cutenews isn't mysql but txtsql. It uses .txt files to save data.
Try and search for cutenews ru on google
It's a somewhat other news script with the same basic function and feeling, but it has plugins, on of which is a password protect entry plugin.
But don't start deleting cutenews and just switch. Try it out first and see if you get it working.

That's excellent. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.

This is just something I thought of.. the ability to password protect certain entries. I currently have my CuteNews set up as a journal, and some entries are password protected, but it requires the setting up, and maintaining of a twin journal. There maybe easier ways to get around this, but I'm not that skilled in PHP/MySQL, so I wouldn't know how.