diff --git a/monasca_notification/processors/alarm_processor.py b/monasca_notification/processors/alarm_processor.py
index d51c4e6..413c336 100644
--- a/monasca_notification/processors/alarm_processor.py
+++ b/monasca_notification/processors/alarm_processor.py
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ class AlarmProcessor(BaseProcessor):
         try:
             self._mysql = MySQLdb.connect(host=mysql_host, user=mysql_user,
                                           passwd=unicode(mysql_passwd).encode('utf-8'),
-                                          db=dbname, ssl=mysql_ssl)
+                                          db=dbname, ssl=mysql_ssl,
+                                          use_unicode=True, charset="utf8")
             self._mysql.autocommit(True)
         except:
             log.exception('MySQL connect failed')
diff --git a/monasca_notification/retry_engine.py b/monasca_notification/retry_engine.py
index d5e5f01..ac07ea2 100644
--- a/monasca_notification/retry_engine.py
+++ b/monasca_notification/retry_engine.py
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ class RetryEngine(object):
                 notification.retry_count += 1
                 notification.notification_timestamp = time.time()
                 if notification.retry_count < self._retry_max:
-                    log.error("retry failed for {} with name {} "
-                              "at {}.  "
-                              "Saving for later retry.".format(ntype, name, addr))
+                    log.error(u"retry failed for {} with name {} "
+                              u"at {}.  "
+                              u"Saving for later retry.".format(ntype, name, addr))
                     self._producer.publish(self._topics['retry_topic'],
                                            [notification])
                 else:
-                    log.error("retry failed for {} with name {} "
-                              "at {} after {} retries.  "
-                              "Giving up on retry."
+                    log.error(u"retry failed for {} with name {} "
+                              u"at {} after {} retries.  "
+                              u"Giving up on retry."
                               .format(ntype, name, addr, self._retry_max))
 
             self._consumer.commit([partition])
diff --git a/monasca_notification/types/webhook_notifier.py b/monasca_notification/types/webhook_notifier.py
index e32842b..452b446 100644
--- a/monasca_notification/types/webhook_notifier.py
+++ b/monasca_notification/types/webhook_notifier.py
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@ class WebhookNotifier(AbstractNotifier):
             Posts on the given url
         """
 
-        self._log.info("Notifying alarm {} to {} with action {}"
-                       .format(notification.alarm_name,
-                               notification.state,
-                               notification.address))
-
         body = {'alarm_id': notification.alarm_id,
                 'alarm_definition_id': notification.raw_alarm['alarmDefinitionId'],
                 'alarm_name': notification.alarm_name,