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: ~~February~~March 2519, 2014

(Date of earliest event reported)

Sterling Financial Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Washington	001-34696	91-1572822
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

111 North Wall Street, Spokane, Washington 99201

(Address of Principal Executive Offices and 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)

o	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

~~Item~~INFORMATION ~~5.07. Submission~~TO ofBE ~~Matters~~INCLUDED toIN aTHE ~~Vote of Security Holders.~~REPORT

OnItem ~~February 25, 2014, Sterling Financial Corporation (“Sterling”) held a special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”)~~8.01 ~~Sterling's~~Other shareholders approved each of the three proposals detailed in Sterling's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated January 22, 2014 and first mailed to Sterling’s shareholders on or about January 24, 2014.Events

~~Following~~On isMarch 19, 2014, Sterling Financial Corporation (“Sterling”) announced that its Board of Directors approved a ~~summary~~quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share, payable on April 15, 2014 to shareholders of record as of April 1, 2014. The timing for the ~~voting~~payment ~~results~~of this dividend is being accelerated in accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Merger (“Merger Agreement”) between Sterling and Umpqua Holdings Corporation (“Umpqua”) in order to ensure that Sterling shareholders receive the same number of dividends as Umpqua shareholders for each quarter between execution of the ~~three~~Merger ~~proposals:~~Agreement and completion of the merger, which is currently expected during the second quarter of 2014, subject to regulatory approval and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

~~FIRST: Sterling’s~~The ~~shareholders~~press ~~adopted~~release ~~and~~for ~~approved~~this ~~the~~announcement ~~Agreement~~is ~~and~~included ~~Plan~~as ofExhibit ~~Merger~~99.1 ~~(the “Merger Agreement”), dated as~~ of ~~September~~this ~~11, 2013, by and between Sterling and Umpqua Holdings Corporation (“Umpqua”), pursuant to which Sterling will merge with and into Umpqua (the “Merger”), as set forth below:~~Report.

	Shares Voted	Percent of Voted	Percent of Outstanding
For	51,981,905	99.04%	83.35%
Against	12,132	0.02%	0.01%
Abstain	490,214	0.93%	0.78%
Broker Non-votes	0	0	0

SECOND: Sterling’s shareholders approved on an advisory (non-binding) basis the compensation that is tied to or based on the Merger and that will or may be paid to Sterling’s named executive officers in connection with the Merger, as set forth below:

	Shares Voted	Percent of Voted	Percent of Outstanding
For	41,999,692	80.02%	67.34%
Against	10,038,082	19.12%	16.09%
Abstain	446,477	0.85%	0.71%
Broker Non-votes	0	0	0

THIRD: Sterling’s shareholders approved an adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the proposal to adopt and approve the Merger Agreement, but in view of the adoption and approval of the Merger Agreement, this was not necessary:

	Shares Voted	Percent of Voted	Percent of Outstanding
For	49,381,359	94.08%	79.18%
Against	2,682,838	5.11%	4.30%
Abstain	420,054	0.80%	0.67%
Broker Non-votes	0	0	0

Item 8.01. Other Events

On February 26, 2014, Sterling and Umpqua issued a joint press release announcing that the shareholders of Sterling and Umpqua had each approved the Merger Agreement at special meetings of the shareholders of Sterling and Umpqua held on February 25, 2014. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference into this Item 8.01.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) The following ~~exhibits~~exhibit ~~are~~is being furnished herewith:

Exhibit No.	Exhibit Description	~~Exhibit Description~~
99.1	Press release text of Sterling Financial Corporation dated March 19, 2014.	~~Joint press release of Sterling Financial Corporation and Umpqua Holdings Corporation dated February 26, 2014.~~

~~SIGNATURES~~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 ~~hereunto~~thereunto duly authorized.

STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION (Registrant) February 26, 2014 Date By: /s/ Patrick J. Rusnak Patrick J. Rusnak Chief Financial Officer

	STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION
		(Registrant)


March 19, 2014	By:	/s/ Patrick J. Rusnak
Date		Patrick J. Rusnak
		Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.		Exhibit Description
99.1		Joint press release of Sterling Financial Corporation and Umpqua Holdings Corporation dated February 26, 2014.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.		Exhibit Description

99.1		Press release text of Sterling Financial Corporation dated March 19, 2014.

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