 |   |   | 56,065 |   |   | 268.59 | % |
| Net                income                                                                                                                                                                                            |   | $ | 383,189 |   | $ | 97,525 |   |   | 292.91 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Earnings                per share*:                                                                                                                                                                                  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Basic                                                                                                                                                                                                                |   | $ | 0.23 |   | $ | 0.06 |   |   | 283.33 | % |
| Diluted                                                                                                                                                                                                              |   | $ | 0.21 |   | $ | 0.05 |   |   | 320.00 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Book                value per share                                                                                                                                                                                  |   | $ | 7.83 |   | $ | 6.94 |   |   | 12.82 | % |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Average                shares outstanding*:                                                                                                                                                                          |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Basic                                                                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 1,681,290 |   |   | 1,679,601 |   |   |  |   |
| Diluted                                                                                                                                                                                                              |   |   | 1,791,874 |   |   | 1,774,517 |   |   |  |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number                of shares outstanding                                                                                                                                                                          |   |   | 1,401,266 |   |   | 1,400,266 |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratios:                                                                                                                                                                                                              |   |   |  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Return                on Assets                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   | 1.12 | % |   | 0.31 | % |   |   |   |
| Return                on Equity                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   | 14.22 | % |   | 4.02 | % |   |   |   |
| Capital                to Assets                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |   | 7.87 | % |   | 7.80 | % |   |   |   |
| Loan                Loss Allowance to                                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Loans                Outstanding                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |   | 1.75 | % |   | 1.90 | % |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |   |   |   |  |   |   |   |   |
| *The                share and per share amounts have been adjusted to reflect 6-for-5                stock                split effected in a form of a 20% stock dividend                to be paid on May 2, 2006. |