jennifer
Gossip is at large anywhere, but in small towns it seems to be even more rampant.  I'm sure it's due to the fact that "everyone knows everyone" and you run into people you know everywhere you go.  But no matter what the reason, rumors spread like wildfire here.  And sometimes there's no truth to it.  For example, one of our friends is in the hospital right now and the rumor around town was that he was dead.  It was all over facebook and it even went so far that the tavern regulars took up a collection for flowers!  We got everyone straightened out, luckily, without having to go as far as one of the local doctors did.  Apparently to combat the rumor about himself, Dr. Turnbaugh had to take an ad out in the local newspaper!