You are local. You don't remember reading all those stories during 2001? There were articles on them even after the rumors started about them being urban legends.
What do you mean "you are local"? And actually, no, I don't remember, as I made a major move from NYS to Georgia to care for a friend with a terminal disease and may have been otherwise distracted.
These stories were all over the N.Y. Post and local news and turned out to be a hoax/urban legend!