JUNEAU — The 34th Alaska Legislature opened its session in Juneau on Tuesday. Largely a day of ceremony, the legislators, family and friends convened in their respective chambers. Here’s a collection of photos from the day. More coverage of the legislature here.

An infected person flew from Seattle to Anchorage earlier this month around the same time multiple flights were leaving for Southeast Alaska.

With aligned majorities in the House and Senate, priorities are set to include education funding, public pensions and election reform.

Rich Mattson researches history for Gastineau Channel Historical Society and publishes daily “This Day in Juneau History” posts on juneauhistory.org.

Empire Archives is a series printed every Saturday featuring a short compilation of headline stories in the Juneau Empire from archived editions in 1985, 1995 and 2005. They include names, AP style and other content of their eras.

House and Senate leaders say a bill that increases education funding is likely to be a first priority for the Legislature this year.

Alaska legislators on Friday unveiled a second batch of measures that were prefiled ahead of Tuesday's start to the legislative session. Eighty-one measures were announced last week. A further 20 bills were unveiled Friday — 10 are set to be introduced in the state Senate and 10 in the House.

The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium launched an evidence-based opioid treatment program at the Recovery In SouthEast Wellness Center in Ketchikan on Jan. 13.

Artist Nizhonniya Austin, best known for her star turn in 'The Curse,' is debuting a suite of abstract paintings at Tara Downs in New York.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has announced that it will sail to Alaska for the first time in 2026, with a series of summer cruises onboard the Luminara. According to a press release, the inaugural season in the region will include 13 curated voyages calling on 11 ports across Alaska

Luminara’s guests will take advantage of Alaska’s long summer days, experiencing the fjords and glaciers from their private terraces. Itineraries range from 7 to 11 nights and include extended stays in ports such as Sitka, Valdez, and Vancouver.