checkUnresolvedIssues.py no longer works with latest python or latest JIRA release

export userpass=JIRAUSER:JIRAPWD

# can filter out labels using --skipLabels "releasework, task, qa" etc.
# can do a dry run (list issues, do not change them) with -D
# skip verifying JIRA fixversions with -S
# automatically apply changes with -A

# for the latest sprint names see agile board https://issues.jboss.org/secure/RapidBoard.jspa?rapidView=641&view=planning
# sometimes the sprint_NEXT is already created, but with a name that's different from what you might expect (eg., different month, wrong year)

# if previous sprint is done, use sprint=sprint_NEXT here
sprint="devex #153 August 2018"
sprint_NEXT="devex #154 September 2018"
versionWithRespin_jbt=4.9.0.AM2
versionWithRespin_jbt_NEXT=4.9.0.AM3
versionWithRespin_ds=12.9.0.AM2
versionWithRespin_ds_NEXT=12.9.0.AM3
python -W ignore /tmp/jbt.github/jbosstools-build-ci/util/checkUnresolvedIssues.py -S --jira https://issues.jboss.org \
  --jbt ${versionWithRespin_jbt} --jbt_NEXT ${versionWithRespin_jbt_NEXT} \
  --ds ${versionWithRespin_ds} --ds_NEXT ${versionWithRespin_ds_NEXT} \
  --sprint "${sprint}" --sprint_NEXT "${sprint_NEXT}" --skipLabels "task, releasework" -A

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/tmp/jbt.github/jbosstools-build-ci/util/checkUnresolvedIssues.py", line 191, in <module>
    updateIssues(components.getIssuesFromQuery(query, jiraserver, jirauser, jirapwd), True, \
  File "/home/nboldt/tru/jbosstools-build-ci/util/components.py", line 196, in getIssuesFromQuery
    return doQuery(query, 'item', jiraserver, jirauser, jirapwd, 1000)
  File "/home/nboldt/tru/jbosstools-build-ci/util/components.py", line 215, in doQuery
    xml = minidom.parseString(q.text)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/xml/dom/minidom.py", line 1928, in parseString
    return expatbuilder.parseString(string)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/xml/dom/expatbuilder.py", line 940, in parseString
    return builder.parseString(string)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/xml/dom/expatbuilder.py", line 223, in parseString
    parser.Parse(string, True)
UnicodeEncodeError: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\ufffd' in position 172594: ordinal not in range(128)