SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 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) February 14, 2000
NISOURCE INC.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Indiana 1-9779 35-1719974
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(State or Other (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer
Jurisdiction of Identification No.)
Incorporation)
801 E. 86th Avenue, Merrillville, Indiana 46410
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (219) 853-5200
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(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Item 5. Other Events.
On February 14, 2000, the Registrant announced that its
tender offer for all of the outstanding common stock of Columbia
Energy Group is not being extended. A copy of the Registrant's press
release dated February 14, 2000 is filed as an exhibit to this report
and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and
Exhibits
(c) EXHIBITS. The following exhibit is filed herewith:
99.1 Press release dated February 14, 2000.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirement 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.
NISOURCE INC.
(Registrant)
Dated: February 14, 2000 By: /s/ Nina M. Rausch
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Name: Nina M. Rausch
Title: Secretary
EXHIBIT 99.1
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NISOURCE ENTERS FINAL BIDDING PROCESS FOR COLUMBIA
NiSource Withdraws Tender Offer
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 14 /PR Newswire/ -- NiSource, Inc. (NYSE:NI)
today announced that its tender offer for all of the outstanding common
stock of Columbia Energy Group (NYSE:CG) is not being extended.
NiSource Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Gary L. Neale
stated, "We are gratified by the support that Columbia shareholders
have shown for NiSource over the last eight months."
"We are now entering the final phase of Columbia's defined bidding
process. In order to maintain confidentiality and flexibility in this
process, it is necessary for us to withdraw the tender offer at this
time," continued Neale.
NiSource noted that at the expiration of its tender offer, midnight EST
on Friday, February 11, 2000, Columbia Energy Group shareholders had
tendered 47,576,897 shares pursuant to NiSource's tender offer. This
represents approximately 58.6% of Columbia's common shares
outstanding.
NiSource Inc. is a holding company whose primary business is the
distribution of electricity, natural gas and water in the Midwest and
Northeast United States. The company also markets utility services
and customer-focused resource solutions along a corridor stretching
from Texas to Maine. Further information about the company may be
found on the Internet at http://www.nisource.com.
