Trinity Jazz Festival includes special musician

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- This weekend's Trinity Jazz Festival in downtown Houston features the talents of Richie Cole, Kevin Mahogany and Jake Langley. But the famous festival is also giving a trumpet player another chance to get his life back.

They live all over Houston, like ghosts. The homeless move among us mostly unseen.

"You might have a professor with 37-year tenure at university walking around with all the clothes he owns on his body," said Melvin Desmuke.

Desmuke's life has been like his horn playing, hitting many highs and lows.

"Music is personal minister of mine," he said.

Desmuke has been destitute, but he's hooked up with the group Community of the Streets.

"We're trying to bring some outreach spiritually to the homeless, give them an opportunity to reach back and try to get some of that career opportunities that they once had," said Johnny Nichols Jr., music director of Community of the Streets.

Community of the Streets currently features just one homeless musician at Trinity Jazz Fest but hopes to expand its program and eventually hopes to have an entire band made up of homeless musicians.

The COTS players back Desmuke up on the stage and on the street.

"I can perhaps be a vessel to communicate with others in all walks of life, especially that there's a common denominator with music and that's love," Desmuke said.

"Let people know that these people here do exist and that they are still real people with still fantastic skills," Nichols Jr. said.

Desmuke and the Community of the Streets jazz crew will play again Saturday. Their performance starts at 6:30pm at the Trinity Church Fellowship Hall.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Wildfire in Polk, Trinity Counties prompts evacuations

This photo of the brush fire burning across Polk and Trinity Counties was sent to us by a viewer. If you see news happening, email a photo or video to us at news@abc13.com.

  HUNTSVILLE, TX (KTRK) -- A massive wildfire burning in Polk and Trinity Counties has forced several people from their homes.

The fire started around noon Friday and is consuming parts of the Davy Crockett Forest just northeast of Huntsville in Apple Springs.

Fire crews from both counties are battling the blaze. It has burned at least 14,000 acres, according to the Trinity County Sheriff's Office.

At last check, officials with the Texas Forest Service said it was only 20 percent contained.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the Trevat, Nigton and Helmic communities.

A temporary shelter has been set up for those residents at a Groveton High School.

Two homes and six trailers have been destroyed by the fire. So far, there are no reports of any injuries.

It's not yet clear what caused this wildfire, but investigators suspect a wheel bearing on an 18-wheeler produced a spark that caused the blaze.

The fire is being called the "Bearing Fire" and is reportedly one of the largest wildfires ever in East Texas, according to the National Forest Service.

We'll keep following this story and bring you the latest updates on Eyewitness News and abc13.com.

If you can see the fire and can snap cell phone videos or photos without putting yourself in harm's way, please email them to us at news@abc13.com or upload them on our iWitness Reports page.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Search continues for men missing in Trinity River

  LIBERTY, TX (KTRK) -- Officials continued the search Sunday for two Liberty men missing in the Trinity River.

Liberty police received a 9-1-1 call around 6:40pm Saturday from the area of the Trinity River Bridge. Officials said the caller reported that a man was having trouble swimming in the river.

Officers arrived and learned that Ruben Rivera, 43, and 29-year-old Manuel De Jesus Aguilar were under water and had not come up.

The Liberty Fire Department along with Texas Parks and Wildlife, Tarkington Volunteer Fire Department and the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and began rescue operations.

Witnesses said Rivera and De Jesus Aguilar were trying to swim across the Trinity River, and they went under the water somewhere in the middle.

Officials searched for more than two hours Saturday night and resumed their search at sunrise Sunday.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) 

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Two men missing in Trinity River

  LIBERTY, TX (KTRK) -- Officials were searching Saturday for two men missing at the Trinity River.

According to the Liberty Police Department, the men were along the river at the U.S. 90 boat ramp around 6:40pm when they somehow ended up in the water.

Deputies are searching the area for the pair.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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