UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

~~Pursuant~~Date toof ~~Section 13~~Report ~~or 15~~(d)Date of earliest event reported): March 16, 2013

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 13, 2013

PremierWest Bancorp

(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Oregon		000-50332		93 – 1282171
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

Oregon

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

000-50332

(Commission File Number)

93 - 1282171

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

503 Airport Road, Medford, Oregon 97504 Address of Principal Executive Office

~~Address~~Registrant's oftelephone ~~Principal~~number ~~Executive~~including area ~~Office~~ code 541-618-6003

Registrant’s telephone number including area code 541-618-6003

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Not applicable

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 (17 CFR 230.425) [ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

¨Item ~~Soliciting~~1.01 ~~material~~Entry ~~pursuant~~into toa ~~Rule~~Material ~~14a-12~~Definitive ~~under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240~~Agreement.~~14a-12)~~

¨Agreement ~~Pre-commencement~~and ~~communications~~Plan ~~pursuant~~of ~~to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))~~Merger

¨On ~~Pre-commencement~~October ~~communications~~29, ~~pursuant~~2012, toPremierWest ~~Rule~~Bancorp, an ~~13e-4~~Oregon corporation (c“PremierWest”), ~~under~~entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the ~~Exchange~~“Merger ~~Act~~Agreement”) with Starbuck Bancshares, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (17“Starbuck”), ~~CFR~~and ~~240~~Pearl Merger Sub Corp.~~13e-4~~, an Oregon corporation and a newly formed subsidiary of Starbuck (c“Merger Sub”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, PremierWest will merge (the “Merger”) with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub as the surviving corporation. On March 16, 2013, PremierWest, Starbuck and Merger Sub entered into the First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Amendment”). Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, as amended by the Amendment, at the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of PremierWest common stock will be converted into the right to receive $2.00 in cash, without interest, subject to deduction for any required withholding tax.

~~Item~~Consummation of the Merger is subject to approval of PremierWest shareholders as well as other customary conditions including, among others, the absence of any injunction or other legal prohibition to the consummation of the Merger. The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement and the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein, and to the full text of the Merger Agreement, which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to PremierWest’s Form 8-K filed October 30, 2012, and is incorporated by reference herein.01 ~~Other~~On ~~Events~~March 18, 2013, PremierWest Bancorp issued a press release regarding execution of the Amendment. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

OnItem March 13, 2013, PremierWest Bancorp (“PremierWest”) issued a press release announcing a further adjournment of its special meeting of shareholders to continue to provide additional time to solicit proxies to approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated October 29, 2012, among PremierWest, Starbuck Bancshares, Inc. and Pearl Merger Sub Corp., pursuant to which PremierWest will merge with and into Pearl Merger Sub Corp., with Pearl Merger Sub Corp. as the surviving entity, and that the special meeting will reconvene at 9~~:00 a~~.~~m.,~~01 ~~Pacific~~Financial ~~Time,~~Statements ~~on March 28, 2013 at the PremierWest Bank Headquarters located at 503 Airport Road, Medford, Oregon. Submission of proxies in respect of the adjourned meeting via Internet~~ and ~~telephone will resume at 8:00 a~~Exhibits.~~m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 14, 2013 and will be available until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.~~

The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

(d)

Exhibits.

Exhibit 2.1 – First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into and effective as of March 16, 2013, by and among, PremierWest Bancorp, Starbuck Bancshares, Inc. and Pearl Merger Sub Corp.

Exhibit 99.1 – Press Release, dated March 18, 2013, announcing First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger

~~Item~~IMPORTANT ~~9.01~~ADDITIONAL ~~Financial~~INFORMATION ~~Statements and Exhibits~~

PremierWest filed a definitive proxy statement on January 4, 2013, and a supplement to the definitive proxy statement on March 18, 2013, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the proposed merger of PremierWest and an affiliate of AmericanWest Bank. Shareholders of PremierWest are urged to read the proxy statement and the supplement, because it contains important information. Shareholders can obtain a free copy of the proxy statement, as well as other filings containing information about PremierWest and the merger, without charge, at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Internet site (dwww.sec.gov). ~~Exhibits~~In addition, copies of the proxy statement and other filings containing information about PremierWest and the proposed merger can be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to PremierWest’s Internet site at www.premierwestbank.com under the heading “About Us” and then under the heading “Investor Relations.” Shareholders and customers may also contact: James Ford, PremierWest President & CEO, 541-618-6020 or Jim.Ford@PremierWestBank.com or Doug Biddle, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, 541-282-5391 or Doug.Biddle@PremierWestBank.com.

Exhibit Number		Description
99.1		Press Release of PremierWest dated March 13, 2013

PROXY SOLICITATION

~~IMPORTANT~~PremierWest ~~ADDITIONAL~~and ~~INFORMATION~~its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from PremierWest shareholders in respect of the proposed merger. You can find information about PremierWest’s executive officers and directors in PremierWest’s definitive annual proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 9, 2012. You can obtain free copies of PremierWest’s annual proxy statement, and PremierWest’s proxy statement in connection with the merger by contacting PremierWest’s investor relations department.

PremierWest filed a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 4, 2013, in connection with the proposed merger of PremierWest and an affiliate of AmericanWest Bank. Shareholders of PremierWest are urged to read the proxy statement, because it contains important information. Shareholders can obtain a free copy of the proxy statement, as well as other filings containing information about PremierWest and the merger, without charge, at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Internet site (www.sec.gov). In addition, copies of the proxy statement and other filings containing information about PremierWest and the proposed merger can be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to PremierWest’s Internet site at www.premierwestbank.com under the heading “About Us” and then under the heading “Investor Relations.” Shareholders and customers may also contact: James M. Ford, PremierWest President & CEO at (541) 618-6020 or Jim.Ford@PremierWestBank.com or Doug Biddle, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at (541) 282-5391 or Doug.Biddle@PremierWestBank.com. SIGNATURE

~~PROXY~~Pursuant ~~SOLICITATION~~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.

~~PremierWest~~Date: ~~and~~March ~~its~~18, ~~directors~~2013 ~~and~~PREMIERWEST ~~executive~~BANCORP ~~officers~~(Registrant) ~~and~~By: other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from PremierWest shareholders in respect of the proposed merger. You can find information about PremierWest’/s/ ~~executive~~Douglas ~~officers and directors in PremierWest’s definitive annual proxy statement filed with the U~~N.S. ~~Securities~~Biddle ~~and~~Douglas ~~Exchange Commission on April 9, 2012~~N. ~~You~~Biddle ~~can obtain~~Executive ~~free~~Vice ~~copies~~President of/ ~~PremierWest’s~~Chief ~~annual~~Financial ~~proxy statement, and PremierWest’s proxy statement in connection with the merger by contacting PremierWest’s investor relations department.~~ Officer

~~DISCLOSURE~~EXHIBIT ~~REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS~~ INDEX

This Form 8-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “Safe-Harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which management believes are a benefit to shareholders. PremierWest makes forward-looking statements in this Form 8-K about the proposed merger with Pearl Merger Sub Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starbuck Bancshares, Inc., and as to when Internet and telephone voting will resume. These statements are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty and actual results could differ materially due to certain risk factors, including those set forth

Exhibit Number

Description

2.1

First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, entered into and effective as of March 16, 2013, by and among, PremierWest Bancorp, Starbuck Bancshares, Inc. and Pearl Merger Sub Corp.

99.1

Press Release, dated March 18, 2013, announcing First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger

from time to time in PremierWest’s filings with the SEC. Such statements are subject to risks that PremierWest may be unable to procure the required shareholder approval. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and PremierWest undertakes no obligation to update any such statements.

SIGNATURE

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.

PREMIERWEST BANCORP (Registrant)

Date: March 13, 2013

/s/ Douglas N. Biddle

Douglas N. Biddle

Executive Vice President / Chief Financial Officer

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