Jessica Paine came into the field of journalism with a strong research background and an inquisitive mind, fostered over years in academia – she is a registered dietitian, holds master’s degrees in nutrition and nonprofit leadership and was a professor at Murray State University for four years.
Raised in a household where law was the family business, Jessica became a de facto paralegal at an early age, exposing her to the inner machinations of the legal system that encompasses some aspect of every citizen’s life at some point or another. She has forged relationships with and gained perspective from people from all walks of life through travel, study abroad and eclectic interests, hobbies and jobs.
Jessica recognized a void in the local media landscape, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and endeavored to remedy the discrepancy with her own research, proclivity for analytics, capacity to translate data into actionable information and her anecdotal personal perspective as a parent and Murray native. She found overwhelming support from her readership, giving her the inspiration and incentive to embark on her own independent enterprise… The Murray Sentinel.
River Murt is a multimedia reporter from Paducah, Kentucky, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Murray State University.
River transferred to Murray State after earning an associate degree from West Kentucky Community and Technical College in 2024. He then began contributing to The Murray State News, the university’s independent student newspaper.
Within six months, River had produced investigative stories, contributed to award-winning breaking news coverage of negligence at Murray State and extensively covered student government elections that sparked controversy, a lawsuit, allegations of interference and a special election. He became the publication’s news editor in 2025, leading a dedicated team of reporters whose coverage helped double The News’ readership. Their reporting spanned topics ranging from university AI chatbots to veterans’ benefits threatened during a government shutdown.
River joined The Murray Sentinel to broaden his reporting beyond campus and cover the community he has come to know well.
Kacie Lawrence has been a resident of Calloway County her entire life. She has an
associates degree from WKCTC, and in 2017, she graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
Kacie has been writing for as long as she could hold a pencil. Her fiction writing has been featured in Kentucky Monthly magazine, but here at The Sentinel, she writes feature stories that she hopes will inspire and connect the Murray/Calloway County community.
A volunteer master gardener with the Calloway County Extension Service, Kacie is often found wandering around her garden or in the woods and rivers near her home, usually followed by her three children and a bunch of chickens.
klawrence@themurraysentinel.org