title: Replace é with e in PHP
body: <p>Hey, this is my first post on stackoverflow.  </p>
  
  <p>I'm trying to replace é with e and other similar special characters.  I've tried str_replace() and converting it from UTF-8 to ASCII but nothing seems to work.  When I convert it from UTF-8 to anything it just drops the é off.  When I use str_replace() it never catches it and the é is still there.</p>
  
  <p>I have a feeling something is wrong internally on our server because my friend tried str_replace() on his server and it worked fine. </p>
  
  <p>Thanks,</p>
  
  <p>Jason Tolhurst</p>