Before departing Washington, D.C., for the holidays, Congress left some goodies for Nye County under the Christmas tree, with a number of local projects funded in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

"This bill contains funding for important Nevada projects. Transportation, military, education, affordable housing and health care are just some of the Nevada priorities that received funding from this legislation," U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D.-Nev., said in a written statement announcing the projects.

President Bush, however, threatened to cancel thousands of pet projects in the bill and chastised Democratic leaders for failing to live up to a campaign promise to curb earmarks. The spending bill includes 8,983 projects worth $7.4 billion, according to a preliminary count by Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The Associated Press reported President Bush ordered his budget director "to review options for dealing with the wasteful spending in the omnibus bill."

A $1.5 million appropriation to design and construct the widening of Highway 160 from Rainbow Boulevard to Mountain Springs is included in the bill.

The Nevada legislature already approved $16 million for that road widening project in Clark County during the last legislative session as part of a $170 million state highway construction bill. That segment is the longest stretch of Highway 160 between Pahrump and Las Vegas that is still two lanes.

Nevada District 36 Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, said Focus Property Group has offered to contribute another $2 million toward widening the road.

Among other presents:

Nye County will receive $492,000 for a renewable energy feasibility study. Nye County Commissioner Joni Eastley said she originally requested an earmark for renewable energy studies for Beatty, but asked to change the wording to include studies that could be used county wide.

"A half a million dollars isn't a lot of money but it will enable us to do some things," Eastley said.

A company named Solar Millenium has taken out an option on 640 acres for a solar project at the Tonopah Airport, Eastley said. In the past year, Eastley said she's had discussions on eight renewable energy projects from Lathrop Wells to Tonopah.

Renewable energy is the theme behind a number of projects in the bill, including $1.5 million to the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization, a multi-institution effort to encourage the development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies across the state.

Nye County was also awarded $178,600 for a remote surveillance system, to be used in conjunction with the Amber Alert system, to detect wanted or stolen vehicles.

The construction of the Las Vegas Veterans Affairs Hospital and Medical Center received a $341.4 million appropriation.

Community College of Southern Nevada will pick up $718,573 to expand Internet course offerings.

Nevada Rural Hospital Partners in Reno will receive $430,554 to expand a rural telemedicine project.

An $18.7 million allocation will authorize the Rural Nevada water program to continue projects on public water supplies, sewer treatment, environmental restoration and surface water protection.

Esmeralda County took a few grants. A $295,000 grant was approved to restore historic buildings in Goldfield. Silver Peak will receive $98,000 for a drinking water system.

Congress approved $95,351 for the Nevada Rural Retired Senior Volunteer Program to recruit and retain volunteers to serve low-income seniors in 15 rural counties.

A $246,000 allocation will complete boundary demarcations for wilderness areas established in the 1989 Nevada Wilderness bill.

Payment in lieu of taxes -- in which counties receive money to compensate for taxes they would have received for public land -- will be funded at $229 million this fiscal year, $39 million above President Bush's request, Reid's office announced.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will be directed to maintain the current funding levels for its wild horse and burro program.