BLUFF SIDING, Wis. — Expect to pay more for fireworks. Roadside vendors in Buffalo and Trempealeau counties in Wisconsin report wholesale shipments from China have risen astronomically. One vendor reported a container that cost $28,000 a year ago is now $68,000. Vendors ay they’re eating much of the hike and capping their retail prices at 10% to 30%.
Early morning lull. Seasonal fireworks stands across the Mississippi in Wisconsin await the usual crush of customers from Minnesota as Independence Day nears. Minnesota has stricter limits on fireworks potency than Wisconsin. Image: Steve Lunde