A man asked a woman who was walking her dog last Thursday afternoon for directions, but as she approached she could see he performing a lewd sexual act.

The woman said she noticed that a car drove past her as she was walking her dog on Seventh Street at about noon. She said the driver turned his gray sedan around and parked near her and asked for directions.

The man was described as Hispanic or of a mixed race, was in his 30s with curly brown hair and a heavy build.

Officials with the Madison Metropolitan School District are revealing new recommendations on how to close the achievement gap in city schools.

Superintendent Dan Nerad said the new plan, which includes a focus on improving literacy, the expansion of AVID/TOPS programs to middle schools, a mentor academy to help students find role models in the community and other measures, will cost less.

The original plan cost about $105 million over five years. The revised plan's price tag is $55.6 million over the same time period, administrators said. The lower cost is attributed to several initiatives being pushed back, such as extending the school day.

"If we're going to make a difference, we're going to need to invest," Nerad said. "On the other hand, as we started working through the final plan, we realized that we also need to balance this with the needs of the community going forward, and it needs to be a sustainable plan."

A 17-year-old man was punched and kicked by three other teens Tuesday night, according to the Madison Police Department.

Police said the incident occurred in the 100 block of Waubesa Street at about 9:15 p.m.

The victim said he was walking when one suspect punched him, knocking him to the ground. While down, he curled into a tight ball as all three males kicked him in the back, shoulders and head, police said.

The teens left the area after an adult yelled for them to stop. The victim told police the other teens were acquaintances. Police said they have not been located.

The victim told police that he was not sure why he was attacked.