YAKIMA, Wash. --Hand recounts conducted Monday in two close Yakima Valley elections did little to change initial results.

Final results showed that in Selah, John Gawlik bested former city councilman Allen Schmid by 681 to 676 votes.

In Sunnyside, challenger and former councilman Don Vlieger defeated incumbent Councilwoman Carol Stone by 662 to 655 votes.

The Selah recount was required under state law because election-day results left the candidates separated by less than 0.5 percent of the votes.

Stone paid for the hand recount in her race because the margin was greater than 0.5 percent.

Cost of the hand recount in the Sunnyside race hasn’t been calculated.

-- David Lester