The dog days of summer are upon us, and yet not all of the heat came from the pavement. Medicinal marijuana rules and high-speed rail reviews kept readers stewing.

There was plenty of happy news, too -- a young hero from Merced, a unique play in Fowler and a poet laureate, for instance.

Here are the top stories of the past week, along with selected comments posted by readers at fresnobee.com.

Medicinal pot limits

What happened: Fresno County supervisors approved strict rules clamping down on the medicinal pot trade. Under the ordinance, dispensaries must close by March and cultivation is banned in all but some industrial parts of the county.

What it means: The new ordinance seeks to curtail what has become a flourishing and some would say problematic trade of medicinal pot across the county. But medical marijuana advocates have vowed to challenge it in court.

What readers said:

"Really sad to see this kind of thing passed. it just shows off ignorance and lack of understanding and tolerance by our law enforcement and elected officials..."

-- Jon M

"This is too funny. the state needs to make up its mind one way or the other for good about the poessesion of cannibus . the middle ground doesnt work for anyone."

-- william_of_ockham

"Good job Board of Supervisors. Poochigian is right, we had to start somewhere and this is the first step. For those whining and complaining, look at yourselves and think what you could change to be more accepted with medical marijuana. ... Start obeying traffic laws, do not disturb the residents in the Fig Garden Area close to the dispensaries and Tarpey areas ... If you don't control this within your group, people will not accept it..."

-- MrSmithD

Rail review

What happened: The California High-Speed Rail Authority released its long-awaited environmental impact reports on the first two rail segments, extending from Merced to Bakersfield.

What it means: The first two stretches would close dozens of roads, displace hundreds of homes and businesses, affect thousands of acres of farmland, and cost billions more to build than originally anticipated. The public will now have a chance to review and comment on the reports' findings through Sept. 28.

What readers said:

"Few people believed that the projected liabilities of High Speed Rail could get any worse.....however....this report proves they can. Unfortunate! This project is looking more and more like a money pit this state can ill afford. A responsible person doesnt buy a new Mercedes when their home is in forclosure."

-- thelight

"This is our future. Embrace it, or fall farther behind 15 other countries. Infrastructure always costs a lot of money. ... We will spend 10's of billions of dollars on highways forever paving them and expanding them, and we will never catch up to demand without FORWARD thinking, planning and executing NOW. NOT later."

-- ToughHombre

Jaywalkers beware

What happened: Fresno police, who have long targeted speeders and drunken drivers, now are turning their attention to urban hikers who jaywalk, ignore the "don't walk" sign or dart from behind parked cars.

What it means: Fresno saw a spike in pedestrian deaths last year, and top officers in the Police Department's traffic unit ordered monthly sweeps for violators of pedestrian traffic laws. The crackdown appears to be working: Just four people have been killed so far this year.

What readers said:

"So let me get this right. I cant ride in the back of a truck, or not wear my seatbelt, and now i cant jaywalk if i want. None of these things hurt anyone else but myself. Leave us alone we dont need the constant goverment hand holding. If others cant handle looking both ways maybe they should not be outside in the first place."

-- jeff stewart

"Good! You jaywalk you get what you get. As a driver you shouldn't be prosecuted/cited if you run over some idiot who is too lazy to use the designated crosswalks and traffic lights we taxpayers have invested in. ... It's time to get tough on those idiots who fail to comply with our rules."

-- crashboat

Highest honor

What happened: Fresno's Philip Levine was named the nation's poet laureate.

What it means: Yet another feather in the region's literary cap, one already dotted by the likes of William Saroyan and Steve Yarbrough.

What readers said:

"This is wonderful. I think Mr. Levine should absolutely write 'a poem to Congress'."

-- gotcha3