The controversial deal was the subject of several Government Watch columns since September — the most recent saying that it seemed to be falling apart a month ago due to issues that arose after Courant disclosures — and now it is officially dead. Malloy’s budget chief, Ben Barnes, told Orange First Selectman James Zeoli in a letter Wednesday that he “cannot accept the town’s final position on this matter” and the administration “will not be moving forward” with the taxpayer-funded grant that was going to make the deal possible.