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


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 23, 2010

                            _______________________

                         STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  Washington                        0-20800                      91-1572822
(State or other             (Commission File Number)          (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of                                              Identification No.)
incorporation or
 organization)


                111 North Wall Street, Spokane, Washington 99201
              (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (509) 458-3711
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
         (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 (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))




                    INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT

Item 8.01.     Other Events.

     (a)  Sterling Financial Corporation ("Sterling") announced the extension of
the  expiration  date  to  5:00  p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, March 31, 2010 from
March  23,  2010  for  the  redemption of certain of its managed trust preferred
securities  ("TruPS").  The  revised expiration date coincides with the deadline
for  the  redemption  of  the  balance  of  its  unmanaged  TruPS. The aggregate
principal  amount  of  the  Sterling  TruPS  is  $238  million  in  total.

     With  the  exception  of  the new deadline, the terms and conditions of the
offers to redeem the TruPS will be the same for all TruPS holders as outlined in
an  8-K  filing  by  Sterling  on  February  1,  2010.

     Consummation  of  any  offer  is conditioned upon Sterling's receipt of net
proceeds from an equity offering, sale of assets or other transaction sufficient
to  purchase  the  TruPS  that  are  validly tendered and not withdrawn, and the
approval,  to  the  extent  required,  by  banking  regulators.  There can be no
assurance  that  any  of  these  efforts  will  be  successful.

     This  filing  is  for  informational  purposes  only and is not an offer to
purchase,  a  solicitation  of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of consent
with  respect  to  any  securities.


Forward-Looking  Statements
     This  filing  contains  certain  "forward-looking"  statements  relating to
Sterling's  offer  to repurchase its TruPS. These forward-looking statements are
subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control
of  Sterling,  which  could  cause actual results to differ materially from such
statements.  Such  risks  and  uncertainties  include,  but  are not limited to,
Sterling's ability to complete a financing transaction on favorable terms, if at
all, the receipt of consents and tenders from holders of the TruPS sufficient to
approve  the  proposed amendments to the applicable indenture governing the note
underlying  the relevant series of TruPS and such other factors as are described
in  greater  detail  in  Sterling's  filings  with  the  Securities and Exchange
Commission,  including,  without limitation, Item 1A. Risk Factors of Sterling's
Annual  Report  on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. Unless
legally  required,  Sterling  disclaims  any  obligation  to  update  any
forward-looking  statements,  whether  as  a  result  of new information, future
events  or  otherwise.


                               S I G N A T U R E

     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 thereunto duly authorized.


                                         STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                                         ------------------------------
                                                 (Registrant)


March  23,  2010                         By:   /s/  Daniel  G.  Byrne
----------------                             ---------------------------
     Date                                    Daniel  G.  Byrne
                                             Executive Vice President,
                                             Assistant Secretary and
                                             Principal Financial Officer