Electronic voting systems may be full of glitches and vulnerable to hackers, but East Bay voters will likely find some of the controversial machines at polling places next month. The political tug-of-war over e-voting comes to a head with the race for secretary of state.

Cooks who use oil that’s labeled as “extra virgin” might be dismayed to learn that some brands blend in hazelnut oil and then dye the mixture with chlorophyll. Legitimate olive oil producers say “like a virgin” just isn’t good enough. They want to see federal guidelines in place.

Where the heart is, where you hang your hat, where you want to be . . . home is in the eye of the beholder. Autumn asks us to hunker down, trim away all but the essentials, and reflect on where we are. Four writers tell fresh stories about home–the ones they’ve lost, made, or found in unlikely places.

Remember when you could meditate to the drone of humming honeybees in the summer and fall? No more. Mites are reducing honeybee populations to near-extinction levels in some places. Which makes the backyard hives of local beekeepers into something like apiarian sanctuaries.