PITTSBURGH — State officials are temporarily halting patient discharges at Mayview State Hospital in Bridgeville while they review recent incidents involving former patients.

Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman Stacey Witalec says the state is reviewing two events involving former patients. She would not specifically comment on the events, but indicated they involved unexplained deaths or serious injuries.

In October, one former patient who suffered from schizophrenia died after a fall from a Pittsburgh bridge. In November, another former patient was hit and killed by a train.

In August, the state announced that the hospital would close. But state officials want to make sure proper services are available for patients placed in the community before that happens.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is planning a big surprise for its 1 millionth visitor of the year.The 109-year-old zoo expects that person to come in sometime in the next two weeks. It will be the first time that the zoo will have welcomed more than 1 million visitors in a single year.The lucky visitor will get a lifetime membership to the zoo, a $500 shopping spree at zoo gift shops, a behind-the-scenes zoo tour, a one-year subscription to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other prizes.Visitors who want to try to win the prizes can increase their chances by checking out the zoo's Web site, where officials are counting the number of visitors.

PITTSBURGH — A 1.2 million pound machine that will be boring a tunnel under Pittsburgh's North Shore is set to go underground.The tunnel-boring machine is scheduled to be put 55 feet below the ground near PNC Park and tested before it begins work on what will be the North Shore Connector. The two tunnels will link downtown Pittsburgh to the North Side, which is home to two sports stadiums, businesses and other attractions.The tunnels are supposed to be completed sometime in 2011. The entire project will cost about $435 million.The extension of the city's T line is expected to serve more than 4 million people a year. About 240,000 riders use the T on an average day.