I know a small town where the newspaper reports things like who got traffic tickets, whose going to have visitors for a week --- it's kind of funny. But the only good thing is that they'll call the sheriff if someone they don't recognize is messing around your property when you aren't home -- and of course they know if you're home or not.
In the small town I lived in the bank tellers discussed your bank balance & savings account, the doctors nurse discussed your daughters out of wedlock pregancy (not my daughter she was a baby) & your ailments & don't get me started on the county courthouse, law suits, divorces etc, the teachers talked about your kids. I was raised in the city & taught that gossip was bad. This small town behavior hit me like a ton of bricks. ever again will I live in a place like that. Country living is nice as long as you do your business in the city.
My neighbors know when I am gone because I tell them.