‘Ren’s gone. Now what?’: For this small Utah town, the death of their mayor still lingers

The death of Ren Hatt is felt beyond city hall — in classrooms, conversations and the routines of a small town where his roles as teacher, attorney and mayor often overlapped.

(Maria Sykes) Ren Hatt is pictured in 2021 at Hell’s Backbone Grill. Hatt, who served as mayor of Green River from 2022 to 2025, died Dec. 5 after being reelected for a second term.