Fresno County remains the nation's top ag county, but the notion of turning ag land into solar farms was getting wary reviews last week. High-speed rail remains a hotly debated topic among readers. The region's top-ranked school districts were labeled as failing by a federal schools improvement law. And Fresno got a taste of Hollywood glitz.

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

Solar shadow

What happened: Pacific Gas & Electric has let a long-closed 10-acre solar power project near Kerman slide into disrepair. The company vows that it will clean up the site, as it prepares to build three new solar projects elsewhere in Fresno County.

What it means: The abandoned project, once a shining star in the field of solar energy, now just reinforces fears of Fresno County leaders: that the dozens of new solar plants expected in the county in coming years may run their course and one day sit in ruin across the countryside.

What readers said:

"junk, weeds, rubbish, etc. etc. that's the charm of living in the county ... you're exempt from any standards on regular maintenance. it will be a double standard by the BOS if they go after this PG&E site while looking the other way at the countless residential properties who are in the same state of disrepair."

--biff_tannen

We're No. 1

What happened: Fresno County farmers and ranchers produced a record $5.9 billion in crops and commodities in 2010, enough to once again rank as the top ag county in the nation.

What it means: The value was an increase of 11.2% over 2009, despite a slight drop in the number of acres in crop production and a continuing drought and water shortages that hit farmers, particularly on the west side of the county.

What readers said:

"As a Fresno resident, congrats to our farms and ag businesses throughout the valley. Such industries are the first step in the wealth creation process and, despite being hassled by government and unions, provide the food and jobs that keep us going as a people."

--b2burns

"Agribusiness Grows, Where Government Subsidies Flow!!! Where are the jobs that all these folks kept promising they were gonna create when they got more water? Westlands and other groups that distort the truth about who is receiving these subsidies need to be cut off from receiving public money that is intended for helping real small farmers."

--Chuck McNally

Rail reality

What happened: California's high-speed rail system is going to cost substantially more than the $43 billion the state's rail authority has estimated, a new environmental assessment suggests.

What it means: Critics have long derided that rosy estimate as unrealistic for a system that's supposed to extend tracks from San Francisco to Southern California via the San Joaquin Valley. If the state's estimates are accurate for the first two segments, from Merced to Bakersfield, extending the entire system from San Francisco to Anaheim could cost as much as $67.3 billion, even before buying any trains.

What readers said:

"Economically this makes NO sense at all ...NONE!!! You could make a list miles long on the negatives of this project. Positives???? Create Jobs???? Come on -- Really."

-- James Blocker

"There are comparable HSR systems in existence and they always dominate air as soon as they start. Why? Because it is a far superior way to travel between major cities that are between 100-500 miles apart. And yes, they also stop at the mid-sized cities along the way."